NHL analyst urges Sabres to be "more aggressive" in trade for Canucks star Elias Pettersson

NHL analyst Carlo Colaiacovo believes the struggling Buffalo Sabres should make an "aggressive" attempt to trade for Vancouver Canucks star Elias Pettersson.

Pettersson has been the subject of trade rumors amid reports of issues between him and teammate J.T. Miller in Vancouver.

Speaking on TSN, Colaiacovo argued that the timing is perfect for the Sabres to make a bold move for the skilled young center.

"This is your perfect opportunity right now to go out and get a star-studded center iceman that is locked in the long term," Colaiacovo said (0:30 onwards). "This is your chance to get him."

Colaiacovo pointed out that Sabres have plenty of assets to put together an enticing trade package, including players like Dylan Cozens, one of their young defensemen and a wealth of draft picks.

"They have the pieces to make that deal happen," Colaiacovo noted. "I would like to see them to be more aggressive, to see if this is an actual deal they can actually make Vancouver agree to."

Adding a talent like Pettersson would provide a major boost to a Sabres team trying to build around cornerstone defenseman and captain Rasmus Dahlin.

"If you're talking about Buffalo and adding to that mix of young players. This is that star young player that they're looking for to excite their fan base, again, excite that organization, to maybe look at being more of a competitive team mixture and compete for the playoffs," said Colaiacovo.

With the Swedish connection between Pettersson and Dahlin, Colaiacovo sees this as an ideal fit.

"There's a relationship there to both being Swedes, this seems like the most perfect fit for me. If I'm Buffalo, I'm all in on trying to get this deal done to acquire Pettersson."

Elias Pettersson is signed long-term on an eight-year, $92.8 million contract. Whether the rebuilding Sabres can put together a package enticing enough for Vancouver remains to be seen.

Canucks GM Patrik Allvin believes in Elias Pettersson

Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin expressed belief in struggling star Elias Pettersson. Speaking to reporters, Allvin said Pettersson takes ownership of how he's played this season, acknowledging he's still in the process of becoming an elite player in the NHL.

"The work that he's putting in, it's not a finished product yet," Allvin said. "[We are] definitely seeing signs after his injury here that he's playing a solid two-way hockey game, pushing the pace harder, and he will continue to work on his game."

Allvin emphasized focusing on the process and playing properly, noting that the points will follow. In 39 games this season, Elias Pettersson has registered 30 points including 11 goals.