With the Vancouver Canucks hardly resembling last year’s group that fell one game short of the Western Conference Final, superstar center Elias Pettersson has become a target of criticism among fans.
Elias Pettersson is two seasons removed from a career-best 102-point campaign. A year ago, he had 89 points. But through Vancouver’s first through 32 games of 2024-25, “Petey” has just eight goals and 26 points.
It’s being widely reported on the West Coast that there’s a heated personal feud between Pettersson and teammate JT Miller. Former Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau appeared on TSN’s OverDrive 1050 program and acknowledged that the two stars “had a little bit of a problem between them before” he got there three years ago.
"This isn't a media fabrication.."@DonTaylor5 and @DhaliwalSports talked about the Pettersson/Miller dynamic.https://t.co/h4e2SKM7eJ pic.twitter.com/I5DX8NlECZ
— Donnie & Dhali (@DonnieandDhali) December 19, 2024
Also Read: Grading All 32 NHL Teams’ After Week 10 Games Of The 2024 Season
The Canucks’ inconsistent start (16-10-6) has led to calls for GM Patrik Allvin and president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford to make a move. That’s where the Toronto Maple Leafs enter the equation.
Toronto’s second-best player after Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, is in his contract year. Like Pettersson in Vancouver, Marner has received immense criticism over his lackluster postseason production.
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A Mitch Marner For Elias Pettersson
JT Miller and Elias Pettersson obviously can’t play nice. Marner could use a fresh start, and Toronto would be better to trade him rather than lose the two-way superstar for nothing in 2025 free agency.
Hence, the Canucks and Leafs should offer a one-for-one swap. Marner’s two-way game would make him a better fit in Rick Tocchet’s system, while Pettersson’s skill and offense-first approach would make him a dynamic fit on a Toronto team with Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Matthew Knies.
The trade sounds crazy on paper, yes. But the Leafs’ core is overdue for a shakeup with one playoff series win in eight years together. The Canucks clearly can’t count on Miller and Pettersson to co-lead this team, so the trade actually makes perfect sense for all parties.
