Canucks trade No. 3: Three-team blockbuster
The least likely of the three Canucks trade proposals is this one, but crazier things have happened.
In this one, each team will be after something a little different, with the Devils arguably getting the shortest end of the stick.
The Meier experiment has not worked out the best in New Jersey, but taking over for Tage Thompson as the primary shooter in Buffalo as part of a blockbuster deal could help the Sabres transform out of hockey purgatory.
Marcus Pettersson replaces Owen Power as a more steady option behind Rasmus Dahlin, while the Devils hope Tage Thompson, Zach Benson, and J.J. Peterka can help replace their franchise forward.
Thompson has not been able to replicate the 94-point season he had two seasons ago, but he did finish the 2024-25 season with 40 goals, marking the second time he's done that in his career.
Power, recording 40 points for the first time in his career, is not likely to replace the raw offense Luke Hughes provides the Devils, but he is a much bigger, more physical defender who has surprisingly produced strong two-way metrics on a bad Buffalo team.
The Devils would have to hope Power grows into a 50- or 60-point player to make up for their losses.
The same is true of Zach Benson, a former No. 13 overall pick who has just 58 career points in 146 NHL games. Still, Benson is just 19 years old and has plenty of room to grow. The hope is that his growth hasn't already been stunted.
Peterka, the most intriguing piece, is due for a massive contract after exploding for 68 points this season, but does he have another gear? What is his ceiling?
The Canucks get what they came for in this three-way internet-breaker, but the Devils are taking multiple upside swings while adding the size they crave in Thompson and Power.