The Vancouver Canucks’ loss against the Dallas Stars on Friday was overshadowed by the long-awaited blockbuster trade that sent JT Miller to the New York Rangers.

The deal, which broke down a little over half an hour before puck drop, saw the star forward, along with Erik Brännstrom and prospect Jackson Dorrington, traded to the Rangers in exchange for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a protected first-rounder. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that no salary retention was included in the deal.

“On behalf of the entire Canucks organization I want to thank J.T. for his time here in Vancouver,” General Manager Patrik Allvin wrote in a press release from the team. “J.T. was a passionate impact player and good leader for our hockey team. Moving him was not an easy decision but we are pleased with our return from the Rangers. Both Filip and Victor are good additions for our club and we are excited to see what they bring to us on the ice.”

It got so bad that Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford not only acknowledged the rift between Miller and Pettersson but also stated that there is “no path forward” for the Canucks with this current core. Now they can properly turn the page on a huge distraction that has played a factor in the team’s struggles this season.

Canucks captain Quinn Hughes, who gave fans a scare when he saw limited action in the third period, said that while he is still processing the trade, he admitted that he is sad to see a player he enjoyed playing with leave.

“ Yeah, of course. I think not only myself but everyone in the organization,  I think it’s just been a lot of noise,” he said when asked how difficult it was to deal with the drama. “For Millsy too, it’s been a lot on him and I think he’s looking forward to a fresh start. But we’re obviously, gonna miss him here. He had a lot of compete, played some really good hockey for us. But in saying that, now we gotta refocus on the guys that we do have here.”

Friday’s trade nearly came to fruition a few weeks earlier but fell apart right near the goal line. There were also rumours suggesting that one of Miller or Pettersson could be on their way to the Carolina Hurricanes before they shifted their efforts to acquire Mikko Rantanen instead. While it is unknown at the time of filing whether this is the last colossal move involving the core or if Pettersson is the next to go, the locker room drama should now be a thing of the past and the team can move forward.

When speaking with reporters after the game, the Swedish forward did not discuss his relationship with Miller, but Pettersson wished him the best and stressed the importance of looking forward.

“I think we’ve had some really good moments with him. Playoffs my second year and then the playoffs last year. Just a player that I think both of us made each other better,” he said. “But I know this: I want that pressure and it’s up to me to take it on.”

Where things go from here remains anyone’s guess, but Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman did report after the game that Vancouver is not done making moves between now and the trade deadline, as evident with the Marcus Pettersson trade. The team now needs to shift their focus to getting back into the playoffs, as they sit one point behind the Calgary Flames for the final Wild Card spot after Dallas snapped their three-game winning streak.

It certainly wasn’t easy on the players with what proved to be an emotional day as they tried their best to focus on the game while dealing with the sadness of seeing a teammate gone despite all of the drama that led to said departure.

“It’s the business side of it, right? Anything like that happens, it’s always tough,” defenceman Tyler Myers said. “Especially Millsy, been together for five and a half years here. He has been such a big part of the room. It’s always a weird feeling. I didn’t get to see him – it happened so fast – before the game. I know he was emotional, he’s been such a big part of the city’s team. In a lot of ways, I’m happy for him for a fresh start, a team that is familiar. I don’t know what the situation is but I hope to see him tonight, not sure if he’s gone.”

Myers went on to describe the now-former Canuck as an incredible competitor and someone who held the room together better than any other teammate he had seen before. He also felt confident that Miller would do well with the Rangers as a result of those intangibles.

Judging by the comments made by the members of the team that spoke with the media post-game, you can tell that there was quite a good portion of the dressing room that was bummed to see Miller get traded. Whether it was a sense of hoping for the dispute to be solved internally, losing a quality player, or what gets left behind, there is certainly disappointment that things had to reach this point.

Head coach Rick Tocchet is one of those who you can add into that category, describing Miller as a ‘heart and soul guy’ while wanting to see Pettersson step up to the plate now that he is on his own.

“ I think it’s important that you have a pack mentality. I  think with this team, in a couple of years I’ve been here, we don’t go through these long losing streaks because guys have done a nice job of blocking out distraction,” he said in regards to how the team will proceed. “We’ve been a little inconsistent this year, but I gotta give the guys credit that they can focus. Hopefully we can move on and get focused even stronger.”

Now that the dust has settled, the Canucks will look to get back on track when they host the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday evening with puck drop scheduled for 5 p.m. PST.