NHL Rumors: Insider sheds light on $92,800,000 Canucks star's future following J.T. Miller trade

With J. T. Miller out of the picture, the Vancouver Canucks are officially Elias Pettersson's team. The $92.8 million (per Spotrac) forward was the chosen player by the Canucks, as they opted to keep him and send Miller away to end the reported feud that was boiling between them.

Hockey insider Elliotte Friedman said that Pettersson still isn't guaranteed to remain with Vancouver for the long run. However, he believes time will show the defenseman that the team is committed to him.

"We'll see what happens out of Four Nations," Friedman said on Monday (14:39), via '32 Thoughts: The Podcast.' "Like, in theory, they control the process until July 1. That's when Patterson's no move clause kicks in, right, right? So, if they want, they can go right up until the draft, as far as I'm concerned. But they definitely want to calm down the noise.

"They definitely want to say to Pettersson, 'OK, you know, it's your runway now.' And I think a lot of this is going to be up to him and how he plays."

Despite the Canucks sending Miller to the New York Rangers, there are still rumors that Pettersson could also be traded to allow for a full reset in Vancouver. However, Friedman thinks they'll want to keep him as long as he wants to stay and play well without Miller.

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Elias Pettersson welcomes pressure after J.T. Miller trade from Canucks

After trading J. T. Miller, the pressure is on Elias Pettersson. Not only does he have to step up his production, but there are no excuses left for his poor play or the struggles of the Vancouver Canucks.

Elias Pettersson talked about the J.T. Miller trade (Imagn)

“Honestly, I want that pressure," Petersson said on Sunday, via The Province. "And it’s up to me to take it.”

Vancouver general manager Patrik Allvin talked about what he expects from Pettersson.

“That’s part of being a pro hockey player, especially when you commit to that contract," Allvin said. "My expectation of him is higher than anyone else on our team. We’ve been playing more to our identity, but it’s going to be a tough stretch here to the end.”

Canucks coach Rick Tocchet stressed that the entire team has to play together and not just rely on Pettersson to carry the load.