The Vancouver Canucks could potentially regret signing Elias Pettersson to a three-year bridge deal. As the talented center approaches the end of his contract, questions loom about his future with the team. This situation is similar to that of Matthew Tkachuk, who was traded by the Calgary Flames to the Florida Panthers last year after refusing to sign a long-term contract. Tkachuk had signed a three-year bridge deal, and the Flames were left with little choice but to trade him to avoid losing him to free agency.
Pettersson’s situation is starting to mirror Tkachuk’s more closely, and Canucks fans can’t help but wonder what might have been if they had taken Tkachuk instead of Olli Juolevi in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
Pettersson has been a standout player for the Canucks, and there is no doubt that they would love to keep him on the team for the long term. However, the Canucks’ salary cap situation at the time meant that they had to choose between Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, both of whom were in need of a long-term deal. The Canucks ultimately chose to sign Hughes to a long-term contract and gave Pettersson a three-year bridge deal.
While Pettersson is under contract for one more year, there is a growing concern that he might become unhappy and demand a trade if the Canucks do not prove that they are committed to winning. Pettersson’s comments to Swedish reporter Uffe Bodin in 2021 make it clear that he wants to play for a team that has the potential to go deep into the playoffs.
The Canucks have made significant changes in the past two years, including bringing in a new management team and two new head coaches. However, the team has not yet demonstrated that they can be contenders in the playoffs.
If Pettersson becomes unhappy and decides to demand a trade, the Canucks could find themselves in a difficult position. They could either trade Pettersson and risk losing one of their best players or try to convince him to sign a long-term contract before he becomes a free agent.
The Canucks could have avoided this situation by signing Pettersson to a long-term deal before his bridge contract expired. However, it seemed like Pettersson wanted the flexibility of a short-term deal, and the team’s salary cap situation at the time made it difficult to sign both Hughes and Pettersson to long-term deals.
The Canucks are now left hoping that Pettersson will want to remain with the team despite their recent lack of success in the playoffs. The team will need to demonstrate that they are committed to putting a competitive team on the ice and can contend for a Stanley Cup Championship in the near future.
In the end, the Canucks could regret signing Pettersson to a three-year bridge deal if they are unable to sign him to a long-term contract and he decides to demand a trade. The team will need to do everything possible to convince Pettersson that they are committed to winning and that they are the right team for him to play for. If they fail to do so, they could lose one of their most talented players and suffer the consequences for years to come.
