Canucks acquire Pettersson, O’Connor from Penguins for Heinen, Desharnais, Fernstrom and pick
The Vancouver Canucks capped off Friday with another trade, acquiring defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O’Connor from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for forward Danton Heinen, defenseman Vincent Desharnais, prospect Melvin Fernstrom and the first-round pick the Canucks acquired as part of the J.T. Miller trade earlier in the night.
The pick is a protected top-13 pick from the New York Rangers.
The acquisition gives the Canucks three players with the last name of Pettersson, joining the pair of Elias Pettersson’s.
Trade details:
To #Canucks: Marcus Pettersson, Drew O’Connor
To #LetsGoPens: 2025 Cond. 1st Round Pick (from #NYR), Vinny Desharnais, Danton Heinen and Melvin Fernstrom.
Marcus Pettersson was considered one of the top trade targets ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. The 28-year-old is a 6-foot-4, puck-moving defender who can put up 30 points a year while being defensively responsible.
Pettersson has 18 points in 47 games with the Penguins this season, his eighth NHL season. Pettersson was originally drafted in the second round back in 2014 by the Anaheim Ducks, and would go on to register one goals and 10 points in 49 games over two seasons. In his first full season, Pettersson acually played 84 games between the Penguins and Ducks – two more than the full regular season.
O’Connor, 26, has 16 points in 53 games in his fifth NHL season. The winger has played all over the team’s lineup, including briefly alongside Sidney Crosby on the top line. Through 210 games, O’Connor has 30 goals and 66 points.
Heinen, 29, is headed back to Pittsburgh after spending two seasons there from 2021-22 and 2022-23. Known for being a reliable depth scorer, Heinen has six goals and 18 points in 51 games with Vancouver – his first season with the club.
A seventh-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers in 2016, Desharnais made his NHL debut with the club in 2022-23. The 6-foot-7 blueliner has struggled during his time with the Canucks, registering just three points in 34 games in more of a depth role.
Fernstrom, meanwhile, was drafted 93rd overall by the Canucks back in June. The 6-foot-2 forward is known for his production at the junior level, but he has also put up eight points in 35 games with Orebro in the top Swedish pro league. He has yet to sign his entry-level contract, with his current SHL deal going until 2026.