Hours before puck drop, Drew O鈥機onnor still wasn鈥檛 sure what he would wear to the rink Sunday.
The winger made it to Vancouver after being traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Canucks late Friday night. His suits, however, did not.
鈥淚 think they鈥檙e stuck in Denver right now,鈥� O鈥機onnor said of the garments. 鈥淪o I don鈥檛 know what I鈥檓 gonna be wearing tonight, but we鈥檒l see. My hockey bag made it. Bag and sticks, that鈥檚 the most important thing.鈥�
O鈥機onnor is one of several new faces expected to be in the lineup Sunday when Vancouver (23-18-10) hosts the Detroit Red Wings.
The club鈥檚 roster underwent a dramatic makeover Friday thanks to a pair of trades with the Penguins and New York Rangers.
The Canucks shipped star centre J.T. Miller, defenceman Erik Brannstrom and defensive prospect Jackson Dorrington to the Big Apple, while Vancouver received centre Filip Chytil, defenceman Victor Mancini and a conditional 2025 first-round draft pick.
Hours later, Vancouver announced it had flipped that pick in another transaction. Along with the selection, the Canucks dealt forward Danton Heinen, blueliner Vincent Desharnais and the rights to forward Melvin Fernstrom to Pittsburgh for O鈥機onnor and defenceman Marcus Pettersson.
O鈥機onnor, 26, said he was 鈥渄efinitely a little surprised鈥� to get a call from Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas late Friday night informing him of the move.
鈥淚t鈥檚 my first time being traded, first time in a different organization, so I think it catches you off guard a little bit,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut definitely excited to be in Vancouver and to be here now.鈥�
He joins a Canucks team that鈥檚 looking to climb back into playoff position after posting a 6-7-2 record in January.
Integrating a new group of players midseason is about simply tying to make them comfortable, head coach Rick Tocchet said after the additions joined him on the ice for an abbreviated morning skate Sunday.
鈥淎s a staff, you don鈥檛 overload them. You want them to have some fun tonight, and just don鈥檛 overload them with system stuff,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been in this business a long time 鈥� that鈥檚 the best thing, especially when we make trades, is don鈥檛 overload the guys, let those guys go have some fun play.
鈥淎nd then obviously, hopefully, you can give them more structure as the season goes on.鈥�
A former assistant coach with the Penguins, Tocchet still has close ties to the franchise and texted about his new players with Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby on Saturday.
鈥淥bviously, when Sid says they鈥檙e great locker room guys and really good people and players, that means a lot,鈥� Tocchet said.
O鈥機onnor has six goals and 10 assists in 53 appearances for the Penguins this season, while Pettersson registered three goals and 15 assists in 47 games.
Pettersson said he brings a simple, two-way game to Vancouver.
鈥淚 try to move the puck as quickly as I can out of the D zone,鈥� said the 28-year-old Swedish defenceman. 鈥淚 feel like when I鈥檓 at my best, I have a good first pass, I use my stick, my reach, I use my feet to skate.
鈥淪o the simplicity of my game, when it鈥檚 at a high level, I鈥檓 at my best.鈥�
For former Rangers forward Chytil, playing well is about using his speed, getting to the net and making plays.
鈥淭here鈥檚 still a lot of things what I have to work on, especially defence and faceoffs, but it鈥檚 part of the process,鈥� said the Czech centre. 鈥淎nd I believe in the hard work, so I do that every day. And I think with each day I鈥檓 getting better.鈥�
Chytil, 25, admitted it鈥檚 been a difficult season in New York. He put up 11 goals and nine assists across 41 games, but the Rangers fell below the expectations set by their stunning run last season.
鈥淚t was a very difficult stretch, from winning Presidents Trophy last year to this. But you鈥檝e got to stay strong mentally,鈥� he said. 鈥淥f course, we have stretches like this in the season.
鈥淚t can happen, but it鈥檚 about how you鈥檙e strong mentally, and how you can get back on the track as fast as you can.鈥�
