{"id":9126,"date":"2025-01-04T16:16:13","date_gmt":"2025-01-04T16:16:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=9126"},"modified":"2025-01-04T16:16:13","modified_gmt":"2025-01-04T16:16:13","slug":"should-the-blackhawks-call-the-canucks-about-a-blockbuster-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=9126","title":{"rendered":"Should the Blackhawks Call the Canucks About a Blockbuster Trade?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"JT<\/p>\n

In case you haven\u2019t heard by now, the Vancouver Canucks are dealing with some internal issues. Their two best \u2014 and highest paid \u2014 forwards, JT Miller and Elias Pettersson, apparently don\u2019t like each other. It\u2019s become enough of a thing that the Canucks are now just trying to figure out a path forward. And that might involve one (or both) of them leaving Vancouver.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s back up a step. Last year, the Canucks finished with 109 points, winners of the Pacific Division. In 81 games, Miller set new career highs with 37 goals and 103 points. That was the first year of a seven-year, $56M contract ($8M AAV) for Miller. Pettersson, meanwhile, was in the final year of his contract and took a slight step back offensively; he scored 34 goals and finished with 89 points (he had 39 and 102 the previous year). In March, Pettersson signed an eight-year, $92.8M extension ($11.6M AAV).<\/p>\n

As a 1-2 punch at center, they were one of the best tandems in the NHL.<\/p>\n

Then the new year started. And the whispers that they didn\u2019t get along got louder as the two both struggled offensively. On Nov. 19, Miller took an indefinite leave from the Canucks for personal reasons. Entering Friday night, things continued to be bad on the ice for both. In 34 games, Pettersson has 10 goals and 18 assists. In 27 games, Miller has 6 goals and 19 assists. And the Canucks entered Friday night with 44 points, which had them fourth in the Pacific and on the outside of the Western Conference playoff picture.<\/p>\n

Cluster-Canuck<\/h2>\n

They\u2019ve both been asked questions about their relationship, as have their coaches and other players. Canucks captain Quinn Hughes and head coach Rick Tocchet were pretty blunt with their comments about it the weekend before Christmas.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to play PlayStation together or go to dinner together, but [if] it\u2019s your turn to go to the net, go to the net,\u201d Tocchet said. \u201cIt\u2019s really what it comes down to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s part of what Elliotte Friedman said the weekend before Christmas about the two becoming a distraction for the entire organization:<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, I think, in a perfect world, and it\u2019s clear just talking around the league, that in a perfect world, the Canucks\u2019 number one choice by far, is that Petters and Miller remain long term players in the organization. \u2026 They\u2019re both excellent players, and the Canucks have a better chance to win with them, and I think that is their goal. And they\u2019ve told them, nobody expects you to play Playstation together, as Rick Tocchet said, but they do expect you to have a professional working relationship, and they have to have that. If yes, they can do it, then we don\u2019t have a single problem here. If no, I don\u2019t think there\u2019s a timeline or anything like that, like they haven\u2019t started the clock, but eventually, I think everybody realized something is going to have to give.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Fast forward nearly two weeks from those comments. Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin was equally plain with his perspective on the two feuding stars in an interview with Sportsnet earlier this week. And during his \u201c32 Thoughts\u201d Podcast on Friday, Friedman circled back, saying: \u201cI do think they\u2019ve talked to other teams about Pettersson. I do think they\u2019ve talked to other (teams) about Miller. I think they prefer to keep both guys, they\u2019ve seen what they can do. But they\u2019re listening.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"Should
Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Should the Blackhawks make a call?<\/h2>\n

Which brings us to the idea of the Chicago Blackhawks jumping into the mix to make a bold move to acquire one of the two superstars. In Friday morning\u2019s \u201c32 Thoughts\u201d Podcast I referenced earlier, Friedman said: \u201cIf I\u2019m the Blackhawks I\u2019m jumping all over that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Would it be nice to add a top-line center who has scored 101 goals over the three normal-length seasons since COVID? With term on his contract? Hell yeah it would! And with the NHL\u2019s salary cap going to significantly in the coming years, Miller\u2019s $8M price tag over the course of the remaining six years on his contract shouldn\u2019t be significant enough to keep the Blackhawks from making other significant moves and\/or re-signing their young players.<\/p>\n

So\u2026 what might it cost?<\/p>\n

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period<\/em> has reported a number of times this season that Vancouver remains in the market for a top-four defenseman. The irony of that is: Miller has the same agent as Alex Vlasic<\/strong> and Connor Murphy<\/strong> \u2014 two of the Blackhawks\u2019 current top four defensemen. (Pettersson is represented by Pat Brisson, who also represents Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews\u2026 maybe not as easy of a sell there.)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s too<\/em> easy to look at Miller\u2019s contract ($8M cap hit for six more years) or Pettersson\u2019s ($11.6M for seven more years) and Seth Jones<\/strong>\u2018 contract ($9.5M cap hit for six more years) and the Canucks\u2019 desire for a top-four defenseman and connect the dots. The assumptions that, a) Jones would accept a trade to Vancouver, and b) the Canucks would want Jones (even with some of his cap hit retained) might both have issues.<\/p>\n

But the money is close enough, the terms are close (Miller\u2019s matches Jones\u2019) and Jones does fit that need for the Canucks. And the fact that Miller (31) and Jones (30) are comparable in age adds another dimension of symmetry.<\/p>\n

One-for-one ain\u2019t happening. And, sadly, regularly healthy scratched forwards like Lukas Reichel<\/strong> and\/or Philipp Kurashev<\/strong> aren\u2019t going to be enough to sweeten the pot for the Canucks quite enough. The Blackhawks would probably need to part ways with one of their top forward prospects \u2014 Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore, Colton Dach, Nick Lardis, Sacha Boisvert<\/strong> \u2014 and likely high draft pick(s) as well. Thankfully, the Blackhawks have a stock of four first- and seven second-round picks in the next three drafts.<\/p>\n

What do you think? And which young players in the Blackhawks\u2019 system do you consider untouchable in a deal for either Miller or Pettersson if the Canucks were to answer a call from a 312 area code number?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Which brings us to the idea of the Chicago Blackhawks jumping into the mix to make a bold move to acquire one of the two superstars. 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