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

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,

As of late last week the Vancouver Canucks haven’t really been impressed with the trade offers they been receiving for forward J.T. Miller, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if there is more Elias Pettersson trade speculation.

The Vancouver Canucks signed Elias Pettersson to an eight-year, $92.8 million contract extension in March, ensuring he wouldn’t hit restricted free agency and committing to the 26-year-old as a core piece for the future. Less than a year later, Pettersson is at the center of NHL rumors ahead of the March 7 trade deadline.

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.

One day removed from the blockbuster three-team trade that shook the NHL on Friday night and saw star winger Mikko Rantanen sent from the Colorado Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman had some new details to drop during his Saturday Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada.

Typically, when an NHL team has the luxury of counting on two 100-point players in its lineup, things go the right way. In Vancouver, the opposite is happening right now. The situation surrounding Elias Pettersson and J.