The Vancouver Canucks roster looks much different today than it did last week after a pair of blockbuster trades on Friday.
The Canucks added Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, Marcus Pettersson, and Drew O’Connor to their lineup. All of those players but Mancini debuted last night against the Red Wings.
The hope is that the new faces avoid a difficult transition period, both on and off the ice. Head coach Rick Tocchet seems confident the additions will fit like a glove, partially because he got a heads-up text about Pettersson and O’Connor from one of the most respected people in the hockey world: Sidney Crosby.
“Sid texted me yesterday about the two guys we got [from Pittsburgh]. Sid says they’re great locker room guys and really good people and players. Means a lot; that’s why we got those two guys,” the head coach said.
Tocchet was an assistant coach with the Penguins from 2014 until 2017 and thus has a relationship with Crosby. He never coached Pettersson as the defenceman was traded to the Penguins in 2018, just after Tocchet left to become head coach of the Arizona Coyotes.
The Canucks newest blueliner is a legitimate top-four option. He showed his value in his team debut as he played 25:57 last night, chewing up minutes on the penalty kill and at even strength.
With 18 points in 48 games so far this season, Pettersson has offensive upside as well. He instantly makes the Canucks a much deeper team on the blue line.
“Really pumped to have him,” continued Tocchet. “High hockey IQ, really well-liked and he’s a leader. Sid told me he’s a leader there [in Pittsburgh].”
The Canucks and Pettersson will need to agree on a new contract before July 1 if they want to keep him off the open market. Both sides are reportedly interested in keeping him around long-term, and a new deal is expected to be signed soon.
“I expect something to get done, and I expect something to get done soon,” said CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal on Donnie & Dhali. “Let’s see if it happens, but I think both sides want to get it done.”