NHL Insider Hints to Potential Trade including Sabres' Dylan Cozens, Canucks' Elias Pettersson

On last Saturday's Hockey Night In Canada, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed a tidbit of information that may have flown over the heads of many as potential trade rumors.

In a segment discussing the Mikko Rantanen trade, Friedman discussed how there was a period of time that he believed Rantanen would be a Vancouver Canuck and that the deal ultimately never happened. He continued by saying in a surprising twist that the Buffalo Sabres would now be the front runners to nab Elias Pettersson.

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It's no secret there's been drama surrounding the Canucks organization this season with the reported rift between forward J.T. Miller and Pettersson. It appears that there is a high likelihood of one of the two being traded and the team is currently weighing their options.

The Sabres were reportedly looking to make a big move and that the move could include 23-year-old centre Dylan Cozens. Buffalo was reportedly in talks with moving Cozens to Detroit but no trade rumors have progressed for some time.

The Canucks are reportedly adamant about adding to their forward group and that they are looking for a centre and a possible addition to their injured defence core.

A trade including Dylan Cozens and a mid to high-end defenceman like Bowen Byrum for Elias Pettersson could be a possibility as the Canucks are looking for a trade that can keep them competitive for the time being.

There is more that could be added on both ends of the deal but a trade including Cozens and Pettersson is not out of the question and seems like a very real possibility if Vancouver is looking for a quality centre and Cozens being one of the best on the market.

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The Sabres are 14 points out of the second wild card spot and would need a big time trade to give them a chance towards nabbing a spot. Buffalo is listed at the bottom of the East to make the playoffs at +7000 odds.

The Canucks are just outside of the playoffs as they are three points behind the Flames and could catch them which may make a drastic move unlikely unless things get progressively worse. They are currently listed at -120 to make the playoffs and could be a great value as they have the 14th-easiest remaining schedule.