As per a report on NHL.com, Elias Pettersson isn’t ready to return from an upper-body injury and won’t be in the lineup when the Vancouver Canucks resume play Sunday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In fact, there’s some concern that the dynamic forward may not be back at all this season.
Related: Who Goes?: Canucks Looking to Clear Cap Space This Summer
Canucks’ GM Jim Benning commented on the status of his star player and noted, “He’s on the ice skating now, he’s going to continue to rehab, but we don’t have a timeline yet as to when he’s going to be back, if he’s going to be back at all.” Benning added, “I was hopeful that maybe he could come back, but after the visit (to a specialist) on Wednesday, he’s going to be a little bit longer yet.”
This won’t matter much as far as this season in concerned for the Canucks. They are well outside the playoff picture and with the COVID virus having ravaged the team, this season is all but lost anyways. Still, it’s not great news that Pettersson’s injury is taking longer than expected to heal. Perhaps it’s best they simply shut things down with only a handful of games left.
Canucks Need a New Contract for Pettersson
The Canucks have some work to do now both this season and in the offseason when it comes to the player. While they’ll want to closely monitor how his injury is coming along. Benning will have to determine what the best extension will look like for the forward. Do the Canucks go big and long-term? Or, should they offer a bridge contract?
Pettersson is a restricted free agent, but he has a ton of leverage. He knows what his value is to the franchise and he could hold the team to giving him what he wants., even if he never projects to be as good a player as Auston Matthews, Leon Drasait, Mark Scheifele or Connor McDavid. Is he a double-digit contract player? Many don’t think so, especially the way his current season has gone for him.
Meanwhile, the Canucks have been working hard to get other deals done like Thatcher Demko and Tanner Pearson. News yesterday was that Benning isn’t worried about his cap space issues, but he should be. He’s got a Quinn Hughes deal to do as well.
Next: Jack Eichel to Los Angeles Kings Trade Rumor Picking Up Steam
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