An Elias Pettersson trade would be risky for the Bruins, but it is worth some consideration.
The Boston Bruins' top goal of the off-season should be to bring in a star center. Unfortunately for them, their potential options are already looking slim.
Detroit Red Wings star Dylan Larkin's trade list was recently reported by the Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James, and the Bruins are not among the team on it. Meanwhile, Andy Strickland reported that the St. Louis Blues are not expected to trade star center Robert Thomas this off-season.
With this, the Bruins will likely need to explore their options. When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, the Bruins have a potential high-risk, high-reward option in Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson.
It is far from a secret that Pettersson is in desperate need of a change of scenery. The 27-year-old center is coming off back-to-back disappointing seasons for his standards. In 74 games this campaign for the Canucks, he had 15 goals and 51 points. This is after he had 15 goals and 45 points in 64 games for Vancouver in 2024-25.
While Pettersson has struggled in recent seasons, his past success makes him a fascinating bounce-back candidate for the Bruins to consider. In 82 games during the 2023-24 season, he posted 34 goals, 55 assists, and 89 points. This was after he set career highs with 39 goals, 63 assists, and 102 points in 80 games for Vancouver in 2022-23. With numbers like these, he has shown that he can be a legitimate star when playing at his best.
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With the Bruins desperately needing a first-line center, Pettersson could be a player worth taking a major gamble on. However, it is clear that it would come with massive risk, as he not only has struggled in recent seasons but also has a long and expensive contract. This is because the 2017 first-round pick has an $11.6 million cap hit until the end of the 2031-32 season.
Yet, if the Canucks are open to retaining a portion of Pettersson's salary as they continue their rebuild, the Bruins should strongly consider pursuing him. If he regained his elite form in Boston, he would be a huge addition for a Bruins club that desperately needs a star center. When noting that Pettersson is only 27 years old, the possibility of him turning things around should not be ruled out. This is especially so if he got to center one of the NHL's best players in David Pastrnak.
Sometimes a bold move can be exactly what sparks a team to take that next step. Perhaps acquiring Petersson could be what helps the Bruins do just that.