Vancouver Canucks May Have Just Made A Monumental Mistake with Elias Pettersson
Photo credit: DH Sports
A significant portion of the Vancouver Canucks' future hinges on the performance of their star, Elias Pettersson.
The Canucks weren't always committed to building around Pettersson. He was nearly dealt on several occasions, with dynamic winger Martin Necas frequently featured as the potential return.
Canucks may have made the biggest mistake with their star forward Elias Pettersson.
Noah Strang from DH Sports writes that once viewed as a sure-fire top-line centre, Pettersson's trajectory has taken a sharp downturn over the past 18 months. His performance on the ice has declined significantly, coaches and management have questioned his preparation habits, and tensions with teammate J.T. Miller ultimately led to Miller's departure.
"Pettersson was also nearly traded for Necas in January 2025 before the Hurricanes traded the winger for Mikko Rantanen instead. Both deals would've reportedly included more pieces alongside Necas heading to Vancouver." -Strang
The Carolina Hurricanes and Canucks had trade talks focused on Pettersson in early 2024 before he signed his megaextension, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. Those discussions included Necas coming to Vancouver per The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta. Nothing materialized at that point.
Strang also writes although the trade never happened, it's easy to imagine how different the Canucks' outlook might be if they had moved Pettersson in exchange for Necas.
"Beyond just swapping Pettersson for Necas on the current roster, it's likely the Canucks getting rid of Petterssoun would've resulted in the Canucks holding onto Miller. They were forced to trade the now-32-year-old centre because of the feud. The deal undoubtedly made the team worse on paper, but it was necessary because of chemistry issues." -Strang
Miller had his shortcomings, frequent defensive miscues, visible displays of frustration, and a central role in the feud that derailed the season. Still, he remained a high-impact player, finishing the year with an impressive 70 points in 72 games despite the surrounding turmoil.
| POLL | ||
MAI 6 | 783 ANSWERS Vancouver Canucks May Have Just Made A Monumental Mistake with Elias Pettersson Are you upset that the Canucks did not trade Pettersson for Necas at the time? | ||
| yes | 588 | 75.1 % |
| no | 195 | 24.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
