Pacific Division rival remains highly interested in acquiring Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Petter
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A Pacific Division rival remains interested in acquiring Swedish forward Elias Pettersson from the Vancouver Canucks as they push for a Stanley Cup Playoff spot.
The 2026 Winter Olympics are now over and the National Hockey League’s roster freeze has lifted, meaning teams, including the Vancouver Canucks, are free to make trades as they wish, with just 11 days to go until the deadline on March 6th.
For the Vancouver Canucks, this year’s deadline is shaping up to be a lot busier than in past years after the club announced their plans to rebuild and hopefully acquire younger players/prospects, as well as draft picks over the next week and a bit.
“We are transitioning into a rebuild here, acquiring younger players through the draft. Obviously, the draft is really important for us. Since Jim and I got [here] three years ago, we’ve definitely always emphasized on getting younger.” General Manager Patrik Allvin said.
Pacific Division rival remains interested in Vancouver Canucks’ Elias Pettersson
“Their interest in Elias Pettersson increased with the Swede’s two-goal game Saturday for Sweden in the Olympics, plus the Kings have $15 million in cap space.” Ben Kuzma of The Province said.
In a recent article for Heavy.com, Nestor Quixtan touched on the Los Angeles Kings’ interest in Elias Pettersson and how he would fill a hole for them in both the short-term and long-term, with captain Anze Kopitar set to retire from professional hockey following the 2025-26 campaign.
“There are various issues that could make a Pettersson trade one of the wildest NHL rumors this season. To be fair, the Kings do have a legit need for a top-line center. The retirement of Anze Kopitar will leave a major hole in the team’s depth down the middle.” Quixtan said.
The cost to acquire Elias Pettersson won’t be cheap and despite his struggles at times this season, the Vancouver Canucks aren’t going to take a lowball offer for the Sundsvall, Sweden native just to get his cap hit off the books.
If the Kings are serious about wanting Elias Pettersson, then they’ll likely have to fork over a first round pick, along with a younger player like Alex Laferriere, who has 26 points in 56 games in his third season in the National Hockey League.
Previously on Vancouver Hockey Daily
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Pacific Division rival remains highly interested in acquiring Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson
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