The Vancouver Canucks are making a clear push to get Elias Pettersson back on track, and that effort now looks like a central part of how they want to move forward. The team is still open to calls, but the sense is that Ryan Johnson and the Canucks see Pettersson as a core player and want to do whatever they can to bring out the version of him that once drove their offense.
Pettersson’s recent numbers explain why this matters. He put up 102 points in 2022-23, then followed that with 89 points the next season.
Since those strong campaigns, though, he has totaled just 30 goals and 96 points across the last two seasons. There have been plenty of explanations for the drop, including injuries and a feud with J.T.
Miller, but the bottom line is that a player with Pettersson’s talent should not be producing at middle-six levels.
Johnson’s approach was laid out in comments relayed by Kevin Woodley at NHL.com: “What I’m stressing with (Pettersson) is I want to give him an environment that supports him, that allows him to be himself and not feel that he’s got to be anything other than himself…I want to help him just in creating a space where I know he wakes up excited to come into the arena every day.”
If Vancouver can help Pettersson rediscover his game, it changes the look of the club’s rebuild over the next few seasons.
In Montreal, Sam Montembeault still appears to be on the move, but the goalie market may not open up the way the Canadiens would like. The team is moving ahead with Jakob Dobes and Jacob Fowler as its tandem, which has pushed Montembeault out of the picture. This has been on the radar since June, and after a relatively quiet summer, the possibility of a trade could be getting some traction again.
The complication is Connor Hellebuyck. If that situation triggers other goalie movement, it could create the kind of ripple effect that helps Montreal. Marco D’Amico put it this way on The Starr & D’Amico Show: “…if Hellebuyck gets traded that may start a carousel of other trades…” Teams such as the Winnipeg Jets could become part of that chain reaction, especially if they are suddenly forced into the market.
If Winnipeg were to move Hellebuyck, the club would be left with Stuart Skinner as its starter and one of its depth goaltenders as the backup, which could make Montembeault a fit. Beyond that, though, the options are limited. Most teams already have their goaltending tandems set, and the market outside of a Hellebuyck deal is described as pretty cold.
Montembeault could still appeal to teams worried about injuries during the season, but he reportedly is not interested in going through another three-goalie setup. There is also the possibility that he ends up on waivers when training camp wraps up. Montreal would likely be fine keeping him around as a call-up option with the Laval Rocket, but that may not be a landing spot he welcomes.
In Ottawa, the Senators are getting closer to choosing a captain after Brady Tkachuk’s departure left them without one for the first time since 2021. The roster offers several natural candidates, with Thomas Chabot, Claude Giroux, Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson all in the mix.
Bruce Garrioch reported that “[Steve Staios and] Travis Green are closing in on a decision on who will replace departed captain Brady Tkachuk and that the choice could be made in the near future.” Garrioch has made the case for Chabot, pointing to his loyalty after staying with the team through a difficult decade.
Chabot and Sanderson have both been long-running leaders in the room, while Stutzle recently addressed Tkachuk’s exit at the NHL’s European Media Tour. He said, “We’re focused on what we have ahead of us and the team we have right now. So, wish him all the best,”
However Ottawa goes, the Senators have no shortage of players who could wear the letter.
In Other News...
Senators Face Rising Pressure In Drake Batherson Contract Talks
The Senators and Drake Batherson both want a long-term extension, but the calendar is starting to do some of the heavy lifting in these talks. Ottawa would clearly prefer to lock up one of its more important wingers before the season gets rolling, and the clock is already ticking toward the key dates that will shape how this negotiation unfolds.
If a deal is not reached soon, the pressure only grows on both sides to find common ground before the late-summer window closes and the start of the season arrives. Bathersons situation is drawing attention not just because of his value to Ottawa, but because the next step could determine whether the Senators keep control of the conversation or are forced to watch the process spill deeper into the year. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Still Have One Chance To Justify Their Biggest Gamble
Ottawa is heading into its first training camp without Brady Tkachuk, and the change in feel is already hard to miss. General manager Steve Staios moved the captain to Florida, then turned part of that return into William Eklund from San Jose, a sign the Senators are betting that more speed and skill can offset some of the edge and physical presence they just gave up.
The roster should look quicker and more dynamic, but that also puts a spotlight on what comes next. If Staios is going to fully sell the idea that this was a worthwhile gamble, the Senators still have room to work the rest of the trade return during the season, with the possibility of adding another skilled forward before spring arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Kleven Is Giving The Senators A Blue-Line Identity
Tyler Klevens second full NHL season with Ottawa asked him to do more than just fill space on the third pair. With injuries thinning the blue line, the Senators leaned on the young defenseman in a bigger defensive role, and he answered with the kind of physical, reliable shifts that can steady a back end over the long haul. His offensive numbers stayed modest, but his value was always easier to see in the tough minutes, where he brought edge and a clear sense of identity to a group that needed it.
The next step for Kleven is less about proving he belongs and more about smoothing out the rough edges in his game. His puck-moving under pressure still wavered at times, and the penalty minutes climbed as the workload got heavier, which is part of the learning curve for a defenseman being asked to handle more responsibility. Even so, Ottawa came away encouraged by what it saw in the spring, where Klevens playoff run hinted at a player who can be trusted when the games tighten up. [Read more 🡒]