Any interest is good interest for the Vancouver Canucks as they try to navigate trade discussions surrounding their stars.
The Canucks are willing to consider trades within the Western Conference, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Hockey Night in Canada's Saturday Headlines segment.
As rumours surrounding big-name forwards Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller have become louder, the Canucks determined that it's worth weighing offers from teams they might have to face in the playoffs.
"One of the things the Canucks have indicated with both Pettersson and Miller is they're not shying off interest from the Western Conference," Friedman said. "Teams from the West that have reached out have not been told no, that they would be unwilling to deal any particular player to any of those destinations."
Intrigue has swirled around the Canucks as alleged off-ice drama between Pettersson and Miller has amplified the noise around a disappointing season in Vancouver.
Friedman reported last week that the team is weighing all options when it comes to the future of both players, who have denied any feud.
Those options now include a potential trade to a rival, with the team seeming more desperate than ever — a four-game skid and a 2-4-4 stretch preceded Saturday's shutout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs — to reverse its fortunes.
Entering Saturday, the Canucks sat fourth in the Pacific division with an 18-13-10 record and found themselves in the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Any trade that sends either star to a Western Conference rival could have an impact on their continued chase for the post-season.
Neither forward has performed up to standards this campaign, with Miller tallying eight goals and 21 points through 31 games and Pettersson adding 10 goals and 18 assists through 35.
Both players have also missed stretches, as Miller stepped away from the team due to personal reasons and Pettersson missed six games with an upper-body injury earlier this month.
"Some guys have had some tough years. You know, we gotta get Petey going, gotta get Millsy [going], they're a big part of our team," Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said before the team's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
"They're great players. We gotta get them going too. ... We gotta stick with it. We're still in the race."
The Canucks would prioritize a significant return for either player should they choose to move them, Friedman reported last week. He added that a centre would likely be part of any return package for either star.
Trading either player could come with some challenges, however.
The 31-year-old Miller is in the second year of a seven-year, $56-million contract and earns $8 million against the cap for the remainder of his deal. He also has a full no-move clause.
Pettersson, meanwhile, signed an eight-year, $92.8-million contract last season and is in the first year of the deal. His no-move clause kicks in at the start of next season.
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