The Carolina Hurricanes had two massive swings lined up the night they landed Mikko Rantanen, and the one that nearly brought Elias Pettersson to Raleigh was apparently just as real.
On the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman said Carolina was working on separate deals with Colorado for Rantanen and Vancouver for Pettersson. He said he was convinced the Pettersson move would happen first. “I was slow to pivot to Rantanen,” he said, explaining that he believed the Canucks were the team about to close.
Friedman described it as a true either-or moment. Carolina had told both clubs the same message: it’s time. Each side was asked for its best offer, and the Hurricanes would move on whichever package satisfied them first.
Colorado came through. Vancouver, Friedman said, did not.
The Hurricanes felt the Canucks’ proposal wasn’t strong enough, and that pushed them toward Rantanen instead. Friedman said Vancouver was somewhat surprised, and the episode quickly circulated around the league as a warning.
The Pettersson angle also fits a broader pattern around Vancouver. For years, there has been chatter that the Canucks have been open to trade discussions on the forward, with the Los Angeles Kings among the teams linked along the way. But no deal has ever materialized.
What stood out in Friedman’s retelling was less the near miss itself and more what it says about Eric Tulsky’s operation in Carolina. When the Hurricanes say a deal window is open, the message apparently means exactly that. According to Friedman, teams need to be ready to finish the job, because Carolina doesn’t treat that kind of deadline like a bluff.
That lesson may linger, too. Friedman brought up the story while talking about the Hurricanes’ pursuit of Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, where Carolina reportedly has an offer on the table. Whether Winnipeg - and anyone else involved - has absorbed the warning is another question entirely.
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Oilers Lineup Shift Could Create A New Problem For The Canucks
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For Vancouver, the timing adds another wrinkle to an already familiar division puzzle. Coach Mike Babcock has pointed to the lineup shift as a move that leaves Edmonton in a better spot at centre, while also touching on how the group will manage other injured players. The bigger issue for the Canucks is obvious enough: a healthier Oilers lineup can change the matchups in a hurry, and Nugent-Hopkins return is the kind of adjustment that can ripple beyond just one game. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Shake Up Top Six With Pressure Suddenly Building
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Victor Mancini also skated with Zeev Buium, a pairing that at least hints at a possible change for Thursdays matchup with Detroit. With the top six still under the microscope and the schedule moving quickly, the Canucks appear to be weighing whether a few lineup tweaks can help settle things before the pressure builds any further. [Read more 🡒]
Conor Garland Is Giving Canucks Fans An Early Answer On That Trade
Conor Garland is back in the kind of spotlight that follows a player after a fresh start does not immediately turn fresh. The former Canuck was moved to Columbus with his six-year contract after a down season in Vancouver, but the early return for the Blue Jackets has been more frustration than clarity. Columbus has stumbled out of the gate with a losing record, and its special teams have only added to the pressure around a roster still trying to find some rhythm.
Rick Bowness has already leaned into the clubs uneven start with pointed public criticism, then recently backed off the tone a bit as the search for answers continues. Garland sits at the center of that search, because the Blue Jackets still want to squeeze more out of him than they have so far, even as his place in the lineup keeps shifting and the fit remains unsettled. For Canucks fans watching from afar, it is an early reminder that a trade meant to reset one story can take time before it starts writing a new one. [Read more 🡒]