Canucks Notebook: Hypothetical Pettersson Trade, Boeser's Future, Sasson Promoted & More – Hockey Writers – Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks season so far has not been smooth sailing. Despite not being out of the playoff picture and posting a record above .500, the team was not playing at the same level it was in Stanley Cup contention last season. Aside from Quinn Hughes, the rest of the offense has performed woefully well, leading many to question whether they are ready to make the playoffs, let alone win the Stanley Cup.

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When a team is struggling, inevitably, the media and fans start speculating about trades and changes behind the bench. Both have been successful recently as Rick Tocchet, Elias Pettersson, JT Miller, Nils Hoglander, and Vincent Desharnais have found themselves the subject of rumors and speculation on social media, podcasts and articles. And that's where we'll begin this edition of the Canucks Notebook.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman dropped a bomb on his latest episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast by suggesting a hypothetical trade involving Elias Pettersson. Although he preceded by saying that it was not something he heard that he was in the works, just speculation on his part, he is still busy on social media with thoughts about whether it is possible or should be. With the Buffalo Sabers struggling in the midst of a 10-game losing streak, Friedman made a trade scenario in which the Canucks would send Pettersson to Buffalo for Dylan Cozens and Bowen Byram.

Cozens and Byram are admittedly good players with Cozens having a 31-goal season in his debut and Byram still scratching the surface of his potential, but they are nowhere near the package I would have in mind if the Canucks traded Pettersson. Despite his struggles and failure to live up to his $11.6 million average annual contract (AAV) thus far, he is worth more than Cozens and Byram. He is one of the top centers in the NHL, he is not producing in the place of Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon, but he is in the elite category. He's also a proven asset, evidenced by his three straight 30-goal seasons, and the fact that he's had one where he's failed to hit 20.

Cozens is relatively unproven in the top-six center category. Since the aforementioned 31-goal campaign, he has just 24 goals in 110 games, and is on his lowest scoring streak since 2021-22 when he netted 13. many injury problems in his short career thus far and he may not be able to withstand the rigors of a long NHL career. Are those the pieces the Canucks want to take in exchange for what should still be one of their key players? In my mind, it should be a hard no. In fact, I don't think they should entertain the idea at all. I still believe that Pettersson will turn it around and return to the power he had a year ago. Remember, when he set 14 goals last January? That player is still alive out there somewhere, hopefully he will resurface soon before an ill-advised trade is made.

Can Boeser Be Traded Absent An Extension At The Trade Deadline?

This could depend on where the Canucks stand at the deadline, but Brock Boeser could move on if he doesn't agree to an extension before then. Teams rarely trade their top goalies unless they are out of the picture and heading into the offseason. President Jim Rutherford didn't give any indication of his intentions with Boeser during his interview on Hockey Night Canada's After Hours program, saying, “We'll deal with that when the time comes. Right now, we're evaluating his situation…The key will be what that contract looks like, what the name looks like. All those things. It's like all contracts; the player will have a different perspective than that of the team. We will continue to closely monitor the situation.”

After scoring 40 goals last season, Boeser got off to a good start this season with five goals in his first 11 games, but was injured on November 7 against the Los Angeles Kings when he took a hit to the head of Tanner Jeannot. . He suffered a concussion and missed seven games, derailing what could have been another 40-goal season. He could still hit 30, but he'll have to shed another tear soon to make that happen. Even if he ends up being just 25, teams will shell out money to secure his services through 2025-26 and beyond if he's a free agent. Early projections had him demanding at least $8 million in AAVs thanks to Jake Guentzel driving up the price for that type of scorer. For reference, Guentzel signed a seven-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning worth $9 million in AAV.

With the salary cap rising again this summer, the Canucks can probably afford to pay him $8 million AAV. He certainly deserves it and they should do everything they can to get him back to the blue and green for the foreseeable future. Having said that, if there is any indication that he wants to test the market, it would be a good idea to trade him before the deadline. They can't afford to lose yet another big-name player in free agency without getting some return.

After scoring his first NHL goal on Saturday against the Boston Bruins, rookie Max Sasson was credited with cracking the depth chart. He was seen practicing with Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk on Sunday and will get a chance to add to his four goals and four points already in the NHL so far against the Colorado Avalanche later tonight. The hope will be that he brings speed and forwardness to a duo that has struggled throughout the home stretch.

Grab that puck!
Max Sasson scored his first goal @NHL purpose 👏 pic.twitter.com/trTR4QDSl1

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 15, 2024

Sasson had a nice surprise in the bottom six with Teddy Blueger and Danton Heinen, who provided strength and a surprising amount of talent to the lineup. The trio has arguably been the Canucks' best line over the past few games, and now he'll try to bring that same improvement to another set of teammates in Pettersson and DeBrusk.

The Canucks Will Try And End The Home Stand On A Good Note

As mentioned, the Canucks will host the Avalanche at Rogers Arena in their final home game. The Avs have struggled this season, but they still have a three-headed monster of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar that can single-handedly win games. Although their goalscoring and injury woes were a major reason for their early season struggles, they have found much better health in recent weeks and have a new tandem in Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood. Blackwood is likely to be the starter after his 38-save debut against the Nashville Predators, and he has proven in the past that he is a thorn in the side of the Canucks, especially when he has good defense in front of him.

The Canucks need to play better defense than they showed against the Bruins, or they could be kicked out of the building by the big guns of the Avalanche. I hope they're up to the task, or the fans will have to suffer another blast of home ice.