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

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.

If rumors are true and the Vancouver Canucks are interested in trading star Elias Pettersson, Adam Proteau says the Buffalo Sabres' reported pursuit of the Canucks center is a good idea.

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 the trade deadline draws closer, Patrik Allvin and the Canucks' management group will almost certainly receive more interest in Elias Pettersson

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.

On The Don Cherry's Grapevine podcast, Don Cherry and his son Tom shared their thoughts on Elias Pettersson’s future with the Vancouver Canucks.

The Vancouver Canucks have been working the phones and it appears a new favourite has emerged in a potential Elias Pettersson trade.

When Mikko Rantanen was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, it surprised many, including myself. We knew that the Colorado Avalanche and Rantanen were having difficulty finding common ground for a contract extension.

Elias Pettersson trade rumors persist in Vancouver, with the Buffalo Sabres reportedly still interested. Could Dylan Cozens and Bowen Byram be involved?

One Elias Pettersson is at the center of the Vancouver Canucks' trade drama. The other is a feel-good story and an addition to the NHL's history of players with the same names.