The Vancouver Canucks traded center JT Miller to the New York Rangers on Friday in a long-anticipated move. A rift between Miller and Elias Pettersson had the Vancouver Canucks' locker room in shambles and a move was needed. Just because Miller is gone does not mean the Canucks won't trade Pettersson. The Buffalo Sabres should come in and blow them away with a trade offer for Pettersson.
The Sabres and Canucks came into the NHL together in 1970 and have had similar histories ever since. Neither team has won a Stanley Cup despite some great teams that came close. And they are currently in awkward positions with cores who have struggled at varying levels. A Pettersson-Sabres trade would shake up both franchises and put the career of a potential Hall-of-Famer on centerstage.
Pettersson has seven years left, after this one, on a deal paying him $11.6 million per year. He does not have no-trade protection until July 1, so the Sabres should make this deal before the March 7 trade deadline. The Canucks likely won't retain any salary because of the length, so Buffalo will have to clear space and send a bevy of picks and prospects to Vancouver.
The Sabres' top picks and prospects must be involved
If the Canucks were only trading Pettersson and keeping Miller, NHL-ready players would be the focus. But trading both puts an onus on future picks and prospects that can help them win in the future. Plus, they got three NHL-ready players from the Miller deal and a subsequent trade with the Penguins. So this trade would be futures-focused.
The Sabres have a solid prospect pool, as their rebuild is still adding players to the NHL roster. But the chances any of these players turn into Pettersson is slim. So the Sabres should not blink when their top prospect Jiri Kulich is a key part of the deal. At just 20 years old, he has played 37 NHL games with 11 goals this season. The Canucks need to get their hands on a goal-scoring center if they are going to trade Pettersson and Miller.
Devon Levi is an intriguing name the Canucks could ask for in a trade with the Sabres. He won the Mike Richter Award as the top college hockey goalie at Northeastern but has not made the NHL jump since then. Vancouver has Thatcher Demko on a long-term deal, but his injury issues could lead to questions internally. If a goalie is something they want to add, Levi would be among the best additions.
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Elias Pettersson's contract means players have to be added as well
The Sabres have $6.51 million in cap space, according to CapWages. If Kulich is in the trade, they would have just under $7.4 million, which is still not enough for Pettersson. They would have to clear another $4.2 million to make this move but it is worth it to get a superstar center.
Alex Tuch is from nearby Syracuse, New York, and was traded to his hometown team in the Jack Eichel deal. Making him a part of another historic in-season deal would be an interesting throughline many years later. It would also clear just enough space to slide under the salary cap for this season.
One name that has been floated in Sabres circles is Dylan Cozens. The young center has fallen off this year, with just ten goals in 51 games, and could use a fresh start. He is due $7.1 million per year through 2030, so the Canucks may not want to be involved in that business. Plus, giving him a chance with Pettersson could revive his value at just 23 years old.
The final Elias Pettersson-Sabres trade
The Buffalo Sabres would receive Elias Pettersson from the Vancouver Canucks. He is 26 years old and due $11.6 million per year through 2032. The Canucks would get Buffalo's 2025 first-round pick (top-3 protected), Jiri Kulich, Alex Tuch, and a 2026 second-rounder in return.
