At this point, it is no secret that the Vancouver Canucks will actively and aggressively be exploring the free agent and NHL trade markets to add as much talent as they possibly can.
With captain Quinn Hughes almost guaranteed to leave if the Canucks are not regularly pushing for a Stanley Cup, time is of the essence. And fortune favors the bold, as they say.
NHL Network and The Fourth Period NHL insider David Pagnotta recently floated the possibility of the Buffalo Sabres swooping in to connect with the Canucks for a potential blockbuster trade, reigniting an old rumor that surfaced ahead of the March 7 trade deadline.
Elias Pettersson, who will see his full no-move clause kick in on July 1, could be on the move as the Canucks weigh their options going forward. Pagnotta sees the Sabres, who recently hired old Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen, as a potential fit.
We have already reported Bowen Byram is in play, again, in Buffalo. Ahead of the trade deadline, names like Owen Power, J.J. Peterka and Alex Tuch were also tossed around as the vultures circled their prey," Pagnotta wrote Friday." Is there more of a willingness to make bold moves now? I am curious to see if the Sabres circle back on Elias Pettersson in Vancouver.
"The 26-year-old centre will see his no-movement clause kick-in July 1 and the belief across the NHL is the Canucks will continue to entertain trade calls. It does not sound like the price tag has changed much, if at all, so a team will have to pay up to pry him out of B.C. Do the Sabres take another swing? They surely won’t be the lone team to try."
J.J. Peterka, as Pagnotta mentioned, is a hot topic in NHL circles as a pending RFA and a hotly discussed potential offer sheet target this summer. A player like Owen Power would give the Canucks their heir apparent for Hughes, but neither Peterka nor Power can fill the void left by Pettersson in the middle of the ice.
Perhaps the Canucks can pivot to a player like Marco Rossi in the interim.