For all the talk about the Vancouver Canucks trading Elias Pettersson, it seems that the situation could take a relatively new twist.
Just about every team has been floated as a potential destination, with the Pittsburgh Penguins being one of them. However, Pens guru Josh Yohe noted that it doesn’t seem like Pettersson could be going anywhere.
In a July 20 mailbag piece in The Athletic, Yohe tackled a reader question regarding the possibility of the Canucks’ forward landing in Pittsburgh. Instead of replying something along the lines of “it’s not likely,” or “it’s not really in the cards,” Yohe added this interesting tidbit:
“Everything I’ve heard suggests that Pettersson has no interest in leaving Vancouver.”
That’s a major declaration. Pettersson holds a full no-trade clause from now until 2032. As such, Vancouver can’t send him anywhere without his consent. If Pettersson has really decided to stay put, there’s not much the Canucks can do about it.
Short of buying him out, the team has to either hold on to him or potentially work with his representation to work something out. But, again, if Pettersson doesn’t want to leave Vancouver, then why move a finger?
If he’s really that happy remaining with the Canucks, then it’s just a moot point to talk about moving Pettersson anywhere.
Why Would Pettersson Want to Stay in Vancouver?
So, a fair question to ask is: Why would Pettersson want to stay in Vancouver?
There’s an evident response. Pettersson was the Canucks’ first-round pick in 2017. The organization took him fifth overall, and saw him climb up through the ranks, reaching a career high 39 goals and 102 points in 2022-23.
If the 27-year-old didn’t want to stay in Vancouver, he wouldn’t have signed that eight-year deal. Yes, one could argue that he just wanted to cash in.
But that’s besides the point.
The fact of the matter is that Pettersson wanted to play for the Canucks. If he didn’t, he could have leveraged that 100-point season into a trade to another organization.
That didn’t happen. Pettersson stayed in Vancouver. So, it’s fair to assume that he’s not really keen on going elsewhere. His personal and family life could well be rooted in Vancouver. That’s why it wouldn’t exactly be appealing to start over in a new city and organization.
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Options Surprisingly Limited for Canucks in Pettersson Trade
The main narrative about Pettersson is his onerous contract. His exorbitant cap hit, especially in light of his shocking decline, has made it nearly impossible for the Canucks to trade him.
His cap hit explains why a deal hasn’t happened. Even if the Canucks were gung-ho about moving him, few teams could take on his cap hit. At this point, $11.6 million per season is mind-boggling for a guy who could be a third-line center on a deep team.
A club like the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars or Carolina Hurricanes would be unable to justify that cap hit for a guy who’s going to play about 12 minutes a night.
If anything, a more realistic trade timeline could be in about two to three seasons. When Pettersson is in the fifth or sixth year of his contract, and the salary cap ceiling is much higher, it would be easier to justify a trade.
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