Elias Pettersson has been one of the biggest names floating around the trade market for a while, and the chatter around the Vancouver Canucks forward isn’t going away just because the calendar flipped to a new season. Even with Vancouver moving several players since the start of last season - Quinn Hughes, Conor Garland, Kiefer Sherwood, Tyler Myers, Marcus Pettersson, Nils Hoglander, and Aatu Raty among them - Pettersson remains the most notable holdover from the rumor mill.
The reason he stayed put this offseason was easy enough to understand. His contract is hefty, and he’d put together back-to-back shaky seasons in 2024-25 and 2025-26. But one NHL insider now sees the picture changing.
In a recent article for The Athletic, Chris Johnston laid out why Pettersson may have regained real trade value for Vancouver. He pointed to the center’s stronger start and the way other top NHL players have pushed contracts even higher this summer.
"The Swede has struggled to live up to the expectations that came with the $92.8 million, eight-year extension he signed in March 2024. Fortunately for Vancouver, the sticker shock on that contract is diminishing with other top players pushing the NHL’s salary structure skyward, and when you couple that with an improvement in form, Pettersson has returned to being a trade asset for Vancouver," Johnston wrote.
That logic makes sense. As the salary cap climbs and Pettersson starts looking more like himself again, his deal becomes a little easier for other teams to swallow. If this version of Pettersson holds up, Vancouver could suddenly have a major chip on its hands.
The numbers back up the optimism. In 14 games this season, Pettersson has four goals, 15 points, and 33 hits. He’s also stayed hot lately, with two goals and six points over his last five games.
That kind of production puts him firmly on the radar as the season moves on. If he keeps this pace, he could emerge as Vancouver’s most valuable trade asset as the deadline gets closer.
And around the league, there will be no shortage of interest in a forward with that kind of upside down the middle. Johnston also suggested that Pettersson’s market could heat up further once disgruntled Detroit Red Wings star center Dylan Larkin finally gets moved.
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