The trade talk involving Elias Pettersson won’t go away until the Vancouver Canucks finally make a deal happen. Several teams have been among the potentially interested parties, but none has really stepped up.
That may change at some point. It appears that Vancouver may have a trade partner for the 27-year-old in a division rival.
That rival is the Seattle Kraken.
According to insider David Pagnotta, the Kraken could be kicking the tires on Pettersson. It’s no secret that Seattle is looking to add scoring in any way it can. So, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear about the Kraken perusing the Canucks forward’s availability.
“We know that the Kraken would like to make a splash at some point, does that mean it’s Elias Pettersson, and if that’s their focal point, is he willing to waive to go there?”
It’s worth noting that there’s nothing imminent. Still, the rumor might actually have some legs to it.
For starters, the Kraken have been big-game hunting for a while. The club took a big swing at Artemi Panarin last season. When that didn’t get very far, the club turned its attention to some lower-tier options like Bobby McMann.
Then, the Kraken struck out with Jason Robertson despite having a substantial offer on the table. Since that avenue has pretty much dried up, it would make sense to inquire about the Canucks’ top-line center. Even if Pettersson’s numbers have dropped over the last couple of seasons, he could offer the Kraken the sort of major piece the club has been looking for.
The biggest question of all would be: Are the Kraken willing to take on Pettersson’s full cap hit?
Canucks Could Unload Pettersson’s Cap Hit on Kraken
If the Kraken’s $15 million AAV offer for Robertson is any indication, the team is willing to take on a substantial cap hit. That situation suggests that Seattle may be willing to take on Pettersson’s full cap hit for the next six seasons.
For the Canucks, that would be just dandy. The issue, unfortunately, is that the Kraken would not likely offer very much in return for the former 100-point scorer.
Still, it seems the Canucks would be willing to sell low on Pettersson at this point. An $11.6 million cap on a player like Petterson is a luxury a rebuilding team just can’t afford to take on. If anything, Vancouver would do well to recoup a couple of draft picks or prospects and continue rebuilding the team’s pipeline.
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Should Vancouver Just Hold onto Pettersson?
The fact that the Canucks are rebuilding, and they won’t be signing any major free agents in the next couple of seasons, suggests that Vancouver could just hold onto Pettersson. In fact, the organization can afford to just sit and wait until someone is willing to pay up.
The rising cap over the next couple of seasons could actually make Pettersson’s cap hit a bit more digestible for teams. That’s why the Canucks may be better off just holding onto the Swedish forward. Perhaps after this upcoming season, Pettersson’s cap hit won’t seem as onerous as it does now.
In the meantime, the best-case scenario for the Canucks would be for Pettersson to have a strong season. A good start to the 2026-27 season will more than likely boost his overall trade value.
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