Vancouver Canucks getting plenty of Elias Pettersson trade interest: report
The Vancouver Canucks might be gearing up to trade another superstar ahead of the NHL trade deadline.
GM Patrik Allvin has already offloaded the team’s biggest trade chip in Quinn Hughes last month, but he may not be done. There has been extensive speculation about trading Kiefer Sherwood this season, but the biggest deal out there could include moving on from Elias Pettersson.
The Swedish centreman has been under the microscope since inking a long-term extension with the Canucks in 2024, and the results have been underwhelming. Pettersson carries a $11.6 million cap hit, but is on pace to hit just 50 points this season.
With the Canucks destined to finish near the bottom of the NHL, now might be the best time to trade Pettersson while they still can. If they do, there will be plenty of interested teams.
NHL insider Marco D’Amico reported on Sunday that both the Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers are two teams who are showing interest.
“The thing with Pettersson is that he is a good player, but the $11.6 million price tag may be too much for an ownership group that is looking to rebuild to be willing to pay,ā D’Amico quoted an unnamed NHL source.
“The Carolina Hurricanes were in on him last year before the Rantanen trade, and they want to make a splash again this year.ā
Pettersson has long been linked to the Hurricanes, dating back to before he signed that monster extension in Vancouver. Carolina has a reputation for taking big swings at the trade deadline, having traded for and flipped Mikko Rantanen last season, so this tracks as a realistic possibility.
D’Amico went on to mention Jesperi Kotkaniemi as a potential piece of the trade return, as the Canucks have previously shown interest in the Finnish centreman.
“Itās also worth noting that there have now been two trade discussions (Pettersson last year and Quinn Hughes this year) in which the Carolina Hurricanes have been asked for Jesperi Kotkaniemi in any prospective deal,” D’Amico wrote.
The Flyers are a less obvious choice, but one of D’Amico’s sources cited the familiarity between Pettersson and Philadelphia head coach Rick Tocchet may help things along. The Flyers also have a host of young players and draft picks that could be of interest to Vancouver’s rebuild.
The Canucks are coming off an ugly 6-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night and have now lost 10-straight games. This season has already fallen by the wayside, and a few more big moves may need to happen before it ends.