Is there a blockbuster trade to be had between Dallas and Vancouver?

No. But it's fun to speculate.

If you haven’t been following the drama in Vancouver, you’re not really missing out because nobody really knows anything at the end of the day, but you’re still missing out.

Is there a rift between the Canucks’ star centers, Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller? Maybe, maybe not. But Quinn Hughes and head coach Rick Rocchet passively acknowledging the rift while management is actively trying to trade both sort of fills in the blanks, doesn’t it?

Whatever the case, Vancouver is in a tough spot. They are just shy of a wild card spot. They need to sell and they need to buy. It’s the worst possible spot; the dreaded mushy middle. If you’re a Vancouver fan, or even someone in Canucks management, it’s easy to see why there’s hope, even with all the unnecessary drama.

Look at their competition.

Calgary seems like a very catchable team. Without depth on offense or defense, it’s hard to imagine Dustin Wolf holding the team together like that Spider-Man meme. He may do it, and that’s the reason why he probably deserves the Calder. But between that and Meh teams like St. Louis and Utah trying to catch up, it’s easy to see why some faith is being kept in the front office.

But if a deal is there to be made, it’s looking like Vancouver will try to make one. Now, as always, an important caveat: Vancouver and Dallas may never make a deal. Not as long as Aquilini and Gaglardi are the team’s respective owners. Any grievance that gets taken to the Supreme Court is not a grievance that gets forgotten. For now, I’m gonna operate with the assumption that being a good owner means doing what’s best for the team. As in, if it takes ignoring a bloodfeud for a couple of months to win a Stanley Cup, you do it.