Elias Pettersson's future with Canucks gets major new twist from NHL insider
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Elias Pettersson's future in Vancouver looks shakier than ever after insider Frank Seravalli said he doesn't expect the Canucks center to finish the season there.
The trade rumors around EP40 have gone quiet and loud all summer, and they're about to get loud again.
Speaking on the Oilers Now podcast, Seravalli was asked point blank by host Bob Stauffer whether Pettersson sticks around Vancouver through the end of the season.
His answer left little room for interpretation.
What Seravalli actually said
Seravalli explained that the Canucks have spent the offseason trying to rebuild Pettersson's confidence and get him into a better headspace, but he still doesn't see it ending well in Vancouver.
"I don't think so.
The Vancouver Canucks have made a concerted effort to-knowing that the return (i.e. a good offer) hasn't been there-spend time rehabbing his game and I think they're trying to get him to enter the season on a better mindset. I have a hard time believing that's going to happen in Vancouver.
But think about how the dynamic has changed on the cap. That means that his cap hit isn't nearly as crazy as it once was. And yes, still very much a risk, but I think teams in the here and now are going to look at it a little bit differently moving forward, and if he can play any better it's going to open up that window a lot wider."
- Frank Seravalli
The Vancouver Canucks have made a concerted effort to-knowing that the return (i.e. a good offer) hasn't been there-spend time rehabbing his game and I think they're trying to get him to enter the season on a better mindset. I have a hard time believing that's going to happen in Vancouver.
But think about how the dynamic has changed on the cap. That means that his cap hit isn't nearly as crazy as it once was. And yes, still very much a risk, but I think teams in the here and now are going to look at it a little bit differently moving forward, and if he can play any better it's going to open up that window a lot wider."
- Frank Seravalli
He also pointed out that the cap landscape has shifted enough that Pettersson's $11.6 million hit doesn't look nearly as scary as it once did, especially if his production even partially rebounds.
That production is the real question mark.
After a hot start last season with eight goals and 22 points through his first 26 games, Pettersson cratered, managing just 29 more points over his final 48 outings.
He closed the year with 15 goals and 51 points, a far cry from his $11.6 million price tag.
A long way from his peak
It's a steep drop from the player who scored 100 points in 2022-23 and followed it with an 89-point, plus-20 season.
Since then, Pettersson has averaged just 15 goals and 48 points a year, with a minus-40 rating combined.
Teams exploring a deal never even got the Canucks to ask him to waive his no-trade clause, so nothing was ever truly close.
Still, if Seravalli's read is right, Vancouver may finally be ready to move on from its former franchise cornerstone.
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