Canucks: Pettersson speaks on contract negotiations, future in Vancouver, and more

The Vancouver Canucks will need to tread carefully over the next few years when it comes to one of their potential franchise players.

Early Wednesday morning, Canucks Twitter erupted when Uffe Bodin, Swedish reporter and editor-in-chief for Hockeysverige, shared translated snippets from a recent interview with RFA centre Elias Pettersson.

The former Calder Trophy winner started off with an update on his current contract negotiations, stating that he and the Canucks organization hadn’t come to an agreement yet. Like many players, Pettersson is leaving all of the financial discussions to his agent, but still doesn’t appear too concerned about his status with the club for next season.

“Right now, we’re not in an agreement but I’m not worried that we’re not going to solve it eventually. Both parties need to be happy in order to find a solution, but I’m not worried about that.”

This was a big sigh of relief for many fans, who continue to anxiously wait for Pettersson, as well as fellow RFA star Quinn Hughes, to finalize their new deals.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t all good news from the interview.

Despite publicly sharing his desire to continue to play in B.C., Pettersson also noted that he wants to be part of a franchise that can consistently contend for a championship every single year, even if it’s outside of Vancouver.

“I want to stay (in Vancouver) now, but I also want to play for a team that’s winning and has the chance to go far into the playoffs every year.”

The Canucks were far from that position this past year, posting a dismal record of 23-29-4 that saw them plummet to the bottom of the North Division standings. It was a horrendous season for the team overall, having battled through a massive team-wide COVID-19 outbreak in March, while also dealing with a handful of injuries throughout the year, including the likes of Pettersson, whose season was cut short due to a wrist injury. The 21-year-old centre only played 26 games, posting 10 goals and 11 assists over than span.

Some fans took to social media shortly after the interview was tweeted, emphatically stating their displeasure toward Pettersson’s bold and abrupt comments about his current contract situation.

However, like all professional athletes, Pettersson rightfully has a desire to win, and he clearly wants to do it sooner rather than later, which should come to no surprise.

Even Bodin followed up on Pettersson’s comments early Thursday morning, joining Mike Halford and Jason Brough of Sportsnet 650 to truthfully speak his mind on the online reactions.

At the end of the day, Pettersson has a right to demand the highest standards from his team, with a contract that reflects his overall contributions to the team.

As a result, all of the stress ultimately falls on General Manager Jim Benning to create a roster that gives Pettersson the best chance of succeeding in Vancouver long-term, while also navigating their tight cap situation.

On paper, it seems that the front office team has taken a step in the right direction this offseason.

So far, Benning has been able to secure a steady back-up netminder in Jaroslav Halak to support starter Thatcher Demko, while also filling some holes on the right side of the blueline with Tucker Poolman, Luke Schenn and and Travis Hamonic.

The biggest transaction, of course, occurred right before free agency, when the team landed Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland in a massive draft day deal.

There’s no doubt that Garland will drastically improve the team’s top-six forward group, while also providing a spark for their powerplay units. The jury is still out on Ekman-Larsson, who struggled in Arizona over the past two years. But if the 30-year-old can bounce back and rediscover his previous game, it could propel the Canucks near the top of the Pacific Division.

According to the interview, Pettersson believes that this team should have the ability to make a deep playoff run given the newest acquisitions, as well as the returning core of himself, Hughes, Demko, plus Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller.

Of course, all of this is easier said than done, and now both fans and management alike will be nervously holding their breath to see if the team can deliver the results on the ice.

If not, there might be some concern when it comes to Pettersson’s future deals.

“If we have that chance when my next deal expires… I don’t know. I just wanna play where there’s a chance of winning.”

According to CapFriendly, the Canucks have just under $13.5 million available to sign Pettersson and Hughes, as well as fellow RFA Jason Dickinson, who was acquired just before the roster freeze. Benning might not have as much work when it comes to Dickinson’s negotiations, as the 25-year-old centre filed for salary arbitration last week. His hearing is scheduled for August 20th.

Again, don’t push the panic button just yet.

Fortunately, this number isn’t a true reflection of available cap space.

Once you factor in Micheal Ferland, whose $3.5 million AAV is expected to stay on LTIR, as well as a handful of players who will be sent to Abbotsford right before the start of the season, the team should still have $18 to $20 million available.

Benning was also able to take care of another RFA earlier this week, inking Olli Juolevi to a one-year, $750,000 contract, which should help the cause.

Even though Pettersson spoke quite candidly about his current contract situation, much like he has throughout his entire young career, it appears that all signs are pointing towards an eventual agreement between both sides, in addition to drastic improvements on the ice.

It’s also important to remember this team made it all the way to game seven of the Western Conference semi-finals just under one year ago, indicating that they have all the tools to succeed, especially with Pettersson at the helm.

The looming question will be answered in the coming seasons, once we find out if the Canucks can become the talented, tough and contending team that Pettersson hopes to be a part for the rest of his career.

What are your thoughts on Pettersson’s interview? Are you worried about his contract negotiations this offseason? Make sure to drop a comment below!