It’s been nearly two months since the Vancouver Canucks last played a game, and still, Elias Pettersson is a hot-button topic among fans.
More specifically, what the Canucks should do with Pettersson before his no-move clause kicks in on July 1st. Obviously, that deadline is soon approaching, and the club will have to make a decision, one way or another.
Almost right after signing his franchise record $92.80 million 8 year contract extension, Pettersson’s production fell off a cliff. That extended through the end of the 2023-24 season, into the playoffs, and into this season as well, as Pettersson finished off year one of his contract with a measly 15 goals and 30 assists through 64 games played. It was a season mired in such mediocrity that it has many doubting whether or not Pettersson can bounce back and return to the player he once was.
So the Canucks have a decision on their hands. They can either keep Pettersson through July 1st and hope he bounces back, or they can trade him and work on retooling their team with an extra $11.6 million in cap space. If they keep him, they obviously run the risk of Pettersson not bouncing back, and even worse, controlling the situation thanks to his no move clause. A nightmare scenario for the Canucks would be Pettersson asking for a trade out of Vancouver and giving the Canucks a list of one or two teams that he’d be willing to waive to go to.
If they don’t trade him ahead of July 1st, it’s pretty safe to say it’s because they think he’s capable of bouncing back and being the 100+ point player we’ve seen before.
And according to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, keeping Pettersson seems to be the direction the Canucks are leaning in.
Here is what LeBrun wrote:
“Never say never, but all signs point to the Canucks keeping Elias Pettersson, whose full no-move clause kicks in July 1. The Canucks are encouraged by Pettersson’s approach this offseason. While his production over the past two years hasn’t matched his $11.6 million salary (and he’s got seven more years on his deal), there were teams monitoring that situation given how thin the UFA market is. But it sounds like Vancouver wants to keep him.”
Pettersson has seven years left on his contract at a cap hit of $11.6 million. He has a full no move clause in all seven of those seasons. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2032, when he will be 33 years old.
Do you think the Canucks should keep Pettersson through July 1st? Let us know in the comments section below!
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