Insider Includes Elias Pettersson on Trade Board Amid Canucks Chaos

The Vancouver Canucks are officially open for business, and other than Quinn Hughes and maybe Filip Hronek, nobody is off limits. While pending UFAs like Kiefer Sherwood and Evander Kane, or a veteran in Conor Garland, whose no-trade clause doesn’t kick in until July 1, have drawn plenty of early attention, if the Canucks truly want to shake things up, they’ll have to get bolder than that.

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With Hughes and Hronek out of the equation, the next Canuck that immediately comes to everyone’s mind is Elias Pettersson, and despite his improved play thus far in 2025-26, Sportsnet insider Nick Kypreos still has him on his trade board with some insight provided on where his future in Vancouver stands.

Kypreos wrote:

“Despite now having a full no-movement clause, it has been thought that if things went sour again this season for the Canucks that both the team and player would be open to a change. This wouldn’t be an imminent move, as the Canucks still need to be convinced that this season has truly been lost. It’s believed the Hurricanes and Canucks have had discussions about Pettersson in the past, and there’s no reason to believe there isn’t an ongoing dialogue. Vancouver would have interest in Andrei Svechnikov, but that won’t solve their issues down the middle,”

He adds, “While a Pettersson trade might be slower to develop this season, he’ll remain on this list until the Canucks can prove they’ll contend for a playoff spot.”

Related: Conor Garland’s Name Suddenly Resurfaces After Friedman’s Canucks Trade Bombshell

The 27-year-old Pettersson is in the second season of the eight-year, $92.8 million extension he signed with the Canucks back in 2024, which does include a full no-movement clause. He’s gotten off to a solid start to the new season, tallying 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) through 23 games.

Does Trading Elias Pettersson Make Any Sense?

Some may think it’s foolish to shop Pettersson now that he’s found his game and is starting to look more like the four-time All-Star we had become accustomed to.

While that’s understandable, the Canucks could very well be headed in a completely new direction as a franchise, depending on what happens with Quinn Hughes, so if Pettersson’s value is back up, it could make sense to see if offers around the league have improved since last year.

Kypreos mentioned that another lost season could result in Pettersson and the organization reconvening to determine whether a change is in the best interest of both sides.

If the goal is to somehow retain Hughes beyond his current contract, then there’s no reason to get rid of Pettersson. On the other hand, if the captain goes, then all bets are off, so until that comes to a head, everyone in Vancouver’s future will be in question.

Next: Insider Links Devils’ Metropolitan Division Rival to Quinn Hughes