WHAT THE CANUCK IS GOING ON IN VANCOUVER?

TORONTO, ON — WTC, indeed. We talked about it for the last month, and everyone figured things would die down after both Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller poured water on their rift speculation – albeit after Vancouver captain Quinn Hughes and Head Coach Rick Tocchet acknowledged and addressed it. Then, Canucks GM Patrik Allvin gave a very candid interview about his team’s performance and the spotlight promptly brightened on the team’s situation.

What we know, as we and others have reported, is the Canucks are taking calls on Miller and Pettersson. We also know their conversations with other clubs are not exclusive to those two players – they are exploring additional ways to improve their hockey team, like trading for a top-four defenceman and adding an offensive mid-six winger.

There is clearly frustration in the dressing room over the Miller/Pettersson ordeal. They managed to keep things in check last season, but it’s boiled over again this campaign, and here we are.

As Allvin and Canucks President Jim Rutherford evaluate their options, there are no guarantees one of these star centres (let alone both) is traded during the season. Or at all.

Teams like the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers will continue to be linked to either/both players – and there are other teams poking around, obviously – but the Canucks feel they have the base of a team capable of competing for a championship and nobody wants to derail that. Vancouver will almost certainly give up the best current player in any trade, but the return will have to align with their objective of chasing a Stanley Cup, even in package form.

The Rangers covet Miller. Great, but does New York have an appetite to include Alexis Lafreniere, not Mike Zibanejad, as the centrepiece of a large return?

The Sabres want Pettersson. Okay, but would they package Owen Power, not Bowen Byram, with Dylan Cozens to make it happen?

The Wild like both players, and while the belief around the NHL is they are still willing to move young centre Marco Rossi, who’s having a great season and was just named the NHL’s first star of the past week, in a major move for one of them that would include additional pieces, how can they make this work, this season, cap wise?

And (maybe I’m wrong) I’m not overly convinced the Red Wings have the desire to move any of their top young studs for either guy.

There are many hurdles when dealing a player of Miller and Pettersson’s stature and the Canucks cannot afford to mishandle this. They’re both locked into long-term deals and are controllable. Neither player has asked for a trade. If any move happens, Allvin & Co. must be confident it makes their team better, overall – and some may argue eliminating any unnecessary stress inside their room will be an added bonus.

The Canucks’ management brass prefers to make their moves well in advance of the trade deadline, which is two months and one day away, but a blockbuster of this nature won’t be rushed, even with discussions ongoing.

And as they juggle these conversations, they have other negotiations to deal with in an attempt to improve their roster.

It’s never a dull moment in Vancouver, and these next two months should remain entertaining.

REMEMBER ARIZONA?

You haven’t forgotten about the Coyotes, have you? You know? The professional hockey team that lost much of its professionalism because of shotty ownership and ultimately moved to Utah?

Well, they may be a thing of the past – and Utah and its fanbase are the beneficiary of it – but the NHL hasn’t forgotten about the market and wants to be back, which comes as no surprise as we have reported multiple times since the ‘Yotes left for Salt Lake City.

Today, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chair Thomas Galvin announced a new committee of business and political leaders with the purpose of bringing an NHL franchise back to the market. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke with Galvin last month.

Last summer, Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia expressed his desire to see the NHL back in Arizona. With an opportunity for a fresh start, it is possible he enters the mix as part of both the committee and perhaps a new ownership group.

After the Coyotes moved to Utah, I was told the NHL’s priority for the market to see a formal plan in place that includes an arena that meets NHL standards before they even consider any new ownership group. Speaking with an NHL source, that mindset has not changed. Maricopa County includes Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe.

“This shows local and state governments still support hockey in The Valley and want to see (the return of an NHL franchise) happen,” the source told me today.

As I, and others, have reported on several occasions, the NHL will grow to 34 franchises in the not-too-distant future. Some current NHL owners have told me they predict the league will expand to 36 before capping it. I’m not certain Arizona is one of the next two franchises to (re)join the NHL, but they could be part of the next phase of growth, which could come in/around 2030, as I suspect the jump to 34 clubs will happen in the next year or two.

This is Step 1 in getting an NHL franchise back in Arizona. Step 2 consists of a) finding the right ownership group and b) finding the right arena/plan.

The wheels are back in motion. Hopefully, finally, this market has the right owner at the helm.

HERE AND THERE

• Scott Laughton scored against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday, a team that tried to acquire him from the Flyers in the past. He has one more year on his contract after this season and comes with a $3 million cap hit. Philadelphia is willing to listen, and I’m sure Toronto won’t be the only team that pokes Flyers GM Danny Briere between now and the deadline.

• Utah GM Bill Armstrong was a guest on our show, The Hot Stove, on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio this past Saturday and suggested trade activity across the NHL could pick up ahead of the 4 Nations Face Off. With a break in the NHL schedule for the tournament, teams may be more inclined to make a move before the event than risk a logjammed buyer’s market in the two weeks between the season resuming and the trade deadline.

• The NHL is expected to announce its slate of 2025-26 outdoor games this week, including the 2026 Winter Classic. Florida and Tampa Bay are poised to host events next season. We’ll see which team gets what and if any other games are on the docket.

• Speaking with other clubs, the belief out there is if the New York Islanders decide to enter the seller’s market later in the season, the asking price for pending unrestricted free agents Kyle Palmieri and Brock Nelson will include a first-round pick as part of any package for either player.

• With all the chatter surrounding a possible Jonathan Toews return to the NHL, I have heard his focus is more realistically geared towards next season than this one. We shall see.

• The Winnipeg Jets don’t want to mess with their mojo too much, but acquiring a veteran defenceman could be in the cards over the next two months. They have cap flexibility to add.

• The Edmonton Oilers are hoping to get an update on Evander Kane’s health in the near future. The initial timeline for a return was end of February. If there are any setbacks in his recovery and he misses the duration of the regular-season, the Oilers would like to know if they can utilize his $5.25M cap hit to their advantage.