Was Elias Pettersson Actually Being Traded By Vancouver?

During a recent episode of the Full Press NHL Podcast, Rob Simpson of VancouverHockeyInsider.com told Jim Biringer of Full Press Media and NHLRumors.com that all the talk surrounding the Vancouver Canucks trading Elias Pettersson was just that talk.

NHLRumors.com Transcriptions

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Jim Biringer: “You mentioned the center position and the depth at center down behind Elias Petterson. Obviously, there were a lot of trade rumours surrounding Petey last year and maybe into the off-season, and it feels like maybe they couldn’t do anything, because, you know, ‘Oh, yeah. Well, if we try to trade Petey, we’re going to have to try to find two centers. And that doesn’t work.’ Are they still trying to find a center behind him, or do they hope Filip Chytil is over his injury history, too?

Rob Simpson: “Well, I consider the Petey trade talk asinine. It was the local media’s chance to whine about it and say, ‘What if we trade him and he plays really well?’ Not going to happen. Who was going to trade for a guy that was at his lowest rung, who’s getting paid 11 and a half million dollars with a new contract with the Canucks? I mean, just think of all the scenarios where they’ve traded him and held money back, so they get, it was ridiculous.”

Biringer: “And you weren’t winning that trade?”

Simpson: “No”

Biringer: “You weren’t gonna win it because you didn’t win the J.T. Miller trade. It was clear that wasn’t a win.”

Simpson: “No, no, it was just ridiculous. So yeah, you trade J.T. Miller, and then you trade Elias Pettersson on the heels of that. Like, what do you and who comes up with this stuff?”

NHLRumors.com Note: As we here at NHLRumors.com have documented throughout the season, the Vancouver Canucks were in turmoil. There was a lot of drama in the Pacific Northwest, not only off the ice, but on the ice as well. It was another down year for Elias Pettersson. He had issues with J.T. Miller before he was traded to the New York Rangers. However, as documented, the Canucks want to improve, and trading Pettersson does not help them achieve this goal.

NHL Rumors: All Signs Point To Elias Pettersson Staying in Vancouver

They are not deep at the center position, and trading a number one center in Pettersson puts them in a challenging situation similar to when they traded Cory Schneider and then traded Roberto Luongo. It took the franchise a while to bounce back. As a management group, it is easier to find one extra piece to help you win than three or four. That’s what would happen if the Canucks did trade Pettersson. Not to mention, there wasn’t a market for him, and the team isn’t winning that trade.

Plus, keeping Quinn Hughes needs to be a priority, and there is no rush for him to make a decision. However, having Pettersson alongside Brock Boeser gives the Canucks a chance every night. Again, similar to the Miller talk a couple of seasons ago, before he extended and the trade last year, it’s just given people something to talk about.

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