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Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks.

The Vancouver Canucks took a huge step back in 2025/26, and after finishing dead last in the National Hockey League, the future isn’t looking very bright at all. The team do have some intriguing young prospects as well as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, but beyond that, there are question marks all over this roster.

They do have some veterans like Jake DeBrusk, Filip Hronek and Brock Boeser, all of whom could net them some intriguing assets for the future, but the one player they would love to deal is Elias Pettersson. Once upon a time, he was considered one of the best center’s in the league after putting up 102 points back in 2022/23, but since then, his effort defensively has diminished, as has the production, and this off-season, he’s expected to be shopped once again.

Elias Pettersson Drawing Significant Trade Interest From Contending Teams

GettyElias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks.

While the Canucks may have to retain on Pettersson, there’s expected to be plenty of interest in him this off-season, and with the 2026 NHL Draft just days away, the chatter around him appears to be heating up as the Canucks look to focus on the future, rather than the present.

So much so that during his recent appearance on the Hello Hockey show, NHL Insider David Pagnotta named five teams that could be interested in EP40, including three Original Six teams. In that appearance, he revealed that the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens as teams that have poked around Pettersson, with the Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings also showing some interest.

Could Elias Pettersson be Moved this Off-Season?

While Pettersson hasn’t become a bad player, as he posted a combined 99 points over his last 138 games played, given that he’s owed $11.6 million a year until the end of the 2031/32 campaign, it’s easy to see why he’s become a major disappointment in Vancouver. To make a deal happen, the new Canuck front office would have to retain significant money on No. 40, but if they are willing to do that, a trade could certainly materialize this off-season.

Already this summer, the Canucks have the No. 3 and 24 overall pick, and for a team that’s looking to rebuild, getting any asset in return for Pettersson could certainly help speed things along. As for the potential suitors, Montreal may make the most sense given that they are looking for experienced depth down the middle, but with Detroit, Toronto, Philadelphia and Los Angeles all linked to EP40 by Pagnotta, the team could end up getting a solid asset in return for their former No. 5 overall pick.

Ultimately, Pettersson was once seen as the future of the Vancouver Canucks, but given all that’s transpired over the past few seasons, it would be in the best interest of the player and the team to part ways, and with so much interest in him this off-season, don’t be shocked to see a blockbuster trade and a potential bounce back to form from Pettersson.