Well, this isn't going very far, is it? According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, teams are again calling the Vancouver Canucks about the availability of superstar center Elias Pettersson.
Friedman appeared on Sportsnet's "Saturday Headlines" on Saturday night, sharing that "One of the things I think has developed over the last couple of weeks in Vancouver is the amount of noise around Pettersson. And I think what that has led to is teams calling the Canucks and saying, 'What exactly is going on here, and could he be available?'
"Now, the Canucks do not want to comment on this," Friedman added. "They feel the noise is already enough. But they are telling teams, 'We are trying to sign him, and that is our goal.'
This is obviously fairly significant news, because the Canucks have had a long-term contract offer on the table for Pettersson for a long period of time now. It's been difficult to figure out why the 25-year-old isn't signing the deal that's been presented, but it might come down to how the team finishes the season.
The Canucks are in a playoff spot and Pettersson will be an RFA in the summer. We can only assume that Pettersson's decision comes down to whether or not he feels he can win in Vancouver. If not, he has no reason to stay for the long term. It would be difficult to blame him in that case.
It goes without saying that the market for a perennial 100-point player will be scorching hot, especially if this spills over into the 2024 NHL Draft. Would the Canucks make a splash to try and bring home the Vancouver boy in Macklin Celebrini? His brother, Aiden, was just drafted by the Canucks in 2023. Right now, it's all speculation until more details come to light.