Can Canucks solve Pettersson-Miller rift? Habs in playoffs? Quenneville to Rangers? Toews comeback? Ask CJ

Ill take a cue from Larry David and resist the urge to wish everyone a happy new year this far into January.

Still, the flipping of the calendar brings us into new beginnings and an exciting window for hockey.

Front offices are now full speed ahead in preparation for the March 7 trade deadline.

Plus, there is next months 4 Nations Face-Off, the true beginning of playoff races coming into view and awards season on the horizon.

Advertisement We put out the call for mailbag questions last week, and unsurprisingly readers were most curious about the Vancouver Canucks bubbling Elias Pettersson / J.T.

Miller situation.

There were also queries about a Jonathan Toews comeback, Calder Trophy debates, Russias Olympic future, the Toronto Maple Leafs trade plans and the New York Rangers coaching outlook, among many other topics.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read, engage and respond.

Lets go! Do you think Vancouver is actually going to trade one of Elias Pettersson or J.T.

Miller? If so, how would it change the short-term trajectory of the franchise? Trevor H.

At this moment in time, my sense is the Canucks would prefer not to pursue a trade involving one of their star forwards.

The hope is that those players sort out any lingering issues between them, everyone moves forward and the Canucks have a strong finish to the season.

Now, does that mean it definitely wont happen? Of course not.

And because of that unknown, the Canucks are going to listen to outside expressions of interest in case the situation reaches a point of no return.

Moving either Pettersson or Miller would be a franchise-altering move carrying incredibly high stakes.

In a league free of real blockbusters, a trade involving either player would be a blockbuster.

It would also represent a difficult trade for Vancouver to come out on the winning side of because it would be trading a talented player under the cloud of a subpar season and this apparent rift.

Still, its definitely possible the Canucks reach a point where they feel its best to take action.

How real is the rift between Miller and Pettersson? The story just wont die.

Patrick H.

Well, league sources say they didnt exchange Christmas presents.

Its no secret in NHL circles that the longtime teammates are two very different personalities who havent always seen eye to eye.

Miller is a hypercompetitive guy who can be abrasive and isnt afraid to push those around him hard.

Pettersson is more withdrawn, more cerebral, more sensitive and certainly not prone to confrontation by nature.

Still, thats not entirely unique among NHL dressing rooms.

Basically every successful elite duo in recent memory think Sidney Crosby Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh, Jonathan Toews- Patrick Kane in Chicago, Alex Ovechkin Nicklas Backstrom in Washington featured different personalities and proclivities that found a way to mesh and make things work.

And Miller and Pettersson have done that in the past, too.

This rift didnt get much attention last year when Vancouver was one win away from reaching the Western Conference final.

The real question is if the players can again reach some sort of understanding that allows this version of the Canucks to achieve its ultimate potential.

Advertisement How real is the Jonathon Toews comeback talk? Alexander H.

Whats real is that Toews feels he has some unfinished business when it comes to his hockey career and hes started to train again in a manner that may allow him to do something about it.

The operative word there, though, is may.

Toews has been on a spiritual journey of sorts since chronic inflammatory response syndrome forced him to walk away from the sport in 2023 a journey thats taken him to India for Ayurvedic healing and he recently told GQ that its got him to a place where theres a part of him that feels his career isnt over yet.

However, the odds arent in his favor.

Toews will turn 37 in April.

There are only 20 skaters older than him currently playing in the NHL, and none of them spent the past two years not playing professional hockey.

There are a lot of people around the NHL pulling for Toews to find whatever peace he can, including me, but theres also a fair amount of skepticism about his ability to see a comeback through.

Fans always say reporters dont ask tough enough questions for fear of losing access.

How true is that? Or is there another reason obvious/blunt questions the fans would ask dont get asked by media? John L.

Ive been around NHL dressing rooms for more than 20 years and I dont believe theres any truth to be found in that statement.

For starters, credentialed media are guaranteed access to games, practices, press conferences and dressing room availability through the NHLs media policy.

A team cant ban a reporter who writes an unfavorable column or asks a question it doesnt like.

Believe me: There are times they might like to! That doesnt mean every tough question a fan may prefer be put to their teams coach or captain actually gets asked.

But the reasons for that arent nefarious.

Like anyone, reporters have occasional bad days at work, or they may not have seen the controversial moment or play while riding an elevator down from the press box, or the question may simply not have occurred to them, or they might even be working on another story and seeking different information from the interview.

The Calder race.

I keep hearing its between Matvei Michkov and Macklin Celebrini .

But as a Habs fan, how is Lane Hutson not getting more attention? Michael B.

