NHL Rumor Roundup: The Latest On The Vancouver Canucks And New York Rangers
J.T. Miller
Simon Fearn-Imagn Images
Earlier this week, we noted the trade speculation swirling around the Vancouver Canucks, including reports linking Canucks center J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers.
Miller was drafted by the Rangers in 2011, spending almost six seasons with them before getting shipped to the Tampa Bay Lightning before the 2018 trade deadline.
On Tuesday, The Athletic's Josh Yohe reported the Rangers offered struggling center Mika Zibanejad for Miller in November, claiming the Canucks rejected the offer.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman also weighed in, saying he didn't know if their discussions reached the point where the Rangers approached Zibanejad about waiving his no-movement clause. He also indicated the Canucks were interested in Braden Schneider, but the Rangers didn't want to part with the 23-year-old defenseman.
Meanwhile, TSN's Chris Johnston said the Canucks were in conversations with several teams regarding Miller and Pettersson. He indicated one of those teams was the Carolina Hurricanes, who'd spoken with the Canucks about Pettersson last season before the 26-year-old center signed his eight-year contract.
Johnston's colleague Darren Dreger noted the Leafs are interested in adding a center. However, he doesn't consider them among the suitors for “high-rent district” players like Pettersson, Miller, or Zibanejad.
RG.Org's Marco D'Amico reported the Boston Bruins were interested in one of the Canucks centers. He cited a league source claiming the Bruins want to get younger, suggesting their preference was Pettersson, but it wasn't about which one they wanted but which center the Canucks wanted to move. Meanwhile, The Hockey News' Stefen Rosner cites industry sources saying the Islanders have inquired about Pettersson.
Friedman recently claimed the Canucks would seek a center as part of a package return for Pettersson or Miller. That takes the Bruins and Leafs out of the running. Martin Necas was mentioned as a trade candidate during last season's discussions between the Canucks and Hurricanes, but he could be off the market given his improvement this season.
Ken Campbell believes the worst thing the Canucks could do is trade either player. He thinks it would be a disaster for the team in the short and long term, doubting they'd receive equal value in return. He thinks the best thing to do is let those two work out their differences.
Meanwhile, Friedman indicated Vincent Trocheck is the most coveted Ranger in the trade market. However, they're not interested in moving the 31-year-old center, who Friedman suggests could be their next captain. He reported they permitted unhappy defenseman Zac Jones to speak with other teams.
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