Boy, things escalated in Vancouver quickly, didn't they? The rumor mill has been spinning at light speed since the gossip surrounding the frosty relationship between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller picked up, and the subsequent trade speculation has remained white-hot ever since.

The possibility that the Canucks could trade one of those elite players, or even both, is the kind of thing that can power hockey websites for years to come, and we're not immune to that. In fact, we're going to dive right into the chance Pettersson could be moved.

Here, we've picked out six teams that not only make sense as possible destinations for the Swede but have also been linked with him and the Canucks in some cases.

Even though we're spitballing ideas, it doesn't mean we don't want to hear yours, too. Let us know in the comments which teams you think could join the chase for Pettersson.

New York Rangers

There's some drama already in place between the Canucks and Rangers.

The Athletic's Josh Yohe reported Vancouver turned down a trade offer from New York that centered around Mika Zibanejad going to the Canucks for J.T. Miller.

The problem with that deal was that not only did Vancouver shoot it down, but both players also have no-move clauses in their contracts.

You know who doesn't have an active no-move clause? Elias Pettersson.

His no-move clause doesn't kick in until next year, which means any team that can take on his $11.6 million cap hit and can pony up the players, picks and prospects Vancouver would want in return can make a deal happen.

Would the same kind of deal make sense? Maybe not.

You could theorize that Zibanejad was offered (or asked for) because having him alongside fellow Swede Pettersson could help calm things down after a few difficult weeks. But trading Zibanejad for his countryman would prevent such a reunion and may well lead to the former nixing the trade himself.

All trades have different routes to navigate, but if a Rangers offer for Pettersson involved defenseman Braden Schneider, that would probably be a good way to ensure the Canucks don't take any other calls until the rest of it gets figured out.

Buffalo Sabres

Something we've said for a couple of years now is that if Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams wants to make a blockbuster trade, he has all the young players, picks and prospects required to make it happen.

The two most notable names mentioned in a potential package for Pettersson were Dylan Cozens and Bo Byram when Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman suggested a potential trade package between the two teams on his 32 Thoughts podcast.

Cozens has had a tough year, but he scored 31 goals two years ago. He's a fiery competitor and still only 23 years old. Guys like that aren't easy to get unless a team drafts them.

Byram has been outstanding in a mix of pairings with Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, and he is due to become a restricted free agent this summer. The Sabres already have Dahlin and Power locked up for a lot of money and years, and Mattias Samuelsson is also signed long-term for a little over $4 million per season.

Swapping Pettersson and Cozens would be a seismic shift and the former would have a good friend in Dahlin to lean on. Cozens would get to return to where he grew up playing hockey when he left home in Yukon as a junior player.

Losing Byram would be difficult since they acquired him from Colorado for Casey Mittelstadt a year ago. And despite having a lot of depth on the blue line, the other defensemen behind Dahlin, Power and occasionally Samuelsson haven't earned a ton of trust from coach Lindy Ruff.

Whether it's one or both of those names or any of the other young, talented Sabres players teams covet (Jack Quinn, Jiri Kulich, Zach Benson to name a few) to build a package for Pettersson and more, it would be a huge deal to pull off.

It's easy to put together on paper, but the stakes are so high on both sides that if it doesn't work out, it'll haunt them for years.

Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina seems like a team that has no need to go changing anything up given how well it has done this season, but it was just a year ago when speculation was strong that the Hurricanes were working on a deal with Vancouver to land Pettersson.

Obviously, that trade never came to pass and it likely would've involved Martin Necas going the other way. Since then, both Pettersson and Necas have signed extensions with their teams, albeit the latter's was for two years while the former landed a huge eight-year, $92.8 million deal.

If the Hurricanes wanted to circle back and give it another try, Necas' performance this season would help level out a potential trade package if they wanted to include him.

The 25-year-old Carolina's leading scorer this season alongside Sebastian Aho, but they could use more as they chase after the Capitals and Devils in the Metropolitan Division.

Adding Pettersson would be a huge move and create the kind of trade package that would shake up a group that might not necessarily need to be shaken up in the first place.

Dallas Stars

The Stars are in a bit of a pickle in the Central Division.

They're in a race with the Colorado Avalanche for third place, but they're also hunting the Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets for the top two spots. They've got a Cup-contending team and have the ability to make a massive addition if they see a fit.

Tyler Seguin's hip surgery in December will have him out 4-6 months and his $9.85 million cap hit presents an LTIR opportunity to use it to bring in a big piece that could alter the race in the Central.

The Stars have a wealth of young players with sky-high upside who could be included in a trade package for Pettersson should GM Jim Nill want to make the move.

Players like Mavrik Bourque and Logan Stankoven, plus prospects such as defensemen Lian Bichsel and Christian Kyrou and forward Emil Hemming, are the best of the best in the NHL.

Essentially, if the Stars want to make a statement by acquiring Pettersson, they've got the means to do it and not necessarily have to sweat out salary ramifications...for this season at least.

The idea of adding Pettersson to a group featuring Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, Roope Hintz, Matt Duchene and Jamie Benn is tantalizing. And although the Stars could stand to have a little more help on the blue line, scoring a lot more goals than opponents is a fun thing too.

San Jose Sharks

Everything the San Jose Sharks are doing right now feels like it's the right way to build a young group together.

When you've got forwards Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith and William Eklund along with goalie Yaroslav Askarov, that's an exciting time. And they've got more than a few other prospects on the way in the coming years.

But if GM Mike Grier wanted to add rocket fuel to the rebuild and make use of all the available salary-cap space they have and maybe use some of that prospect and draft pick wealth to add Pettersson, would it be so bad?

A one-two punch down the middle of Celebrini and Pettersson would make everyone perk up and would have the Shark Tank in San Jose rocking again.

And with Pettersson being 26 years old, it's not as if he's an out-of-touch old guy joining a young team. He'd be the kind of veteran Sharks future stars can learn from, especially given everything the Swede has experienced in Vancouver.

Deals like this between division rivals don't get made easily, of course, and given the Canucks' current window to win being open, taking on prospects and picks might not be overly appealing unless it's someone like 2024 first-round pick Sam Dickinson.

However, the cost to deal in-division is always higher and that's the sort of thing that would probably cool off any ideas for the Sharks.

Philadelphia Flyers

When you see Philadelphia Flyers fans going wild for rookie forward Matvei Michkov, it reminds us about something that's been missing from their lineup in recent years: A dynamic offensive presence.

That's what makes the idea of adding Pettersson to their roster such a fun one.

We know the Flyers are in that weird hybrid rebuild stage where they got so close to the playoffs last season and they're right in the mix again this year. That means making bold trades is a bit tricky but if they added Pettersson who's in his prime right now and 26 years old, isn't he the kind of player who fits their situation?

The Flyers are one of 14 teams this season averaging under three goals per game (2.98 to be exact) and while Travis Konecny leads them in scoring with 45 points, Michkov is second with 29 and Owen Tippett is third with 24.

Pettersson and his 0.82 points per game would be second behind Konecny, and his presence could help others score more goals because of his skill and passing ability.

Yes, playing for John Tortorella is hard to do if you don't acclimate to his system and his demands, but there's nothing about Pettersson's career to this point to suggest he'd bristle with him at all.

If the Flyers want to keep toeing the line between the playoffs and the lottery, they can hold steady and do just that. But if they wanted to push the envelope and get back to the postseason with Pettersson, they have the necessary means.