The Edmonton Oilers already have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl driving one of the NHL’s most explosive offenses, but the idea of adding Elias Pettersson to that mix is the kind of swing that turns heads fast.
Pettersson’s name keeps surfacing because his situation in Vancouver is getting harder to ignore. He posted 102 points in 2022-23, then 89 in 2023-24, but his production dropped to 45 points in 64 games in 2024-25 before he finished with 51 points in 74 games last season.
That kind of slide, paired with an $11.6 million cap hit that runs through 2031-32, makes any trade discussion complicated. Still, Pierre LeBrun reported earlier this offseason that the Canucks could be open to retaining salary in a deal, which is exactly the sort of wrinkle that could put Edmonton in the mix.
The hypothetical framework here is straightforward: Edmonton would land Pettersson with $3 million retained, bringing his cap hit down to $8.6 million. Vancouver would get Isaac Howard, Trent Frederic, Ty Emberson, Beau Akey, and a 2027 conditional second-round pick. That pick would become a first-rounder if Edmonton wins the Stanley Cup in 2026-27.
For the Oilers, the appeal is obvious. This is a buy-low bet on a player with a huge ceiling.
At the full $11.6 million, Pettersson’s recent numbers make the fit tougher to sell. At $8.6 million, the math changes.
Edmonton wouldn’t need him to rediscover the 102-point version of himself for the move to make sense. If he got back to being a 70-to-80-point two-way forward, that price tag would look a lot friendlier.
And the fit with McDavid and Draisaitl is part of the intrigue. Pettersson could slot on the wing in the top six, or Edmonton could create some serious matchup chaos by occasionally running McDavid, Draisaitl and Pettersson down the middle. That kind of flexibility is the sort of thing contenders chase.
The price, though, would be real. Howard is the centerpiece of the offer, and that’s the kind of young offensive talent Vancouver would want back in any serious Pettersson discussion. Edmonton would be giving up something meaningful to get a 27-year-old former 100-point scorer.
From Vancouver’s side, the retention matters. Taking $3 million off Pettersson’s deal for six seasons is no small commitment, which is why Howard’s inclusion changes the shape of the deal so much.
He gives the Canucks a young building block. Akey adds another prospect to the system.
Emberson gives them an NHL defenseman. Frederic helps make the salary side work while bringing a physical forward under long-term team control.
And the pick adds another layer, with the possibility of upgrading from a second to a first if Edmonton’s gamble pays off with a title.
So it comes down to belief. Edmonton would have to decide whether Pettersson’s ceiling is worth parting with Howard and taking on the risk that comes with a major swing.
But chances to land a player with this kind of upside don’t pop up every day. If Vancouver holds enough salary to get Pettersson to $8.6 million, the Oilers would be looking at a 27-year-old former 102-point center without giving up Matthew Savoie or a guaranteed first-round pick.
That’s the kind of gamble a team in the middle of a Stanley Cup window at least has to think about.
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