The NHL trade deadline has come and gone, and Vancouver Canucks fans were left scratching their heads as the team opted to stand pat, making no significant moves to bolster their roster.

And as the clock ticked past noon PT, one item of business remained unsolved: the American League roster freeze.

Under NHL rules, teams have until noon PT (3:00 p.m. ET) on deadline day to complete “paper transactions” — a procedural move where players on NHL contracts are assigned to an AHL roster, often recalled instantly, to secure their eligibility for the American Hockey League playoffs.

As the rulebook states, “players on NHL contracts must be on an AHL roster by 3:00 p.m. ET on the trade deadline day to be eligible for the AHL playoffs.”

If they miss that cutoff, they are locked into the NHL roster and unable to suit up in Abbotsford for the remainder of the season — regular season or playoffs.

For Vancouver, this deadline was big news, as the NHL roster was currently carrying heavy hitters like Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Elias Pettersson (D), Victor Mancini, Nils Åman, and goaltender Artūrs Šilovs. All of whom are potentials to see action with the Abbotsford Canucks this spring.

Could the Canucks truly see all these youngsters locks for the NHL? Do they really want to keep names such as Lekkerimäki away from AHL playoff contention?

Then, those questions were answered over three hours later.

It wasn’t until 3:11 p.m. PT — three hours and eleven minutes past the cutoff — that the Canucks’ PR team finally broke the silence, announcing a flurry of paper transactions. Lekkerimäki, Mancini and Šilovs had all been assigned to Abbotsford and promptly recalled, preserving their AHL playoff eligibility.

The news breathed a sigh of relief to Abbotsford’s faithful, who can now look forward to seeing their beloved prospects potentially suit up for the postseason stretch in the Fraser Valley.

But one name was conspicuously absent from the list: rookie defenceman Elias Pettersson.

Surprisingly, the 21-year-old blueliner was not papered to Abbotsford before the deadline. As a result, he’s now ineligible to return to the AHL for the remainder of the season, tethered instead to Vancouver’s NHL roster. It’s a curious omission for a player who has quietly impressed since his call-up weeks ago.

While it may have come earlier than expected, perhaps we shouldn’t be so shocked.

In his 11-game stint with the big club, Pettersson has looked anything but out of place, logging an average of 12:26 per night while chipping in two assists. While the occasional mistake pops up from time to time, his steady play has earned praise from coaches and fans alike, showcasing a poise beyond his years.

While the news is small potatoes compared to what fans ultimately hoped for on Trade Deadline day, it’s an important piece to the development puzzle for a few names. Should Vancouver suffer an early exit or miss altogether, all said names can safely return to the farm to provide solid depth in Abbotsford.