It’s no secret that the Vancouver Canucks would love to move Elias Pettersson, if they can. The limitations behind such a trade have been widely discussed, and, well, a deal isn’t going to be easy.
But there might just be one comparable out there that could give the Canucks a sense of how they could trade Pettersson without having to retain any salary.
As Canucks insider Thomas Drance pointed out in a recent episode of The Athletic Hockey Show, the Darnell Nurse trade could be the best Vancouver could hope for in a Pettersson trade.
The Edmonton Oilers, who were desperately trying to get out from under Nurse’s $9.25 million cap hit, found a willing partner in the San Jose Sharks. The Oilers got back two prospects in exchange for Nurse’s entire cap hit heading to a division rival.
The return was essentially a washed-up prospect and an AHL-caliber player. It wasn’t exactly what Oilers fans would have wanted, but it was the best Edmonton could do, given the situation.
Such a trade is the last thing Canucks fans would want for Pettersson. Ideally, Vancouver would recoup some value like a first-round pick, even a late-rounder, and a still viable prospect.
But let’s face it. Pettersson isn’t going to fetch anything near that return, especially if the Canucks want the other party to take on the Swedish forward’s entire $11.6 million cap hit.
Desperation Might Make Pettersson Trade Work
Desperation may begin to set in faster than most NHL fans think. And it’s not desperation on the Canucks’ part. It’s desperation on other teams’ part.
Think of a club like the LA Kings. They don’t have a number-one center and are trying hard to remain relevant. The same goes for the Winnipeg Jets. While they have a top-line guy in Mark Scheifele, they’re pretty thin beyond that.
Now, would Pettersson waive his no-trade clause to head to Winnipeg or Los Angeles? It’s tough to say. But if the Canucks could find a team like that willing to take on the financial commitment that comes with Pettersson, the organization might be willing to talk him into accepting the deal.
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Canucks Have Luxury of Time
Perhaps the only real bright spot in this entire discussion is that Vancouver is in no rush to trade Pettersson. The club can bide its time while another team out there is needy enough to seriously consider the move.
As such, the Canucks have the luxury of time. That’s not something that many teams have. As the 2026-27 NHL season begins to get away from some clubs, there may just be a GM desperate enough out there to cough up a couple of draft picks and prospects to make a Pettersson deal work.
Vancouver may end up with a couple of reclamation projects on their hands. But if the rebuild fulfills its purpose, the organization might just be able to turn a couple of iffy prospects into future pieces.
That may just be the best-case scenario for the Canucks moving forward.
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