The Vancouver Canucks would love to rid themselves of Elias Pettersson and his $11.6 million average annual salary, but that’s been far easier said than done.
Pettersson has been available on the trade market for what feels like years now, yet his continued drop-off in play and production since signing a massive extension has led teams to shy away from pursuing him.
Recent reports, however, have suggested that the Pittsburgh Penguins may be willing to take a flier on the four-time All-Star, as GM Kyle Dubas is looking to add high-end talent to his forward group. Why hasn’t it gotten done then? By the sounds of it, Pettersson himself may be holding up a deal with his full no-movement clause.
Penguins insider Josh Yohe replied to a post on X (formerly Twitter) about Pettersson being the sticking point, writing, “Ding ding ding.” TSN Canucks reporter Farhan Lalji then wrote this:
“This was always going to be a huge variable. And why the west coast teams were always favoured here. Location & volume matters to EP40 & family. Probably more so than winning,”
The 27-year-old Pettersson has six years remaining on the eight-year, $92.8 million contract extension he signed with the Canucks in 2024. He recorded 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) in 74 games played last season.
It’s fully within Pettersson’s right to decide whether he’d want to go to Pittsburgh. That said, at this point, he just needs a fresh start out of Vancouver, and an opportunity to play with legends Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Erik Karlsson on a Penguins team that made the playoffs last year should be enticing enough.
However, as Lalji wrote, that ultimately may not matter if Pettersson appears to be prioritizing staying on the West Coast above all other factors. We’ll see whether he opens his mind to a move out East, because if not then Dubas will have to turn his attention elsewhere.
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