Canucks & Blues In Massive Trade Talks
Per CHEK's Rick Dhaliwal, the Blues are among the teams that have shown interest.
"Somebody told me this morning that St. Louis is sniffing around Pettersson," Dhaliwal said. "I'm looking into it to see if it's true. The way it's been told to me is if the Canucks think they have a deal for Pettersson that makes sense for them, I am sure they will then take that deal to Pettersson's agents, J.P. Barry and Pat Brisson, to see if Pettersson will waive."
Dhaliwal was emphatic that the Pettersson trade talk is legitimate.
"This Pettersson trade talk, I just want to say, is real," he said. "If the Canucks can offload that contract, they're going to try and do it."
Why St. Louis Makes Sense
The Blues have an obvious need for a top-six center following Brayden Schenn's departure.
After Robert Thomas, their depth chart at the position thins out to 21-year-old Dalibor Dvorsky and former Canuck Pius Suter, which means Pettersson could conceivably slot in as the second-line center behind Thomas and give St. Louis a strong one-two punch down the middle.
The Blues have over $14 million in cap space and no significant free agents to re-sign, giving them the financial room to absorb the contract.
What should the Canucks do with Elias Pettersson? #TSNHockey analyst @FrankCorrado22 joins @JayOnrait to discuss. pic.twitter.com/UOR2FbkU5O
— JayOnSC (@JayOnSC) June 16, 2026
Alex Steen also takes over as Blues GM on July 1, becoming the only active Swedish general manager in the league after Vancouver fired Patrik Allvin in April, which could make things interesting.
Whether the Swedish Steen would be a believer in a rejuvenated Pettersson is one of the questions surrounding St. Louis's offseason.
The Risk
Pettersson is 27 years old and carries a contract worth $11.6 million for six more seasons, running through 2031-32.
The two worst seasons of his NHL career have come in his last two campaigns, a significant decline from the player who posted 102 points in 2022-23.
By the time the Blues are positioned to seriously compete again, Pettersson could be trending toward the downswing of his career, which introduces real risk into a major long-term commitment.
Elias Pettersson. Disgusting. pic.twitter.com/Igmj5Uu4Jt
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) August 17, 2020
The Canucks have reportedly become more willing to retain some salary to facilitate a move, which would soften the blow considerably and increase the potential return Vancouver could command.
St. Louis is not alone in the pursuit.
The Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings have both been linked to Pettersson, and per David Pagnotta, the Maple Leafs and Canadiens have also poked around, while Pierre LeBrun reported multiple teams have confirmed conversations about him.
Teams remain desperate at the center position, and the belief that the right environment could turn Pettersson back into a point-per-game player is what keeps the market for him active despite the cost and the risk.
