NHL Rumor: Vancouver Canucks' decision to trade Elias Pettersson intensified after club decides to retool its roster

As the Vancouver Canucks have traded away superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes and leading goal-scorer Kiefer Sherwood recently, this prompted fans and analyst that which of their players are going next to hit the trade block before the March 6 deadline.

Amidst this discussion, the trade rumor related to Elias Pettersson has intensified after the club decided to retool its roster.Earlier reports suggest the Canucks are open to trade inquiries for almost any player after they faced a poor season this year. Meanwhile, Canucks president of hockey operations, Jim Rutherford, has also recently confirmed his club's willingness to entertain offers for all their players, which is why the trade rumor related to Elias Pettersson has surfaced again in the rumor mill.

Elias Pettersson’s trade rumor intensified as the Vancouver Canucks decided to retool their roster

The trade rumor related to Elias Pettersson has intensified after the Canucks management has decided to retool their roster in order to realign the team’s roster. Just a few weeks back, it was reported that Petterson had been away from the team and had been sidelined due to an upper-body injury that he sustained.During this season, Pettersson has been one of Vancouver’s top scorers, with 22 points in 28 games. Over his NHL career, he has scored nearly 480 points in almost 500 games.

Pettersson is in the second season of an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $11.6 million. He also has a full no-movement clause, giving him complete control if the Canucks attempt to trade him.

A few days back, speaking on Sportsnet 590 The Fan with Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne, NHL Insider Frank Seravalli stated that the Vancouver Canucks are seriously considering trading Pettersson at some point this season, potentially even before the upcoming international break when the Olympic Games begin in February.He added, “There are some thinking maybe even potentially before the Olympics, really. Now, that feels kind of quick, but the Canucks have been in this spot where they’re ready and willing to consider anything and everything pretty much throughout the course of their organization,” the Insider said.Besides, Sportsnet also cited The Athletic's Chris Johnston, claiming that some teams believe Pettersson could regain his former high-scoring ways if he were playing elsewhere.

He also thinks that Pettersson could fit the Hurricanes, speculating that they could offer center Jesperi Kotkaniemi as part of the return.Meanwhile, Jim Rutherford’s statement also confirmed the franchise’s willingness to entertain offers for all their players, which is why the trade rumor related to Elias Pettersson has intensified so much.It is to be noted that on March 2, 2024, the Swedish center was rewarded with a massive eight-year extension with a $11.6 million annual cap hit. Pettersson is currently on an eight-year extension he signed in March 2024, carrying a total value of $92.8 million till the 2031-32 season with full no-movement protection beginning in 2025-26.