With less than 40 days to go until the NHL trade deadline, the expectation is that talks will begin heating up in the coming weeks and the Vancouver Canucks will likely be in the thick of things.

The Buffalo Sabres have emerged as leading contenders to land Vancouver Canucks star Elias Pettersson in a trade partnership nobody saw coming. According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, reporting the news during Sportsnet's "Saturday Headlines" segment,

Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks could make a blockbuster trade including Dylan Cozens and Elias Pettersson, according to insider reports

The dust is still settling around the NHL following a massive blockbuster deal between the Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, and the Chicago Blackhawks.

But with discussions for Miller not seemingly going well, it appears that teams are still calling about Pettersson.

The trade speculation around both Vancouver Canucks stars Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller will continue to swirl until the trade deadline on March 7. It seems that Miller is a hotter name on the market,

Canucks management's next steps with their star centers are crucial in the wake of Friday's three-team blockbuster.

The Carolina Hurricanes pivoted from two different Vancouver Canucks trades ahead of Friday's blockbuster and instead acquired Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche and Taylor Hall from the Chicago Blackhawks.