Are the Vancouver Canucks getting close to trading Elias Pettersson?
Elias Pettersson has had one of the wildest career arcs in Vancouver Canucks history.
But is his tenure in Vancouver finally about to end?
Pettersson has been the subject of trade talks dating back to March 2024, when he signed his mammoth eight-year deal worth $11.6 million per season.
Since then, he’s been a shell of himself.
His subpar play, mixed with the Canucks plummeting down the standings, has led to two years of trade speculation.
Thomas Drance is reporting that the new Canucks management team is “motivated to move” Pettersson this offseason.
“Canucks [are] motivated to move Pettersson,” Drance said on Friday’s edition of Canucks Talk on Sportsnet 650. “Not imminent. [They] haven’t necessarily got a list but do have a sense of preferred destinations. [They] will engage in conversations if things get close. That is for sure on the Canucks’ radar based off of what I’m hearing from multiple league sources around the NHL this morning.”
Drance went on to mention that one of his sources said the Canucks were “desperate” to get a Pettersson trade done.
š£ļø "Canucks motivated to move Pettersson, not imminent. Haven't necessarily got a list but do have a sense of preferred destinations."
š @ThomasDrance on the latest surrounding a potential Elias Pettersson trade. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/EX458p6d5V
— Sportsnet 650 (@Sportsnet650) June 26, 2026
The Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings are the two teams that haveĀ been most closely linked to Pettersson by insiders in recent months. Both teams have the cap space to take on Pettersson’s contract. They’re also both in the market for a top-six centre, following Dylan Larkin’s request to be traded from Detroit and Anze Kopitar’s retirement from Los Angeles.
On Friday, CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal also mentioned on Sportsnet 650’s Halford and Brough that another squad could enter the Pettersson trade conversation.
“A couple of people told me they wouldn’t be surprised if Montreal is sniffing around Pettersson,” Dhaliwal said.
The Canucks have been linked to the Canadiens in trade talks, although that’s circled around Brendan Gallagher’s interest in playing for his hometown team.
Drance did mention on his radio hit Friday that he doesn’t believe a Pettersson trade is imminent. However, it was recently reported that the Canucks may be willing to retain some of Pettersson’s salary in a deal, which increases the likelihood of a potential deal.
The 27-year-old is coming off a season where he had 15 goals and 51 points in 74 games. He has six years remaining on his contract.