Elias Pettersson’s name is already back in the trade churn, and if this season keeps rolling the way it has started, that noise is only going to get louder.
The Canucks center is off to a point-per-game pace, which is exactly the kind of production that keeps rival teams interested. But according to Rick Dhaliwal on Oilers NOW, that interest has been there for a while already. Dhaliwal said clubs have checked in on Pettersson at both of the last two trade deadlines and again at the NHL draft.
The appeal isn’t about chasing a 100-point fantasy. It’s more practical than that. Dhaliwal said teams view Pettersson as the kind of center who can land in the 80-to-85-point range, and in a league where so many clubs are short on depth down the middle, that’s enough to start conversations.
That’s especially true when the numbers get more manageable. Dhaliwal said teams believe Pettersson could realistically produce at a point per game over 84 games, but nobody is lining up to absorb his $11.6 million cap hit as-is. The sweet spot, from the perspective of interested teams, would be somewhere between $8.5 million and $9.5 million for that kind of output.
If Vancouver were willing to retain salary, Dhaliwal said there would be interest. And if Pettersson keeps producing, that interest would only grow.
For now, though, the basic issue hasn’t changed: teams are intrigued, but the price tag is still too steep. It remains early enough in the season for the sample size to change, and Pettersson could still go either way. Until then, the market appears stuck where it’s been, with plenty of attention and no deal that makes sense.
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Defensive issues have been the bigger story through the slide, especially on the penalty kill, and the loss extended Vancouvers skid to seven straight. The trip ended without a win, and the Canucks now have to sort through a stretch in which the details have repeatedly gone against them, even when the offense has done enough to give them a chance. [Read more 🡒]
Daniel Sedin Explains A Canucks Move That Could Shape Their Depth
After Aatu Rty cleared waivers, Vancouver turned the transaction into a depth move by sending the center to Toronto and bringing back forwards Jacob Quillan and Brandon Buhr. It is the kind of trade that rarely grabs much attention at first glance, but it speaks to how the Canucks are trying to keep their organizational pipeline moving, especially with Abbotsford and the rest of the system always feeding the big club.
Daniel Sedin addressed the deal with a notable level of confidence in the two players coming back, and the early returns at least offered a quick glimpse of why the organization was interested. Rty has already posted an assist in his debut with the Toronto Marlies, while Quillan and Buhr have been sent to Abbotsford and Kalamazoo, respectively, leaving Vancouver to see how this reshuffling fits into the broader depth chart. [Read more 🡒]