The Vancouver Canucks have traded away several players since the start of last season. Among the players who the Canucks have traded since kicking off their rebuild last year are Quinn Hughes, Conor Garland, Kiefer Sherwood, Tyler Myers, Marcus Pettersson, Nils Hoglander, and Aatu Raty.
Yet, the Canucks still have some players on their roster who have been the subject of trade rumors for a while now. Elias Pettersson is undoubtedly the most notable.
Pettersson has been one of the NHL's most-talked-about trade candidates for a long time. Questions about his future in Vancouver have carried over to this season, too.
However, a big reason why the Canucks were unable to find Pettersson a new home this offseason is because of his expensive contract and him having back-to-back shaky seasons in 2024-25 and 2025-26. Yet, an NHL insider has now provided an intriguing take on Pettersson.
In a recent article for The Athletic, NHL insider Chris Johnston argued that Pettersson has become a valuable trading asset for the Canucks again because of his strong start to the season and other NHL players landing far more expensive contracts than his this offseason.
"The Swede has struggled to live up to the expectations that came with the $92.8 million, eight-year extension he signed in March 2024. Fortunately for Vancouver, the sticker shock on that contract is diminishing with other top players pushing the NHL’s salary structure skyward, and when you couple that with an improvement in form, Pettersson has returned to being a trade asset for Vancouver," Johnston wrote.
This is an understandable take from Johnston. With the salary cap going up and Pettersson showing signs of his previous star form, he certainly could end up being a valuable trade chip for the Canucks. This would especially be the case if the 27-year-old continues to shine as this season rolls on.
Pettersson is off to a strong start this season, and the truth can be seen with his stats. In 14 games so far this campaign, he has posted four goals, 15 points, and 33 hits. He has also been showing zero signs of slowing down, as he has two goals and six points over his last five games.
All eyes should be on Canucks' Pettersson
With the way Pettersson has started this season, it is clear that he is a player to keep an eye on as the campaign rolls on. If he continues to play so well as the season carries on, he could become Vancouver's top trading asset as we inch closer to the trade deadline.
Contenders are always on the hunt for forward help, and Pettersson could be a fantastic pickup for a team that needs help down the middle. Perhaps his trade market could heat up once disgruntled Detroit Red Wings star center Dylan Larkin finally gets moved.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Canucks end up trading Pettersson soon. With his value appearing to be going up, now could be a good time for Vancouver to strike deal if they do not view him as a fit for their rebuild.
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