The Elias Pettersson chatter isn’t slowing down, and Pittsburgh has emerged as the most intriguing landing spot if Vancouver decides to move him this offseason.
That possibility still feels less than likely. The odds of Pettersson being dealt are described as a little less than even, which leaves plenty of room for him to stay in Vancouver through the 2026-27 campaign. But if the Canucks do decide to make a move, the Penguins are suddenly the team to watch.
The logic on Pittsburgh’s side is easy enough to follow. The Penguins appear to be trying to squeeze out a few more competitive seasons while Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are still there.
Pettersson could help them right now, and he could also serve as a bridge piece once those two eventually retire. There’s even been talk that Crosby and Malkin could help mentor Pettersson through his current extended slump.
For Vancouver, though, any deal has to bring back real value. That starts with the cap situation, because Pettersson carries an $11.6 million hit.
Pittsburgh has almost $17 million in cap space going into next season, with most of the roster already signed, so it could absorb the full contract. Still, that probably wouldn’t be the cleanest route.
The Canucks also could have trouble getting to the cap floor for 2026-27 if they simply moved Pettersson without taking money back. That makes some kind of cap ballast sensible, and likely preferable to retaining salary.
The obvious name Pittsburgh would try to push into the deal is Ryan Graves. He’s a 31-year-old left defenseman who split last season between the NHL and AHL, and he’s signed for three more years at a $4.5 million cap hit.
Vancouver, though, should have little interest. The current front office has made a clear habit of targeting veterans on short-term deals, and the left side already has Zeev Buium, the younger Elias Pettersson, Jamie Oleksiak, and Kirill Kudryavtsev in the mix.
If Graves came back, he’d likely spend most of the year in Abbotsford.
That’s why Graves should be treated as a dealbreaker. Stashing that much money in the minors might be tolerable for a season or two, but not for three straight years.
A more workable piece from Pittsburgh would be Tommy Novak. The 29-year-old center is signed only for this season at a $3.5 million cap hit, which makes him a much better fit as a short-term replacement down the middle and a more movable contract for Vancouver. He’s not just ballast in the same way Graves is.
That difference matters. Graves is pure cap dump territory, while Novak at least brings some value. Even so, taking back the more suitable contract could make sense for the Canucks if it means getting a cleaner overall package.
The harder part is figuring out Pettersson’s actual trade value. Some will argue that the latest wave of NHL contract signings has pushed salaries high enough that his deal looks more valuable now. Others will point to the last couple of seasons and say teams have better places to spend that money.
What seems clear is that Vancouver would need something with future value coming back. Ryan Johnson and Co. have shown they’re fine keeping Pettersson if that’s where this lands, and there’s still a path for him to rebuild his stock with a better 2026-27 season.
If Pittsburgh is serious, it has the assets to make a deal interesting. Its best young players - Ben Kindel and Harrison Brunicke - probably aren’t available.
But there are still names to work with, including Rutger McGroarty, Bill Zonnon, and Mikhail Ilyin, all of whom project as NHL wingers. The Penguins also have two top goalie prospects in Joel Blomqvist and Sergei Murashov, and since they seem to prefer Murashov, Blomqvist could be in play.
He’d be a useful addition for Abbotsford this year.
The draft-pick cupboard is stocked, too. Pittsburgh has its own first-round picks for the foreseeable future and seven second-rounders spread across the next three drafts.
As for the price, that’s where the debate really starts. One view is that Vancouver should still aim high: Novak, a first-round pick, and one of the better prospects, like McGroarty. Another says the Canucks should be happy with Novak and two second-round picks.
The likeliest answer sits somewhere between those extremes. Vancouver might be able to land a first-round pick or a top prospect, but probably not both. And if Novak comes back in the deal, the Canucks could always flip him at the Trade Deadline for another second- or third-round pick.
So the framework is there if both sides want to push it across the finish line. The uncertainty is in the details, and that makes any firm prediction a tough sell.
In other words, the Pettersson-to-Pittsburgh idea might happen…or it might not.
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The move also puts the team in a tough spot on the broadcast side, since the Flames will need to sort out alternative radio plans moving forward. For a fan base used to hearing familiar voices break down signings, trades and draft picks, the loss is more than just a station change, it strips away a significant part of the teams everyday coverage. [Read more 🡒]