The Canucks' trade activity has raised questions about Elias Pettersson's future in Vancouver, the Washington Capitals are on the hunt for a scoring winger, and the Kraken could be sellers by the trade deadline.
Over the past month, the Vancouver Canucks traded away superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes and leading goal-scorer Kiefer Sherwood.
That's prompted conjecture over which of their players are next to hit the trade block before the March 6 deadline.
The Canucks' president of hockey operations, Jim Rutherford, recently confirmed his club's willingness to entertain offers for all their players. As a result, Elias Pettersson has surfaced again in the rumor mill.
Pettersson, 27, is in the second season of an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $11.6 million. He also has a full no-movement clause, giving him complete control if the Canucks attempt to trade him.
Sportsnet cited The Athletic's Chris Johnston, claiming some teams believe Pettersson could regain his former high-scoring ways if he were playing elsewhere. NHL insider Frank Seravalli thinks the Canucks could move Pettersson before the trade deadline, perhaps even before next month's Olympic break.
Johnston observed that the Carolina Hurricanes attempted to acquire Pettersson in 2024 before he signed his current contract with the Canucks. He thinks Pettersson could still be a fit with the Hurricanes, speculating they could offer center Jesperi Kotkaniemi as part of the return.
Earlier this week, Thomas Drance of The Athletic indicated that the Canucks would want a center as part of any deal for Pettersson. Whether they'd be interested in the struggling Kotkaniemi remains to be seen.
Turning to the Washington Capitals, The Hockey News' Sammi Silber reported on GM Chris Patrick's comments about his club's active pursuit of a top-six forward before the trade deadline. He believes his club needs a "higher-end skilled winger" but acknowledged those players are difficult to find.
Sportsnet cited ESPN's Emily Kaplan, who suggested the Capitals could be a stealthy suitor for Artemi Panarin. The 34-year-old left winger is UFA-eligible on July 1 and was informed by the New York Rangers that they are not offering him a contract extension.
Panarin carries an average annual value of $11.642 million and a full no-move clause, but he could have a limited number of clubs that he'd be willing to join. If the Capitals are among them, they have the trade deadline cap space ($12.9 million) to acquire the remainder of his contract and the depth in promising young players, though top prospect Cole Hutson is unavailable.
Meanwhile, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal noted that Frank Seravalli claimed the Seattle Kraken intend to be sellers at the trade deadline.
While the Kraken are jockeying for a wild-card berth in the Western Conference, Seravalli said they're looking to move out veterans, such as Jamie Oleksiak, Jaden Schwartz and Jordan Eberle. All three have been part of the Kraken since their inaugural season in 2021-22, but they're UFA-eligible this summer.
Staples noted the Oilers could use another top-nine forward but also thinks they could use another experienced depth defenseman. He felt Oleksiak could be a good fit.
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