NHL teams reportedly called about Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson, but any talk about a trade is far too early, says Ken Campbell.

Perhaps it’s the product of an overactive news cycle, but for some reason, Elias Pettersson’s name has come up leading up to the March 8 trade deadline. 

Part of that is the uncertainty surrounding Pettersson and his long-term intentions with the Vancouver Canucks. The player has given no indication that he will or won’t sign with the Canucks long-term, and he doesn’t owe the team any clarity on that. What he owes the team is his best while he’s on the ice and the hockey world can agree he has held up his end of the bargain.

But what if Pettersson ultimately doesn’t re-sign with the Canucks? They can’t afford to lose him for nothing after next season when he hits unrestricted free agency. But to make a deal at the deadline, you just get the feeling that the Canucks would not only likely derail their plans of a long playoff run, but they wouldn’t get equal value in return.

The fact is the Canucks control Pettersson’s contract situation for at least another 17 months. He is an RFA, but the Canucks could elect to take him to arbitration this summer, where they’d have to offer him a minimum salary of $7.5 million on a one-year deal. That would take away any of the uncertainty for next season, which would give the Canucks plenty of time to negotiate with him and be clearer on his intentions.

That doesn’t mean the Canucks should never consider dealing Pettersson, particularly if they can’t sign him long-term. But to do it at the trade deadline would be folly.

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