Canucks Looking to Extend Newcomers

The Vancouver Canucks won't hesitate to sign extensions for a couple of their newest players.

Nov 27, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson (28) moves the puck against Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson (40) and Vancouver Canucks left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

It took a couple of months, but the Vancouver Canucks finally pulled off one of the most highly anticipated trades of the 2024-25 season by sending J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers. With Miller in New York, the Canucks were able to pull off another big trade, this time with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford won the Stanley Cup twice with the Penguins, and still has personal experience with a few key pieces on Pittsburgh’s roster. It’s that connection that played a role in the Canucks acquiring Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor from the Penguins.

Rutherford and Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin have a history with both Pettersson and O’Connor from their days in Pittsburgh. According to Elliottee Friedman on Sportsnet’s Saturday Headlines, the Canucks will work to extend Pettersson and O’Connor who are currently in the final year of their contracts.

“Don’t forget, Rutherford and Allvin had big impacts on them getting to Pittsburgh in the first place,” Friedman said. “And they will be eager to sign both of them.”

Originally a member of the Anaheim Ducks, Rutherford saw something special in Pettersson during his second season in the NHL. The Penguins traded away Daniel Sprong for Pettersson in a simple one-for-one deal with the Ducks.

Pettersson was just 22 at the time and went on to play 442 games with the Penguins and the last few years as their top defensive defenseman. During his eight years in Pittsburgh, Pettersson scored 16 goals and 125 assists for 141 points.

O’Connor got his start in the NHL with the Penguins, but he wasn’t a top draft pick. Rutherford signed O’Connor as a college free agent out of Dartmouth in 2020.

Over five seasons in the NHL, O’Connor has appeared in 210 games and really started to find himself over the last couple of seasons. In 79 games during the 2023-24 season, he picked up 16 goals and 17 assists for 33 points.

The Canucks usually have quite a few former Penguins thanks to the Rutherford and Allvin connection, and that trend will likely continue if they agree to terms on new deals with Pettersson and O’Connor.

They may not be sitting in a playoff spot right now, but the Canucks may have cleared their path to the postseason, despite a rocky few months.

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