This might be the first time a young star playing in a white-hot hockey market has been accused of not getting enough attention.

I can assure you that voters are well aware of Hutsons performance.

No NHL rookie has played more minutes! Ballots for NHL awards wont be submitted until April so theres still plenty of time for Celebrini, Michkov, Hutson, Dustin Wolf or someone else to separate himself from the pack.

Do the Habs make the playoffs? Kyle G.

After a road trip in which they beat the past four Stanley Cup champions, everything feels possible! The fact that the Montreal Canadiens have pulled themselves back into the playoff conversation represents a small victory for the organization.

Theyre clearly trending in the right direction.

Still, its far too early for a firm declaration/prediction because I think theres going to be one Eastern Conference wild-card spot that ends up being a total jump ball between the Habs, Senators , Penguins , Red Wings , Flyers and ...

Blue Jackets .

One of those teams will be a surprise playoff qualifier.

With the Rangers bumbling around, do you think they make a coaching change and be the team to bring Joel Quenneville back into the league, with a wins are all that matter attitude? Ryan H.

Ive got no reason to believe the Rangers or anyone else, for that matter currently have designs on hiring Quenneville.

Hes been eligible to return to an NHL bench since July.

Advertisement Will the Leafs realistically be able to trade for Yanni Gourde or another center that can slot into the top six in case of injury and also fill the third-line center role? Robin S.

There are very few guarantees in life, but Im willing to offer you one: The Leafs will acquire a middle-six center before the trade deadline passes at 3 p.m.

ET on March 7.

Its a need management identified months ago.

As for who it will be? The market of available players hasnt taken enough shape yet to allow us to identify the top candidate.

But the Leafs have the picks and prospects needed to make that kind of addition, and they have the desire, too.

What is the likelihood that Russia will be permitted to send a team to the 2026 Olympics? Rowen B.

Absolutely no one at the highest levels of the NHL or international hockey expects Russia to be a participant in the 2026 Milan Games, given that countrys ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Officially, the International Ice Hockey Federation has said it will wait until May 2025 before formally ruling if Russia and Belarus can return to competitions held in 2025-26.

However, barring something completely unforeseen, its not happening.

If the over/under on hits per game during 4 Nations is 2.5, do you take the under? Would the Tkachuk bros be the only ones who lay the body during the games? Perry L.

This is a fair question one that Ive wondered about a fair bit myself because its a newly created event that features no more than four games per team.

Itll be over almost as soon as it begins.

In speaking with a number of players, though, theyre expecting the emotions to be there.

Brad Marchand told me over the weekend that guys will be out for blood.

There are certainly enough shift-disturbers participating to expect some physicality.

Ill take the over.

Who comes to mind (beyond Alex Mogilny) as someone who should be in the Hall of Fame? Mike C.

Beyond Mogilny, who absolutely, unequivocally should already be in the Hall, the guy that stands out to me is Henrik Zetterberg.

At first glance, his counting stats probably wont wow you, but adjusted for era he was basically an 80-point player across his career who gained entry to the Triple Gold Club and won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2008.

Those are pretty strong credentials.

Do you think the NHL will ever do anything to address the competitive advantage clubs located in no- or low-tax states have? Gavin M.

This is currently a hot-button issue among managers with collective bargaining set to begin between the NHL and NHL Players Association.

There are some who will note that the leagues wealthiest teams i.e.

the teams who contribute the most money to the revenue-sharing pot each season are double penalized because they arent based out of tax-friendly jurisdictions.

And there are some who will counter by saying that no one complains when a top free agent chooses the Rangers, Leafs or Canadiens over a less-traditional hockey market.

So, where does this go? My gut tells me that we dont ultimately see a tax-related provision in the CBA because its a murky, complicated issue and essentially pits owners against each other.

Ultimately, well have to see where bargaining goes.

How would you rank the divisions this year? How would you rank them based on their top three to five teams? Delorey G.

1.

Pacific Division 2.

Central Division 3.

Atlantic Division 4.

Metropolitan Division I have no idea what to make of the Eastern Conference this season.

To me, the top-tier Cup contenders are all playing in the West.

Advertisement Is it just me, or are the San Jose Sharks actually watchable this year? Sarah H.

Its not just you, Sarah.

Something exciting is going on in San Jose.

Ill be the first to say that us national reporters were sleeping on the kind of immediate impact Celebrini was capable of making.

What is your dream marathon CJ? Khofman22 Can I only pick just one? Ive run marathons in Chicago, Philadelphia and Toronto and would love to do one in Europe.

London or Berlin.

Or how about London and Berlin? (Top photo of J.T.

Miller and Elias Pettersson: Bob Frid / USA Today).

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