Why Now Is Not The Time For The Canucks To Trade Elias Pettersson

Vancouver Canucks trade talk has run rampant throughout the past few months. In December, Quinn Hughes was traded to the Minnesota Wild. Earlier this week, Kiefer Sherwood was traded to the San Jose Sharks. From the outside, it looks as though no one on the team is safe from a trade, including those who have been viewed as parts of the team’s ‘core’ in the past. 

One player whose name has popped up in trade rumours as of late is centre Elias Pettersson. While the forward’s name has always kind of been out there in general public talk, as of late, he’s been one of the main players that have been brought up in conversations surrounding Vancouver’s next move. Various reporters have shared thoughts about Pettersson moving to smaller-market teams where he can be a complimentary player — teams like the Utah Mammoth or Los Angeles Kings, for example. But at the end of the day, a Pettersson move needs his approval in order for it to happen. 

For some, moving on from Pettersson is understandable. Many will bring up the centre’s cap hit — $11.6M per year until 2032 with a no-move clause throughout — and compare it to how other players making the same amount are performing. His 15 goals and 30 assists last season were disappointing, to put it simply, and while his 13 goals and 16 assists are a slight step-up, they’re still nowhere near what Pettersson has previously put up. Yes, it’s nowhere near what fans may have wanted to see from Pettersson; but that doesn’t mean it’s time to trade him. 

Whether Pettersson should be traded now or not comes down to a matter of performance and timeliness. Frankly speaking, with his current performance and his cap-hit, will many teams want to take a flyer on the forward? There’s no doubt that Pettersson does bring skill to a lineup, and having him slot in on a stacked team’s second-line could make him even more lethal — but that’s all dependent on potential. Nobody knows if that’s actually what would happen if they were to acquire Pettersson. Because of that risk factor, teams may be less likely to give up more in order to acquire him, never mind taking on his entire contract. If a deal were to be made for Pettersson right now, chances are, the Canucks would have to retain some of his salary to acquire some young talent to bolster their rebuild. 

Here’s where it gets complicated. If you wait to trade Pettersson, you could end up seeing him return to his former 100-point form. Give him a good chunk of time to step away from the game, recover from his lingering injuries, and maybe you’ll see that player return. But again, that’s a maybe. If or when that time comes, then the ‘to trade, or not to trade’ question will need to be struck up again. 

Waiting to trade Pettersson, not seeing him return to 100-point form, and trading him later on could actually benefit the Canucks more than some may think. As it stands, teams’ salary caps for the 2025–26 season are at $95 million. If Vancouver has truly committed to rebuilding, they’re not going to go out and try to acquire any highly-priced players during the trade deadline or free agency. Next year’s salary cap is expected to shoot up to $104 million, while 2027–28’s could get as high as $113.5 million. If you’re a team looking to trade for Pettersson but are uncertain about it due to his cap hit, wouldn’t you prefer to take him when you have $18.5 million more a couple of years later? 

As much as many may want to just cut ties and move on from Pettersson, currently, that’s not the right move. Pettersson is still a very serviceable player. He’s still tied for the team-lead in points, demonstrating some of the creativity that made him such a star in his earlier years, and playing well defensively despite his team’s record. The Canucks are still going to need bodies on the ice even if their plan is to hold a fire sale for the sake of the rebuild. Take time with Pettersson, wait a couple of years, and re-evaluate whether it makes sense to move on from him when it becomes a more financially-feasible opportunity for other teams. 

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