Elias Pettersson's name is now tied to the Seattle Kraken, and the question is whether he would actually approve it.
Insider David Pagnotta raised the idea this week, reporting that Seattle wants to make a real splash and Pettersson could be the target.
The catch is his no-trade protection. Pagnotta specifically questioned whether Pettersson would waive it to accept a move to Seattle.
Vancouver's season gives that question real weight. The Canucks finished 25-49-8, dead last in the league at 58 points.
Their goal differential fell to minus-100, the worst mark of any team in the NHL this past year.
Pettersson posted just 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points over 74 games, a rough return on a $11.6 million cap hit.
His plus-minus cratered to minus-30, and he managed only six points over his final ten games of the season.
A lost season in Vancouver fuels the rumors
Vancouver already brought in Manny Malhotra as head coach at the start of June, and this trade buzz lands right in his lap.
Seattle is not exactly a finished product either. The Kraken closed the year 34-37-11 for 79 points and 27th overall.
General manager Jason Botterill and head coach Lane Lambert would be adding real size down the middle to a group still finding its identity.
NHL Rumour Report flagged the comments Thursday, pointing back to Pagnotta's original conversation on Inside Sports from July 13th.
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A season this bad tends to put everything on the table, star center included.
Trading a piece like that to a Pacific Division rival is an unusual way to rebuild, no matter how bad the season was.
Desperate rosters make unusual choices, though, and Vancouver's front office has little reason to protect the status quo right now.
None of it matters if Pettersson says no. His signature, not Seattle's ambition, decides how this actually plays out.
Should the Canucks actually trade Elias Pettersson to the Kraken this summer?
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