Report: Canucks prioritize adding top-6 center

The Vancouver Canucks are already looking to fill the void left by J.T. Miller's departure.

The club's priority is to add a center to play in the team's top-six forward group between now and the start of the 2025-26 campaign, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reports.

The Canucks talked to the Sabres about center Dylan Cozens, Lebrun added, though it's unclear if they've spoken since the Miller trade, which reportedly took Elias Pettersson off the trade market.

Two-thirds of the league has reportedly checked in with the Sabres about Cozens, including the Calgary Flames, who remain interested despite adding Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee last week.

The Sabres are not shopping Cozens, though they have taken calls about the 6-foot-3, right-shot forward, LeBrun added.

Cozens has 26 points in 52 games this season. It's his second consecutive down year after producing career highs with 31 goals and 37 assists in 81 contests in 2022-23. He's in the second campaign of a seven-year contract carrying a $7.1-million cap hit.

Vancouver's center depth consists of Pettersson, Filip Chytil, Pius Suter, and Teddy Blueger. Chytil, acquired from the New York Rangers as part of the Miller trade, scored in his Canucks debut Sunday. Suter is a pending unrestricted free agent.