As new Canucks GM Ryan Johnson works to change up his roster, there has been plenty of speculation about Elias Pettersson’s future. Speaking with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, Johnson made it clear that any trade wouldn’t be about dumping salary; they’d be looking for strong value in return. Pettersson is two years into an eight-year, $92.8MM contract ($11.6MM AAV) and has managed just 96 points in 138 games on that deal after putting up 191 points in 162 games in the two years before it started. That led some to wonder if Vancouver might be open to taking a lesser return in order to get themselves out of at least most of the contract. Instead, that won’t be the case, with Johnson noting that there are no payroll restrictions on his group as the team embarks on what looks to be a lengthy rebuilding process.
More from the Pacific:
Still with the Canucks, CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal reported on a recent Oilers Now podcast (audio link) that Vancouver has inquired about Kraken center Shane Wright. While Seattle is believed to be trying to facilitate a suitable trade, they’re believed to have a high price tag for his services. Dhaliwal indicated that Seattle’s ask in return was either defenseman Zeev Buium or blueliner Tom Willander, a price Vancouver isn’t willing to pay. It’s understandable that Kraken GM Jason Botterill would be seeking a core piece with several years of club control remaining as that’s effectively the situation Wright finds himself in, still being five years away from UFA eligibility.
The Oilers have one remaining restricted free agent, winger Colton Dach. However, his agent Gerry Johansson indicated to Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal that the team has communicated that they need some more time to work things out. Edmonton has a little under $6MM in cap space per PuckPedia and it appears they’re prioritizing getting an external acquisition in place before deciding what type of contract to give to Dach. The 23-year-old had 13 points and 219 hits in 61 games between Chicago and Edmonton last season.