3 Teams Making Trade Offers for Canucks' Elias Pettersson

The Vancouver Canucks are open for business and all the attention is turning to Elias Pettersson. After a decent showing at the Olympics, Pettersson is involved in trade discussions with several teams, as talks around the league have picked up in a major way on Tuesday.

Teams to keep an eye on include the Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, and Detroit Red Wings, with the Red Wings appearing to be the dark horse in the fight, meanwhile, the Hurricanes almost acquired Pettersson last season, so there's no surprise to see them still interested in his services.

Pettersson is signed through the 2032 season at $11.6 million AAV, and owns a full no-movement clause. There's been no reports of the Canucks frankly asking Pettersson for a list of teams, but there's belief that they've connected with him that they're open to moving him to a preferred next chapter of his career.

Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos recently commented on Pettersson's trade talks, and had this to say:

His on-ice play has not yet lived up to his $11.6 million cap hit, and a two-goal performance at the Olympics won’t lead to any new optimism about the player. Finding the right trade for Pettersson will be complex. Do you believe he will bounce back from a 45-point (in 64 games) season last year, and a 34-point showing (in 49 games) so far this season? He was a 102-point player just three years ago and is in his prime years. Vancouver will not want to trade him as a cap dump and already has a need for a centre with him, so moving him will require a replacement. It’s a tough balance, but there are teams exploring how to make it happen.

Carolina has never stopped showing interest. Detroit and Los Angeles also have a need for a top-six centre and are seeing if a Pettersson deal can work for them. This is kind of like the Quinn Hughes situation where the Canucks could keep Pettersson for good, keep him for now and revisit trades in the off-season, or they could get something good for him now and he's gone.

The Canucks are hopeful to land the top pick at this summer's draft, and moving Pettersson for a top prospect, young roster player, and a first-round pick could be exactly what the doctor ordered for the franchise.

It's time for Vancouver and Pettersson to part ways.

Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images