The Vancouver Canucks have made their big move, and it looks like Elias Pettersson isn’t going anywhere.
After weeks of swirling trade rumors around both Pettersson and J.T. Miller, the Canucks pulled the trigger on sending Miller to the New York Rangers. But that’s probably their last major shake-up before the NHL’s trade deadline hits in 33 days.
The tension between Miller and Pettersson had been causing headaches for the team. It’s no secret that their relationship wasn’t great, and it was affecting the whole organization.
Now things are looking clearer for the 25-year-old Swedish star.
“The decision has been made,” says Thomas Drance of The Athletic. “Miller is a New York Rangers player again, and the Canucks will move on with Pettersson.”
Sure, anything can happen with one phone call – that’s just how the NHL works. But don’t expect to see Pettersson wearing different colors anytime soon.
Hockey insider Elliotte Friedman backed this up on “Hockey Night in Canada” this weekend.
“The noise around Pettersson can calm down,” Friedman said during the show’s “Saturday Headlines” segment. “I think the Canucks are determined to see how it goes for him now. They just want him to play and see if this helps settle him down.”
It’s a pretty dramatic turn from just a month ago, when Friedman reported the Canucks were testing the market for both stars.
The team’s focus now seems clear: give Pettersson some breathing room and let him get back to what he does best – playing hockey without the trade rumors hanging over his head.
