Elliotte Friedman makes big claim about Canucks being close to $92,800,000 forward's trade prior to Hurricanes penning Rantanen trade

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shared on this week's Saturday Headlines broadcast that the Vancouver Canucks were close to trading forward Elias Pettersson. Pettersson has been a strong offensive contributor for Vancouver over the past two seasons.

Rumors of tension between Pettersson and teammate J.T. Miller have been growing since October. Speculation about a rift increased when Miller took a 10-game leave of absence earlier this season.

Friedman reported that Pettersson was nearly traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. However, the Hurricanes eventually acquired Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall in a three-team trade involving the Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks.

"There was a time yesterday I thought that Pettersson was going to be a Carolina Hurricane." Pettersson said. "Obviously it didn't happen. I think those talks continue, and I believe that one of the teams that has really shown a lot of interest is Buffalo. There are others, but the Sabres are definitely in there."

"Yesterday, if they were going to make the deal, it was going to be Pettersson."

Elias Pettersson is in his seventh season with the Canucks. He was drafted fifth overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. On March 2, 2024, he signed an eight-year contract worth $92.8 million, with an annual cap hit of $11.6 million through the 2031-32 season.

This season, Pettersson has recorded 30 points, including 11 goals. In 19 wins, he has scored 17 points, but in 22 losses, his production drops to 13 points, with a -16 plus/minus rating. Miller, who had a career-high 102 points in the 2022-23 season, has also proved to be an offensive asset.

Friedman previously reported that Miller was close to being traded to the New York Rangers, but the deal fell through. The Canucks are reportedly seeking a trade due to the ongoing rumors’ impact on team dynamics. Vancouver holds a 20-17-10 record and has lost eight of their last 10 games.

Vancouver Canucks lose 6-2 to Oilers; Elias Pettersson held scoreless

The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Vancouver Canucks 6-2 at Rogers Place. Both Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller were held without a goal. Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet mentioned a lack of energy from some players.

“In this business, you have to bring energy. I felt some guys did not have energy tonight for some reason,” Tocchet said, per NHL.com, “They looked exhausted tonight, five or six guys. I’m not sure why.

Zach Hyman, Leon Draisaitl, Adam Henrique, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kasperi Kapanen scored for the Oilers. Edmonton took an early 5-0 lead, but Vancouver cut it to 5-2 with goals from Brock Boeser and Filip Hronek.