NHL trade rumors: Elliotte Friedman drops bombshell possibility about Vancouver Canucks trade options with Elias Pettersson & J.T. Miller

The Vancouver Canucks find themselves at a potential turning point ahead of the NHL trade deadline. In a bombshell report, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman indicated the Canucks are considering all options when it comes to forwards Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller.

Both Pettersson and Miller have been subject to the possibility of a rift, which has been impacting the team's performance on the ice.

"It's that the Canucks are definitely, definitely looking at the market for both players, and you should be prepared for all outcomes," Friedman said on 'Saturday Headlines' on Sportsnet.

"And there's really three of them - neither gets dealt, one of them gets dealt, or both get dealt. That's on the table. I don't want to predict the likelihood of any particular scenario, but I think all three of those outcomes are possible."

Elias Pettersson (10 goals, 18 assists) and J.T. Miller (six goals, 19 assists) are among the Canucks's top goal providers this season. Trading one or both would signal a rebuild in Vancouver. However, it would also bring significant assets back that could help kickstart that rebuild.

Friedman notes that the Vancouver Canucks would likely want a center back in any potential trade package for Pettersson or Miller.

The Canucks recently lost top defensemen Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek to injury. Friedman reports that despite the blue line injuries, the center remains Vancouver's priority if a trade materializes.

Elias Pettersson, 24, is in the first year of an 8-year, $92,800,000 contract. Miller, 31, is signed to a 7-year, $56,000,000 contract in 2022. Both would attract considerable interest on the trade market.

Furthermore, Friedman mentioned that a player in Vancouver has reportedly requested a trade, although there is currently no concrete evidence to confirm this.

Former NHL player Jay Rosehill speculates the reason behind the J.T. Miller-Elias Pettersson drama

Jay Rosehill shared his perspective on the reported drama between Vancouver Canucks stars J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson.

Rosehill compared the situation to when Dion Phaneuf was captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and would challenge and antagonize teammates, particularly younger players who weren't used to his hard-nosed leadership style.

“And sometimes he'd pick a guy that didn't like that, and wouldn't shy away from it, and he'd smell blood, and he'd go after that guy all the time, and, not to the point where guys are in tears, but like, damn close, but you can go too far.” Rosehill said on Leafs Morning Take.

As Rosehill explained, Phaneuf's intense approach motivated some players but others felt put down by it. He noted that many younger players today don't respond well to old-school intimidation tactics.

Concerning the Miller-Pettersson situation, Rosehill speculated there could be a clash of mindsets between J.T. Miller's veteran, abrasive approach and Elias Pettersson's newer-generation mentality.