If the Vancouver Canucks really want to trade Elias Pettersson before Friday’s deadline, he’s not helping his own cause.
The Swedish center is making $11.6 million per year through the 2031-32 season. It’s already a big ask for any team trying to acquire him.
And that would be true even if Pettersson was having a standout offensive season. He’s not.
In fact, Pettersson went a month between shots on goal.
Before Wednesday night, his last shot on goal in NHL action was on Feb. 4.
Obviously there was an Olympic break mixed in there, in which Pettersson played for Sweden, but the stretch still was a long span on the ice.
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He finally put a puck on net on Wednesday, allowing Sportsnet to share this stat:
“Pettersson went 61 minutes, 18 seconds of ice time between shots on goal dating back to Feb. 4.”
That’s pretty much unfathomable.
At Pettersson’s best, that’d be about three games worth of shifts. Right now, he’s playing less due to his lack of productivity.
Regardless, it’s still much too long for a pricey center. It’s almost too long for any forward.
Pettersson’s game isn’t just defined by shots. He plays great defense and distributes to his teammates.
But really, he’s being played like a team star, and he’s far from that at the moment.
If another team trades for Pettersson, they’ll have to be hoping a change of scenery does him good. Because right now, he’s far from an $11.6 million player.
