The Columbus Blue Jackets are the story of the NHL season. After the passing of star winger Johnny Gaudreau in the offseason, expectations were at an all-time low. But under new coach Dean Evason, they are fighting for a playoff spot in a tight Eastern Conference.

If you're going to acquire Pettersson and instantly make him the highest-paid player in franchise history at $11.6 million per season through 2031-32, you darn well better know what you're getting, Mike Harrington writes.

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

"The immediate notion for a Sabres package for Pettersson has to include Dylan Cozens because Vancouver would need a center in return," Harrington wrote. "Trading Bowen Byram, a British Columbia native who played junior hockey for the Vancouver Giants, would be more troublesome."

The Canucks traded Miller to the New York Rangers, ending a drama that had spanned multiple seasons. They got Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a first-round pick in return. More important than any player that came back in that deal was the impact it could have on Pettersson, who hasn’t reached his peak in a full calendar year.