Canucks' Pettersson will be one of the NHL's highest-paid players next season
Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson is set for life after inking an eight-year $92.8 million contract extension this morning.
The 25-year-old, who has 29 goals and 75 points through 62 games this season, will have a cap hit of $11.6 million beginning in 2024-25. That will make him not only the Canucks highest-paid player moving forward but one of the highest in the league for next season.
Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews currently has the league’s highest cap hit at $13.25 million, while Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon is second at $12.6 million. Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid comes in third at $12.5 million, while Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers sits fourth at $11.64 million. Right after Panarin is Pettersson, who sits slightly ahead of William Nylander and Erik Karlsson’s $12.5 million.
The deal is well-deserved, as Pettersson sits seventh amongst all NHLers in points over the last two seasons with 177. The only players with more over that span are McDavid, MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov, Leon Draisaitl, David Pastrnak, and Mikko Rantanen.
While Pettersson has shown superstar potential since his rookie season in 2018-19, he had his true coming out party in 2022-23, registering career highs with 39 goals and 102 points in 80 games. He is producing at a similar rate this season, as he is on pace for 38 goals and 99 points.
Thanks in large part to Pettersson’s play, the Canucks have been the NHL’s biggest surprise team this season, with a 38-17-7 record through 62 games. They currently sit atop the Western Conference Standings and are fourth in the entire NHL.
They have struggled a bit as of late with a 4-5-1 record over their past ten outings, but some of those struggles have been attributed to the noise that was surrounding the uncertain future of Pettersson. With the situation now cleared up, they should be able to get back to the levels of success they have had for most of the season.