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Elias Pettersson’s Agent Has Interesting Answer When Asked About Request to Trade Canucks’ Star
Elias Pettersson’s agent was asked if he was directly approached about a trade for this client, and he had an interesting answer.
Speculation around Elias Pettersson‘s future in Vancouver has been swirling all summer, but his agent is pushing back on one of the bigger rumors. J.P. Barry, who represents Pettersson along with other NHL stars like Quinn Hughes and Morgan Rielly, addressed reports that the team had come close to trading Pettersson or had asked him to waive his no-trade protection. According to Barry, speaking with Rick Dhaliwal, that simply never happened.
In fact, he noted that trades across the league seemed difficult this season and hinted that when he thought some players might get moved, they weren’t. (wink, win, Morgan Rielly)
The comments come at an interesting time, with rumors circulating after reports that Pettersson and his family purchased a home in Los Angeles — fueling speculation given the Kings’ reported need for a top-line center. David Pagnotta mentioned that if the price dropped, he believes the Kings and GM Ken Holland “would pounce on that.” Still, insiders suggest the Canucks’ actual focus for Pettersson this season has little to do with trade talks. Instead, the Canucks first want to get him back on track after a difficult stretch.
Canucks GM Ryan Johnson recently spoke about the approach the organization is taking with their once-dominant scorer. “What I’m stressing with him is I want to give him an environment that supports him, that allows him to be himself and not feel that he’s got to be anything other than himself,” Johnson said, according to NHL.com’s Kevin Woodley. He added that the goal is for Pettersson to feel excited to come to the rink every day.
Of course, some fans and analysts will argue that an $11.6 million player shouldn’t need to be coddled or babied with a “supportive” environment. At the same time, every player wants to be in a place where they feel they can deliver their best. That clearly wasn’t the case for Pettersson, who had past issues with teammates and struggles when the lights were shined directly on his play.
Getting him back to the level that once made him one of the league’s most dangerous offensive threats is a priority. That includes whether the Canucks want to retain him or trade him. With training camp underway, all eyes will be on whether that approach starts paying off early in the season.
Next: NHL Trade Talk: The Podcast – Ep. 34: Kreider Clears, Hughes Speaks, Formenton Backlash
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