The Islanders and many other teams interested in the 26-year-old, regardless of how this season has gone, must hope Pettersson's struggles have lessened his trade value.

The New York Islanders and most NHL teams would love to get their hands on Vancouver Canucks star forward Elias Pettersson for obvious reasons. 

When Pettersson is on his game, he's a two-way force who can light the lamp and make high-IQ passes while also playing a key role without the puck on his stick.

But when he is not on his game, he can be invisible, like he was in the 4 Nations Face-Off for Team Sweden.

He had zero points in three games and looked like a passenger when the Canucks and Sweden were hoping he'd be a driver:

The Islanders and the rest of the NHL must be licking their lips at Pettersson's stock dropping, especially if they believe a change of scenery is the key to getting him back on track.

After the Canucks elected to trade J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers amidst his feud with Pettersson, the 26-year-old had the chance to rewrite the script on what's been a tough season.

But, unfortunately, he has not and we'll see what Vancouver management elects to do. If they believe in the player and think that his early-season injury is the root of this, they'll give him more time to show he's worth the enormous $11.65 million cap hit he's getting this season and for the next seven.  

With Vancouver in the second wild-card spot at this point in time, it's not likely they trade Pettersson before March 7th's NHL Trade Deadline. 

But, if the team doesn't believe Pettersson can be the guy they expect him to be, they'll have to move him before July 1, when his no-trade clause kicks in. 

At one point, the thought was that the Islanders would have to send Noah Dobson back to Vancouver for a deal to work, but who knows now?

Obviously, if the Islanders could avoid doing that to get Bo Horvat's good friend to the island, that's rather ideal. 

Pettersson's struggles don't mean that he'd be worth anything less than a first-round pick and prospects, but the "haul" that Vancouver likely hoped to get if they traded him continues to become less and less as his struggles continue. 

But should Pettersson's continued struggles impact the Islanders' interest?

We know the Islanders need an elite offensive player, and we also know that the Islanders, given their lack of prospects, make acquiring a player of that magnitude very tough.

So, as mentioned, to get a player like Pettersson, the Islanders likely have to give, like a Dobson. 

But, moving a Dobson or a top collegiate prospect like Danny Nelson, or first-round picks, or all three...the Islanders have to make sure they're getting a player, not a question mark. 

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