The Pittsburgh Penguins keep coming up in Elias Pettersson chatter, and Frank Corrado thinks the fit makes plenty of sense from their end. On Sekeres and Price, Corrado pointed to Sidney Crosby as the kind of daily example Pettersson could benefit from if that ever became real.
“Prior to Nashville, it was like the, the hot team on the Elias Pettersson front was the Pittsburgh Penguins, and I kind of thought about that, and I was like, that makes a lot of sense on a few different levels.
First of all, if we just go with like the Pettersson angle. Like he’s a veteran.
He makes a lot of money. I get that, but for him, if you were just gonna watch one person operate every single day, it would be number 87.
Like if you couldn’t put it together after watching the way that that guy prepares and trains and thinks and just walks and talks, then you’re just not going to put it together. You’re just not.
Like that’s the best possible example that you could, you could find in this kind of situation where, you know, we’ve heard now that, not prepared coming into the season. Like he’s, he’s lost his fastball.
Like that’s the guy you want to watch.”
Over in New York, Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic laid out a few Rangers notes after what he called a good offseason retool. The club reshaped its second defense pair by bringing in Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson, but the top six up front has taken a hit since the trade deadline with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck gone.
Alexis Lafreniere is still a talking point too. He has 66 points in 129 games since signing his seven-year, $7.45 million per contract, and the Rangers chose not to sell low on him. Instead, they kept him around with the hope that his strong finish last season - 14 goals and 14 assists in their final 27 games - can carry over.
The long view for the Rangers is even more centered on the middle of the ice. Mercogliano said the team will be hunting for a No. 1 center over the next few years, with Mika Zibanejad and J.T.
Miller serving as placeholders for now. Both are 33 years old, while Cole Beaudoin is their top center prospect, though not viewed as a top-six option.
New York does still have its 2027 first-round pick, and the center class that year is expected to be deep. The catch is obvious: landing one of the top names would likely require a rough season. Mercogliano also mentioned the dream scenario - Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews or Leon Draisaitl - but added the obvious question of whether any of them would ever be available, and why they’d pick New York unless the Rangers are winning.
In Other News...
Marcus Pettersson Opens Up After Abrupt Canucks Exit
Marcus Petterssons exit from Vancouver came quickly enough to catch attention around the league, with the Canucks moving the defenseman to the New York Rangers a little over a year after bringing him in. Pettersson said he was thankful for his time with the Canucks, but also eager for the next chapter, pointing to the appeal of New York and the chance to reset with a new opportunity.
The move also carried a familiar feel for Pettersson, who has a long history with Rangers coach Mike Sullivan from their years together in Pittsburgh. That comfort level helped shape the decision, and it gave the Rangers another layer of familiarity in a deal that still leaves one big question hanging over Vancouvers blue line: how the Canucks will replace another veteran piece they had only recently added. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks May Have Found A Real Piece For Their Next Core
Liam hgrens first NHL season with the Canucks was the kind of uneven introduction that can still leave a front office intrigued. He arrived after a quiet start in Minnesota, then found a better rhythm in Vancouver, finishing with eight goals and 18 points in 51 games while settling into a forward group that gave the club a different look. For a team trying to sketch out its next wave, that kind of midseason growth matters almost as much as the raw totals.
The inconsistency is still part of the file, and the minus-16 rating is a reminder that there is work to do before anyone starts penciling him into a finished role. Even so, hgren earned notice for the way he handled the jump and for the effort he brought every night, which is why he already feels like more than just a depth add. The Canucks may not know exactly how high the ceiling goes yet, but they do seem to have found a young forward worth keeping close. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Report Reframes Pettersson Deal In A Way Fans Feared
Elias Petterssons contract history has always been one of those Canucks storylines that seemed to carry more weight than a simple bridge deal should. When he signed a shorter-term pact in 2021, it stood out against the longer commitments some other young stars were getting, and Vancouver still viewed him as the centerpiece of the franchise. For a while, the bet looked sound, with Pettersson producing at a high level and giving the organization every reason to believe the long-term answer was already in place.
Now the conversation has been reframed by a report that brings back the unease around that original deal and ties it to the broader skepticism that has followed Pettersson into the present. His recent drop-off, injuries and the growing criticism from coaches and management have made the old questions feel newly relevant, even after the club committed to him with an eight-year extension in 2024. For Canucks fans, the uncomfortable part is not just where things stand now, but how much of this was apparently being debated long before the latest slump ever started. [Read more 🡒]