January 25, 2025 | 5:00pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com
CANUCKS, CANES DISCUSSED PETTERSSON DEAL AGAIN
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Elias Pettersson, forward
Before the Carolina Hurricanes pulled the trigger on their massive three-way blockbuster trade on Friday, acquiring Mikko Rantanen from Colorado and Taylor Hall from Chicago, the club was engaged in trade negotiations with the Vancouver Canucks about star centre Elias Pettersson.
The Hurricanes discussed acquiring Pettersson last season, and reengaged in talks with the Canucks this season while also discussing the possibility of landing fellow centre J.T. Miller, instead.
As trade discussed continued involving separate deals for each player, negotiations escalated to the point where the separate sources told TFP the Canucks felt a deal was near involving Pettersson and forward Martin Necas, who was later dealt to the Avalanche.
Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky would not speak directly about his conversations and negotiations with the Canucks, or any other team he was engaged with, but did admit that talks picked up significantly towards the end of the week.
“As we started to feel like teams needed to make a decision, that meant we needed everybody to get their best offers on the table – and it was both on our side and on our counterparties,” Tulsky said on Saturday while addressing the media. “Everybody had multiple offers that they had to weigh and decide where they wanted to go. I’m not sure what's going to happen with other teams, obviously, but it was a complicated dance.”
The Canucks are expected to continue trade negotiations with other clubs, as teams like the New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild are some of the teams believed to have varying levels of interest in either Pettersson and/or Miller.
As TFP’s David Pagnotta reported Saturday morning on “The Hot Stove” on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio, the Canucks are hoping to reach the finish line on a move involving Miller, while the veteran forward would also welcome a change of scenery.
Miller, 31, has five more years left on his contract after this season and is open to waiving his no-movement clause for select clubs.
Pettersson, 26, is in the first year of an eight-year, $92.8 million contract and has voiced his desire to stay in Vancouver. He won’t see his no-movement clause kick in until July 1.