Elias Pettersson almost traded to Carolina

Right off the bat, I think we can agree that the Canucks are surprisingly good this season.

Last year, the team seemed so lost on the ice…

But the arrival of Rick Tocchet as head coach has changed all that.

The Canucks are on course to amass over 110 points in the standings if they keep up the pace, but in Vancouver, there’s still cause for concern.

Why?

Because Elias Pettersson’s contract ($7.35 million a year) expires at the end of the season, and because he hasn’t necessarily shown any desire to stay.

The Canucks were worried, so they tried to trade him to Carolina, as Elliotte Friedman reported in a recent article.

And the Swede came close to ending up with the Hurricanes:

According to several sources, the Vancouver Canucks and the Carolina Hurricanes have had discussions about Elias Pettersson that have reached a stage where the Canucks and the player have had to make serious decisions about the direction their relationship will take. – Elliotte Friedman

This is really interesting.

Pettersson has finally committed to Vancouver, where he should sign a BIG contract soon… But if it ever falls through, I have a feeling the Hurricanes are going to be quick on the draw.

I especially wonder what the Hurricanes’ offer looked like, because Pettersson has been the Canucks’ offensive engine for a few seasons now.

Could a guy like Martin Necas have been part of the deal? Sebastian Aho? Andrei Svechnikov?

What about Jesperi Kotkaniemi?

Elias Pettersson scored 102 points last season and could still hit the 100-point plateau by the end of the campaign.

He’s giving himself the tools to sign one of the NHL’s most lucrative contracts… And he deserves every penny of it.

All that remains to be seen is whether his contract will be signed with the Canucks… Or with another team in the league. Remember that at the end of the current season, he will become a free agent with compensation (and will be entitled to arbitration).

In Brief

– Happy reading.

– The guys played their best game ever.

Hey Nick & Cole & Juraj pic.twitter.com/kDEuM9dGA9

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) February 29, 2024

– He’s having a good time lately.

– To be continued.