Canucks Lose Trade Partner After Hurricanes Blockbuster

The NHL's latest blockbuster trade doesn't bode well for the Vancouver Canucks.

Jan 15, 2023; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Vancouver Canucks center J.T. Miller (9) celebrates his goals against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images / James Guillory-Imagn Images

The Vancouver Canucks may not have played on Friday night, but it's easy to feel like they came out of it as losers.

In one of the biggest trades of the decade, the Carolina Hurricanes acquired Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall from the Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks, respectively. In return, the Avalanche acquired Martin Necas, Jack Drury, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick, while the Blackhawks acquired their own 2025 third-round pick, which they previously traded to the Hurricanes.

This is one of the rare trades that affects not just the teams involved, but the league as a whole. Outside of the three teams in the trade, the Canucks were probably the team most affected by this move.

Anyone who's been keeping up with NHL news knows the Canucks' dillema. The reported feud between star forwards J.T. Miller and Elias Petterson has apparently reached a point of no return, with the team essentially needing to pick one of them over the other.

As for how Friday's news impacts Vancouver, Carolina was reportedly one of the top suitors for Miller while being in on Petterson as well. After the deal with Colorado and Chicago went through, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said Carolina was "working on the potential of one of two deals with Vancouver." As one may assume, one involved Miller and the other involved Petterson.

Before that, though, Friedman summed up the situation with one simple post.

"Believe it is fair to say this: the Hurricanes had a decision to make -- what was available from Vancouver and going for Rantanen," Friedman wrote on social media. "They struck for Rantanen."

Believe it is fair to say this: the Hurricanes had a decision to make -- what was available from Vancouver and going for Rantanen.

They struck for Rantanen

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 25, 2025

Not only that, but we have a vague idea of what such trades might've looked like. Friedman later wrote on Sportsnet that Necas would've been involved in a trade for Petterson, but not in a trade for Miller. It may not have been as much of a bombshell as what actually happened, but a Canucks-Hurricanes trade definitely would've been a big one.

Now, though, the Canucks are down a serious suitor for one of their two stars. However, not all is lost.

Most of the other reported suitors for Miller, including the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils, also play in the Metropolitan division alongside the Hurricanes, so maybe seeing their rival make a huge splash could motivte them to get a deal done. Alternatively, perhaps the Avalanche could open up as a suitor with some of their newfound assets.

It hurts to lose a potential trade partner, but at least the Canucks still have plenty of options before the March 7 trade deadline.

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