Elias Pettersson: Here’s What His Transfer Fee Might Look Like

Michaël Petit
Elias Pettersson: Here’s What His Transfer Fee Might Look Like
Credit: Capture d'écran | YouTube

The Vancouver Canucks had a dismal season. 58 points—that's really not great… Obviously, after a season like that, there have to be changes.

Marcus Pettersson was traded for a conditional first-round pick in 2030, and Nils Hoglander is now in Nashville. Others have left via free agency, but there have also been additions like Brendan Gallagher, Paul Cotter, and Jamie Oleksiak.

In short, you can see that these aren't major changes. Players like Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, and Elias Pettersson have been at the center of several trade rumors over the past year, but they're still members of the Canucks.

Many must be wondering what the price tag would be to acquire one of these players. Wingers like Boeser and DeBrusk are relatively easy to find, especially since there are still a few wingers just as good—if not better—among the free agents. Anthony Mantha, Michael Bunting, Eeli Tolvanen, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Patrick Kane are all still available right now.

Thomas Drance of The Athletic recently discussed the price tag for acquiring Pettersson, and let's just say it's quite shocking.

According to the Canucks beat reporter, Vancouver could very well get something similar to what the Oilers received in return for Darnell Nurse: a second-tier prospect.

In reality, this makes a lot of sense, even if it's not particularly appealing for the Canucks. Just like Nurse, Pettersson has a very hefty contract ($11.6 million per season for six more years). And just like Nurse, Pettersson is performing well below the level his contract warrants.

The situation is different, though: The Canucks finished last, don't need to get rid of Pettersson's contract, and are in the midst of a rebuild. The Oilers, on the other hand, needed to free up cap space to make changes quickly.

The Oilers acquired Shakir Mukhamadullin, a 24-year-old defenseman with 83 games of NHL experience. Let's just say he'd be, at best, a depth defenseman.

And it's also fair to say that Pettersson, at full price, is more appealing than Nurse at full price. The Canucks forward could very well bounce back.

If the cost of acquiring Pettersson is that low, the Montreal Canadiens might very well be interested in the 27-year-old Swede. Players like Jayden Struble, Sean Farrell, Adam Engstrom, and Owen Beck could be included in a trade for Pettersson.

However, the salary cap would then be an issue for the Habs. They have a little over $13 million left under the cap, but Zachary Bolduc, Kirby Dach, and Arber Xhekaj still don't have contracts.

At this point, players like Phillip Danault or Alexandre Texier could be included in the deal to offset Pettersson's salary, or the Canucks would have to absorb part of his salary, which is not ideal. It would therefore cost the Habs more to acquire Pettersson—say, around $8–9 million, for example.


In a nutshell

– Some changes that could be interesting.

– Worth a read.

– Too bad.

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