The Vancouver Canucks traded JT Miller to the New York Rangers on Friday night. They had a game shortly after making that move, and it did not go well for them. The Canucks lost to the Dallas Stars 5-3 at the American Airlines Center on Friday. It appears as if the team had another move up their sleeve, this one involving Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson.
The Canucks are reportedly acquiring Pettersson in a trade with Pittsburgh, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. Vancouver is acquiring Pettersson and forward Drew O'Connor. In exchange, the Penguins are receiving forwards Danton Heinen and Melvin Fernstrom, defenseman Vincent Desharnais, and the top-13 protected 2025 first-round pick Vancouver originally acquired in the Miller trade.
The Canucks have long sought added puck-moving ability on the back end. Specifically, they hoped to add a left-hand shot to balance their defensive pairings behind Quinn Hughes. Pettersson was one of the top trade candidates available during NHL Trade Deadline season this year.
The now-former Penguins defenseman has emerged as a very reliable two-way defender. His offensive game is not elite, but he can still chip in points here and there. This season, Marcus Pettersson has three goals and 18 points through 47 games with the Penguins.
O'Connor, meanwhile, is a reliable bottom-six forward. He came into his own offensively last season when he scored 16 goals in 79 games. However, he is only on track to score nine goals across 82 games during the 2024-25 campaign. O'Connor is a free agent at the end of this season.
The Canucks have tried to find homes for Desharnais and Heinen this season. Both players joined the organization in NHL Free Agency over the summer. Unfortunately, it did not work out for either player. They have a chance to reset themselves with a Penguins team also pushing for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Canucks were hard at work on Friday night reshaping their roster. It will certainly be interesting to see how Vancouver fares with this new-look squad. In any event, they will look to bounce back from their loss to the Stars on Sunday when they play host to the surging Detroit Red Wings.
