Could a trade for Elias Pettersson be back on the table for the Carolina Hurricanes?
We begin this column with duelling takes from sources.
Source one says, yes, the Canucks have Mikko Rantanen ambitions. Source two says, good luck, the Hurricanes are committed to re-signing Rantanen.
In other words, there’s a week to go until the deadline and teams are looking at where their team is at and what might make them better.
It’s pretty clear that remains the case. The Canucks haven’t given up on Pettersson as their No. 1 centre, there’s just too much talent there but given his ongoing struggles it would not be a shock they reach the conclusion that the player just needs a fresh start elsewhere and trade him either this week at the trade deadline or at the draft in Los Angeles in June.
Trading Pettersson, of course, would be tantamount to a near-total re-set of this roster. All respect to Filip Chytil, but the Canucks do need another centre as it is, one to replace J.T. Miller in the long run. So moving Pettersson would mean finding another centre some other way.
And so having his eyes on Rantanen makes sense, whether it’s a realistic ambition or not. Rantanen is an absolute bull, a player who dominates games night in and night out, who sets the tone in the dressing room. He plays with and delivers on high expectations.
He’s also going to be very expensive. Most sources I spoke to see him getting a contract that will average $14 million per season, which is $2.6 million more than Pettersson is pulling in.
Boeser is an unrestricted free agent this summer. He’s after a raise and a contract that has some term to it. Both the Canucks and Boeser’s camp, I’ve been told, understand their positions. It’s still very possible they find a deal this week, but it does feel more likely he gets traded.
The Hurricanes play fast hockey and Boeser, obviously, is not Rantanen. Boeser is a smart player with a hard shot, but he doesn’t have the physical presence or powerful stride of Rantanen.
In fairness Pettersson doesn’t either, though he is a highly-competent centre with very good defensive instincts.
And, as we’ve seen in the past, outstanding offensive instincts.
You can see why Carolina would be intrigued by him, even in his currently busted form.
Anyway, if Rantanen somehow doesn’t sign by the deadline do not be surprised if something comes up with him and Vancouver. There’s a very, very small chance of this happening.
TURTLE DERBY — No one seems to want to seize control of the race for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Flames could have passed the Canucks Saturday afternoon but instead lost to the Panthers. The Utahns are surging but the Canucks still went into Saturday’s game in Seattle with a game in hand. MoneyPuck.com currently projects the final spot in the west needing just 89 points to make the playoffs.