Canucks News & Rumors: Pettersson, Boeser, Hronek and more – Hockey Writer – Vancouver Canucks

In this edition of Vancouver Canucks News & Rumors, the Canucks are willing to trade their players, including Elias Pettersson and JT Miller, to a Western Conference team. Additionally, an update on the organization's contract negotiations with its top unrestricted free agents (UFA), Brock Boeser and Kevin Lankinen, was provided. Additionally, Filip Hronek returns to the lineup after leaving in early December.

Canucks open to trades within Western Conference

The Canucks continue to trade talks for Pettersson and Miller as the trade deadline approaches. The organization is willing to trade any of its top centers to a team in the Western Conference.

“One thing the Canucks have shown Pettersson and Miller is they're not going to shy away from Western Conference interest,” Elliott Friedman said. “Teams coming out of the West are not being told no, they’re not going to be willing to trade any particular player to any of these destinations.”

Both players are on the top of multiple trade committees, but there's no guarantee of a deal involving either party. The Canucks are battling division rival Calgary Flames for a wild-card spot, with the St. Louis Blues and Utah Hockey Club trailing by four points.

Vancouver finished with a 1-3-3 record after the break, but ended up with a buzzer-beating victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, they subsequently lost 6-1 to the Winnipeg Jets on January 14. lineup.

If the team does decide to trade one of those players, it would make more sense to trade Miller instead of Pettersson. Pettersson, 26, is younger and has longer-term upside, while Miller, who turns 32 in March, represents a more logical trade candidate. Additionally, Pettersson's return is unlikely to match the tremendous value he provides, whereas a trade involving Miller could yield a substantial return.

Canucks UFA update: Boeser and Lankinen

The Canucks have two key UFAs this offseason: Boeser and Lankinen. Boeser is in the final year of his three-year, $19.5 million deal, while Lankinen signed an $875,000 one-year deal with the organization in the offseason.

In the 2023-24 season, Boeser reached the 30- and 40-goal milestones for the first time in his career. Entering this year, general manager Patrick Alvin expected the forward to hit the 40-goal mark. However, injuries and the team's struggles in the first half of the season limited Boeser to 15 goals in 36 games, putting him on track to score 34 goals in a full 82 games.

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Rick Dhaliwal said the forward's cap hit will be around $8 million or slightly higher. However, the term could be an issue between him and the team. Dhaliwal added that the two sides still have great differences and there is still a lot of work to be done to finalize an agreement.

Meanwhile, the Canucks have begun contract extension talks with Lankinen's agent. The Finnish goalie is the main reason the club is still in the playoffs. With injuries to Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, JT Miller, Boeser and, most importantly, Thatcher Demko, Lankinen stepped up. His record is 16 wins, 8 draws and 6 losses, with a 2.63 earned run average and a 0.903 save percentage.

According to Dhaliwal, the Canucks are eager to reach a deal with Lankinen as soon as possible. However, if Demko's injury issues persist, Lankinen's value will increase, both to the Canucks and the league as a whole. As a result, Lankinen's team is patiently approaching his next contract.

Hronek rejoins Vancouver

The Canucks are getting healthier with Hronek back in the lineup against the Jets. The Canucks have six of their top players healthy for the first time this season in Hronek, Demko, Hughes, Miller, Pettersson and Boeser.

Hronek played alongside Hughes in the 6-1 loss to the Jets, but the captain expressed excitement before the game about having his defensive partner back.

“He always looks great. Yes, I'm happy, I don't know what his plans are for tomorrow but I'm sure he will be back in the next few days and we obviously need him very much.

Hronek's on-ice time of 20:50 was the second-highest on the team. His return bolsters the Canucks' blueline, which has been a weakness all season. While his presence will help in the coming weeks, the team still needs to address their defensive deficiencies and should be committed to doing so before the trade deadline.