Should The Canucks Fear Losing Elias Pettersson?

Should The Canucks Fear Losing Elias Pettersson?

The Vancouver Canucks are a buzzsaw. They currently sit 24-10-3 and in first place in the Pacific. Is this something that’s going to prove as sustainable or will the Canucks come back down to earth? More importantly, are they going to be able to retain franchise icon Elias Pettersson?

Pettersson, 25, is viewed as the untouchable piece in Vancouver. Still, the Canucks need to get a contract extension done sooner rather than later. The Swedish forward will become a restricted free agent this offseason and there’s no guarantee he wants to pay Canadian taxes for the rest of his life.

Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek had an interesting conversation recently on the 32 thoughts podcast. Could Pettersson force his way to Chicago to play with Connor Bedard?

"I think the Vancouver Canucks have decided that when Pettersson is ready, they're going to throw a significantly sized bag of cash at him."

In an all-new episode of 32 Thoughts,@JeffMarek & @FriedgeHNIC talk about Elias Petersson to Chicago rumours, goaltending issues in New… pic.twitter.com/0Qqt1aNODd

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 30, 2023

I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist to figure out that stars are going to find a way to build a superteam in Chicago around Bedard. Especially with Bedard on an ELC to start out his career.

Rick Tocchet praises Elias Pettersson’s early season success

The Canucks first line center has 45 points in 37 games this year. That’s after cashing in on a 102 point season the year prior. It’s going to cost a pretty penny to keep number 40 in Vancouver. Probably even more expensive considering the dilemma of Canadian taxes. It’s not a small thing to consider. Players give up a significant amount of money by playing in Canada.

The good news is that the Canucks are playing well. Maybe the odds he stays would be far less if Rick Tocchet didn’t turn the team around. The downside is the fact that Pettersson could leave the team in limbo and hit unrestricted free agency in 2025. Either way, this is something the Canucks need to get resolved. Without this dude, they’re screwed and there is no way around it.

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