Things appear to be a mess in Vancouver. And that's more of a mess than usual. While there always seems to be extended drama within the Canucks organization, what's happening right now is something we've never seen since the "rivalry" between Erik Karlsson and Mike Hoffman in Ottawa. The Canucks big-money stars J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson are reportedly not getting along.
Reports say that Miller is a target of the Devils' rivals the New York Rangers. Miller is a good player, and he would be good on the Devils, but if we're talking about available players, the Devils should at least ask about the superstar here.
According to Elliotte Friedman, the Canucks are taking calls on Pettersson and Miller—GM, coach, and even Captain Quinn Hughes are tired of the drama. Meanwhile, Biz on Spittin’ Chiclets says the Rangers are focused on getting Miller back in #NYR
— Dobber (@DobberHockey) January 2, 2025
Expects teams to act fast to… pic.twitter.com/zvcL1iatzV
When the New Jersey Devils and Vancouver Canucks are tied in trade rumors, it usually involves Quinn Hughes. However, an extension and the Canucks' captaincy show the dream of getting all three Hughes brothers on the same team is dead. It would be ironic that Devils fans asking about one untouchable star end up getting another one.
The Devils are uniquely qualified to be a trade partner with the Canucks. They have young players that a team like Vancouver would desire. They want a young defenseman, and the Devils have Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey on the verge of an NHL career. If they want a forward, Dawson Mercer is signed long term and just 23 years old. They don't have their own first-round pick, but they have three second-round picks and all their future first rounders.
The biggest issue with a Pettersson-Devils trade is the salary cap. Pettersson makes $11.6 million on the cap for the next three seasons after this one. Ironically, this one might be the hardest season to make this deal work. The Devils have under $1 million to make a trade, so they basically have to go dollar for dollar on a deal. Without adding extra pieces, this is what the deal would have to look like (roughly).
We can't stress enough that the above is NOT the trade we're proposing. These are just the contracts the Devils need to add to make the deal work. Of course, there is an insane world where the Devils add one of their superstar forwards to make a deal work, but we'd think the Devils would rather keep the likes of Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier in-house, even with the possibility of getting Pettersson. We'd also imagine the Devils would try to add Ondrej Palat, but he has a no-move clause. Haula has a no-trade clause, but that's easier to work around.
Let's say the Devils get the contracts to work with just those above (and adding Simon Nemec++). What would the lineup look like?
Hughes-Pettersson-Palat
Meier-Hischier-Bratt
Cotter-Lazar-Noesen
Tatar-Dowling-Halonen
That top six is the best in hockey. Bar none, there is no better top six in this sport. The bottom six? It makes the Devils' current bottom-six worries and multiplies it, at least on paper. Some might be happier getting rid of Haula and Bastian.
If the Devils can make the Pettersson deal in terms of money right now, they can make moves to make the money work in the future. Rises in salary cap make it possible, even with the upcoming Luke Hughes extension.
Pettersson is just 26 years old. He was in the same draft as Devils captain Nico Hischier. A trade of this magnitude would shock the world.