In a report out of Vancouver, it states that Cunucks F-Elias Pettersson is being pursued by another NHL team. That is, in fact, the Detroit Red Wings. The plot thickens a bit when Vancouver’s team president, Jim Rutherford, said that Pettersson could be traded if the right offer came about. As for Detroit, it has been noted that the organization has been “aggressive in their pursuit.” Detroit and Vancouver do have a trade history, as the Red Wings shipped D- Filip Hronek to Vancouver in 2023.
The Detroit Red Wings have long been linked to a top-four forward and a defenseman at the trade deadline. The report out of Vancouver comes as no surprise, as Pettersson fits the bill for a top-four scoring forward. The 27 year old Pettersson has shown in the past that when he has the talent around him, he is capable of putting up solid numbers.
There is a bit of an issue with Pettersson’s contract as he would be a big cap hit to the Cunucks to the tune of $11.6M, fortunately the Red Wings are one of the few teams with the cap space to take on the full contract. As it currently stands, Detroit has $12.78M in cap space according to PuckPedia.
Yzerman has been looking for a second-line center with experience as he prepares the Red Wings for the organization’s first playoff birth in more than a decade. Pettersson would slide in on to the second line shifting Marco Kasper to the wing giving the line more balance with a center who is highly skilled.
On his current contract, Elias Pettersson is signed through the 2031-32 NHL season. The deal carries an annual AAV of $11.6M, making it one of the highest contracts with a full no-movement clause. If Detroit agrees to take on the contract, then the return lessens a bit. If Vancouver retained some of the contract, the Red Wings would have had to give multiple first-round draft picks plus a player or prospect.
Elias Pettersson would be a great fit in Detroit and it appears he is willing to go there is a deal is reached.
