The limited options available in the free agent market for centers are likely to drive teams towards trade acquisitions, potentially re-sparking interest in Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson. This is according to Chris Johnston on “The Chris Johnston Show,” where he and Julian McKenzie discussed the Canucks star.
“So you know there’s just not those those solutions on the free agent market, and so I think teams are going to have to make trades with centers,” Johnston stated. “And you’re right, they’re prominently featured across this board, you know it’s not to say all of these players will move, but you can see why teams might be out there gauging a value.”
Johnston continued by highlighting Pettersson’s situation: “And it’s why I even wonder about someone like Elias Pettersson, Julian, who you know we’ve discussed on and on and on, and his career has taken a turn, and there’s new management now in Vancouver. But I still think that there would be some degree of shine on him, or interest in him, maybe, is a better way to put it. You know, there’s huge risk with his contract if you take it on at full value, and he doesn’t return to being something, even if it’s not the exact player he was when he signed it. But if he doesn’t show an improvement in his offensive game, you know, it’s a lot of money to be paying someone to do that.”
Despite the potential contract concerns, Johnston acknowledged Pettersson’s elite talent: “But, you know, at the end of the day, he’s still a top two center, all you know, in pretty much any team in the league, and can handle difficult minutes, and defensively, I think gives you enough that you have comfort playing them, those kind of minutes. You know, what you’re looking for is that offensive upside to return in order to justify, you know, $11 plus million a year contract.”
“But you know, I think the conditions are there for someone like him to still be moved,” Johnston concluded. “And you know the belief is I think the fresh starts coming at some point, whether it’s this offseason or next year at the deadline or next offseason. Like, I, it’s hard to imagine it, just feels like there’s a lot of water under the bridge in Vancouver. You know, I know the new management group isn’t going to rush into anything, they don’t feel like they have to deal him, but you know he’s someone I could see moving for kind of the reason we’re talking about. There’s just not a lot of, how else do you fill a hole down the middle?”
