Possible Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller trades have become a cottage industry among pundits on the weekend. Who are we not to peruse the possibilities? As unlikely as any such deal is to be made, unseemly speculation is one of sports fandom’s great strengths. It’s our modern Academy pondering math (statistical nit-pickery) and philosophy (What If…). No trade is likely to happen between the reluctance of management, the demand for a return, and the players themselves. That the spat even came into the open is embarrassing enough. Being the player who asked out carries a stigma all its own. With that understood, are there potential trades that make any kind of sense?
Patrik Allvin Shrugged Possible Pettersson, Miller Trades
Nevermind the city’s name, “New Year, Same Drama” could be the text on the next Vancouver Canucks jerseys. Everyone and their dogs are sick of hearing about how and why the Canucks two best forwards don’t get along. Captain Quinn Hughes spoke about it literally weeks ago. Head coach Rick Tocchet did as well. Even the general manager Patrik Allvin talked about it. Even we talked about it on New Year’s Day, if tangentially.
Actually, that Allvin interview may not have been the best way to tamp down non-fabricated trade rumours. Sure, he said trades are hard and he believes in the players (paraphrasing a little here) and how he wants to see the injured players return. Which is fair enough, given how often top-end talent has been missing from the lineup.
But if you want to put an end to the rumours, maybe don’t include the phrases “Well, you know Jim’s history” and “I guess I would say anything is possible” in your interview. With those inspiring words in our back pocket, let’s break down possible moves. It’ll be tricky, but I’m sure we can wedge something in there.
Wants and Needs
Between Pettersson and Miller, trade protection is only a concern for the latter. While Pettersson’s $11.6 million per season contract has started, he couldn’t get any protection until next season. He has, legally speaking, no recourse to the Canucks sending him anywhere they can get the best deal. The cap hit is a concern with managing his deal, but if a team is confident in his skill, that’s not a problem.
Pettersson’s mostly getting paid in bonus money over this season and next, $12 million and $10 million, respectively. Then, the possible labour trouble in 2026-27 is entirely paycheque-based before being $5 million in bonus money each year until 2031-32. Expect to see that “just in case” change a lot. Pettersson’s owed money drops late, down to $8.7 million on his last three years.
Miller, on the other hand, has a full no-move clause until 2027-28. If he’s going anywhere, he’ll need to agree to it. While his actual cash owed drops less as the years go by, his paycheque has no bonus money in the final year. His 15-team, no-trade clause will need to include someone willing to pay $7 million in 2029-30 for the then 36-year-old Miller.
The Canucks, too, have their needs. Everyone knows that a puck-carrying, middle-pair defenceman is on their wish list. But if they trade away either of these two, then they will be looking to get a centre, too. Preferably someone right-handed in each case, but if wishes were horses, high schools would need stables.
Moving Miller
Down to it and anyone picking up Miller is looking for a wholesale change in their personality. Just about any team in the league that is close to the playoff line, including Vancouver, could use him. Teams solidly in contention could, too, but aren’t going to give up the assets the Canucks want. Options are limited, so we’re going with the one he’s most likely to agree to.
J.T. Miller to New York Rangers for Vincent Trocheck and William Borgen
Now, Trocheck would have to agree to the deal as well since he has a no-move clause himself. But by all reports, Miller enjoyed his time with the Rangers and would waive to return there. Without knowing Trocheck’s motivations, let’s say he’s good with the move to a playoff team.
Trocheck isn’t the physical player Miller is, nor has he produced points in anything like Miller’s numbers. But he is very a good player defensively and scores enough to get that second-line role Vancouver just emptied. Like Miller, he can play in any situation. Also, both are 31 years old.
The difference is that Miller has scored 75 goals and 210 points in his past 190 games in Vancouver. Trocheck has 58 goals and 165 points in 203 games with Manhattan. Money also makes a big difference here. Trocheck’s $5.625 million contract expires in 2028-29, one year earlier than Miller’s.
And Also!
Borgen isn’t exactly what Vancouver’s looking for on the backend, but he would still help this year. He just scored his first point since joining the Rangers eight games ago, but that’s not really his appeal. He skates well enough to push the puck up and out of his own end, and the Canucks need that right now. Frankly, they could use that even after Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek return.
Borgen just has one year left on his $2.7 million deal. He’ll have plenty of ice time to build his case for his next deal, and back on the west coast. If he squints hard enough, he might be able to wave to his former team (The Seattle Kraken).
Pushing Pettersson
Miller may have the trade protection, but between Pettersson and Miller, trade interest is going to be with Pettersson. Without being able to dictate where he’ll go, a whole lot of teams are working the phones. They want to see how interested Allvin is in moving the ultra-talented, young, signed-for-the-next-eight-years centre.
And they should be. Pettersson has kicked off his career with 180 goals and 440 points in 441 games. He plays both sides of the puck extremely well and gets plenty of time on special teams. His $11.6 million contract has him signed until he’s 33 years old, likely too early for any serious decline.
Elias Pettersson to New York Islanders for Noah Dobson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Casey Cizikas, and their 2025 First-Round Pick
What makes this trade awkward is that the Islanders desperately need defencemen. They need help back there, and Vancouver is not the right team to provide it. But when a talent of the level of Pettersson is available, you can work out the details later. The deal is hardly perfect for Vancouver, either, as they’d weaken themselves at centre. Pageau is a good player, but not a second-line one.
He is serviceable, though too expensive at $5 million over the next two seasons. The Canucks have other options with Pius Suter and Teddy Blueger. Cizikas is in the deal to be waived. The Islanders need some cap space, too, and his $2.5 million for two more seasons past this one isn’t helping. There is a reason for the first-round pick getting thrown in there.
Featuring!
Find buyers for Pageau and Cizikas, take whatever deal is offered, and move on. The real target here is Dobson, and everyone knows it.
The Canucks have needed a second-pair defenceman for years, and the absence of Hughes and Hronek highlights it. Dobson is New York’s top defender, and deservedly so. In Vancouver, he’ll be behind Hughes and his preferred partner, Hronek. And Deservedly so.
The amount of change having Dobson on the blue line would change Vancouver’s attack is hard to imagine. He isn’t just a substitute for when someone is injured, but an excellent defenceman in his own right. The Canucks would be able to sustain attacks for 40 minutes a night. Having him available after opponents have been run ragged by Hughes and Hronek? Game on!
It’s not much of a concern about who to match him with, either. Pair him with anyone, frankly. His most frequent partners over the past three seasons have been Adam Pelech and Alexander Romanov. Hardly offensive stalwarts though decent players, and Dobson still scored 28 goals and 139 points in 197 games.
Imagining the Impossible Pettersson and Miller Trades
If either one of these two is traded, it will change the Vancouver Canucks drastically. That’s the biggest reason why they are unlikely to happen, especially mid-season. But we also know that this isn’t a management group that will hesitate. They aren’t afraid to move on from players or to take big swings at the future.
Part of imagining deals is just liking the stories they tell outside the sport. Does it feel like cheating to go to New York twice for these trades? Well, so be it. The story of Miller returning to the Rangers a far better player than when he left is poetic. Pettersson being reunited with Bo Horvat after each was pushed aside by Miller, likewise. That Miller and Pettersson would end up side-by-side?
