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Canucks Pressure Deal With Pettersson Backfired, Hints Insider

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Jim Parsons | Last updated 5/22/24

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff took a look at how surprising the poor performance of Elias Pettersson was in this season’s playoffs and asked if the Vancouver Canucks already regret signing the forward to a huge long-term extension. A huge star who didn’t perform when it mattered most, now what?

The Canucks couldn’t get Pettersson to commit to the team long-term for most of last season. All of a sudden a rumor popped up that they were willing to trade him and buzz suggested the Carolina Hurricanes might be interested. Not long after, Pettersson signed an eight-year $92.8 million deal.

When asked about the contract, Pettersson said he was waiting because he didn’t want to give away all of his leverage. But, he never wanted to play anywhere else.

Did the Canucks’ Power Move Backfire?

Seravalli writes, “It felt like Pettersson wilted under pressure and played scared, shoveling the puck off his stick at times to clearly avoid contract. That’s highly concerning – and also very unlike him.”

The NHL insider went on to say that this deal is quickly starting to look concerning. He adds:

He is due a $12 million signing bonus on July 1. Something is off. He had just 14 points in 20 games after inking the new deal. No one signs for $93 million under duress, but did Pettersson actually want to be in Vancouver? Or did the Canucks threatening to trade him as a way to induce the signing backfire in spectacular fashion?

If the Canucks got Pettersson to sign his extension before he was ready, one has to wonder how this affects their relationship moving forward. Pettersson is already taking criticism for not showing up when the Canucks needed him most. And, because he’s being paid to be the guy who performs under pressure, that his playoff run was a total failure is not a good sign.

The Canucks Have Questions This Offseason

It wasn’t expected that heading into the summer the Canucks would be asking questions about Pettersson. They’ll need to get deals done with Filip Hronek, Nikita Zadorov, and Elias Lindholm, but Pettersson was locked in. Now, some are wondering if locking in Pettersson for the massive deal he was signed to was a bad idea.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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