Fri, Jan 31, 2025 at 11:55pm

CANUCKS CLAIM ANOTHER PETTERSSON

The Vancouver Canucks acquired defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O'Connor from the Pittsburgh Penguins for winger Danton Heinen, defenseman Vincent Desharnais, winger Melvin Fernstrom and a conditional first-round draft pick in 2025.

What does it give the Vancouver Canucks
Shortly after trading away J.T. Miller to the Rangers, the Canucks decided to reinforce the blueline by adding the very steady Pettersson. A pending UFA at the end of the season, Pettersson should make an impact in Vancouver. O'Connor is a versatile forward with defensive acumen who is also a pending UFA. He has lost his confidence on offense this season, so the change of scenery should help him. Are the Canucks done dealing? Probably not. It feels like there is more to come from Vancouver.

What does it give the Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins are accepting two contracts that run through the 2025-26 campaign in Heinen and Desharnais in exchange for two expiring deals. The keys to this trade from a Pittsburgh perspective are Fernstrom, a scoring winger from Sweden currently playing in the SHL, and the first-round pick. Originally included in the Miller trade from the Rangers, the first-round pick could become an unprotected 2026 first if the Rangers fall into the bottom 13 of the league standings this season.

Fantasy impact
Pettersson is not an offensive defenseman, so he will always land on the fringes of fantasy relevance in many league formats. Desharnais is also more of a stay-at-home defender, while O'Connor is a risky pickup due to his lack of production this season. Heinen used to play for the Penguins, so he knows the system. He is very streaky as a scorer, so perhaps he could get hot in Pittsburgh. He may only be considered in deep leagues.