Elias Pettersson Draws Red Wings, Kings Trade Interest

elias pettersson is drawing attention again, with the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings viewed as potential suitors for the Vancouver Canucks centre. The possibility sits against a $92.8 million contract and a season that fell short of his 2022-23 peak.

Pettersson had 15 goals and 51 points in 74 games this past season, and he is entering the third season of an eight-year deal carrying an $11.6 million annual cap hit. For a player who once reached 38 goals and 102 points in 80 games, the drop in production has kept his name in the trade conversation for two years.

Red Wings and Kings

Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province linked both teams to Pettersson, but the fit looks different on each side. The Kings have a hole down the middle after Anze Kopitar’s retirement, while the Red Wings could enter the centre market if captain Dylan Larkin’s trade request is honoured by the club.

That gives Detroit and Los Angeles a common target, but not the same path. Kuzma was less certain about clear Kings assets in a possible deal, while he pointed to Nate Danielson or Marco Kasper as possible return pieces from the Red Wings.

Vancouver’s salary choice

The Canucks may have to retain salary to move Pettersson, a hurdle that shapes what Vancouver can ask back. If that happens, the trade becomes less about one-for-one value and more about how much flexibility the Canucks are willing to give up to reset the roster around a high-cost centre.

Pettersson’s stock has been part of a wider stretch of speculation in Vancouver over the past two years, and last week Ryan Johnson said he had a great conversation with him and wanted him to know he was comfortable just being himself. The new front office has made the conversation public, but the player’s salary, his 2024-25 production of 15 goals and 45 points in 64 games, and the possible return from Detroit or Los Angeles keep the pressure on any next move.