Elias Pettersson in Montreal: David Ettedgui praises the idea

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Elias Pettersson in Montreal: David Ettedgui praises the idea
Credit: Derek Cain/Getty Images

Elias Pettersson has seen his star fade recently in Vancouver.

From a 102-point center to a player who can't make a difference (and who was at the center of a major conflict with J.T. Miller), it seems that Pettersson isn't as well-regarded in the NHL as he used to be.

His contract, averaging $11.6 million per year through 2032, doesn't help his case.

But never mind that—David Ettedgui believes that if the Canucks were willing to take on some of the salary to make Pettersson a nearly $8 million player on the market, that would be a game-changer.

And he suggests the Canadiens should get involved.

As he said on Twitter, there would be several advantages to the Canucks trading Pettersson to the Canadiens… notably in exchange for Brendan Gallagher and a good draft pick.

For example?

1. A 6'2” left-handed center who is 27 years old and scored 102 points a few years ago—you don't find that just anywhere. His profile looks promising on paper.

2. At 0.7 points per game over the past two years, that's not the most concerning drop in production in his view.

3. Even if he isn't the heaviest, the Hurricanes have shown that a team can win without necessarily being the biggest in the National Hockey League.

4. A center of that caliber paired with Ivan Demidov could work.

5. Because the price tag wouldn't be huge, it would leave Kent Hughes with assets to go after a physical winger and a right-handed defenseman elsewhere.

6. A player who changes environments like this may have something to prove. Especially given how things have been going in Vancouver for the past several years.

We agree that on paper, that's true. However, I don't really see the Canadiens, who need to go out and find some grit, taking a gamble at that price. Especially since he doesn't seem to be the kind of teammate the Canadiens are looking for…

In my case, it's a no for now. But we'll see.


in a flash

– Wow.

– Interesting.

– And rightly so.

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