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Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Sabres Should Ask the Canucks About Pettersson Again

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Zach Berta | Last updated Dec 13, 2025 12:30 PM ET

On Friday evening, the Vancouver Canucks ended up dealing Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, Zeev Buium, and a 2026 first-round draft pick. To me, that signals the Canucks could be headed into a rebuild, or at least a retool.

With that being said, amid the noise surrounding the Buffalo Sabres’ internal discussions about Kevyn Adams’ future as general manager, three NHL sources have told The Athletic. (from ‘What We’re Hearing About Kevyn Adams’ Future as Buffalo Sabres GM,’ The Athletic, Dec. 12, 2025).

Last season, around this time of year, Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts The Podcast proposed a hypothetical trade that would have sent Elias Pettersson to the Sabres in exchange for Bowen Byram and Dylan Cozens (Cozens was later traded to the Ottawa Senators at the Trade Deadline).

Then, Canucks reporter Rick Dhaliwal reported that the Sabres and Canucks were in talks about Pettersson. Now here we are, and I think the Sabres should still call the Canucks to see if they are willing to negotiate a trade for Pettersson again.

Sabres Could Use More Forward Depth

Pettersson, who has 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in 28 games played this season, would add some more depth to a Sabres lineup that, at times, struggles to put the puck in the back of the net. He gets the job done both offensively and defensively.

The Sabres’ center depth without Pettersson is a pretty solid group, with Tage Thompson, Josh Norris (when healthy), and Ryan McLeod. Adding Pettersson to the mix only makes it better and gives the Sabres another threat on the power play.

Adding Pettersson not only to the center group but also to a forward group with more potential, given how young and fast they are, could help him rediscover his offensive game in the short term and the long term. Imagine Pettersson playing on a line with Jiri Kulich and Jack Quinn on is wing. Two young players with excellent shots that Pettersson can set up and help improve the Sabres’ scoring.

Oh, and on the power play, playing with Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, Zach Benson, and others. There would be a ton of potential for Pettersson and the Sabres to be a top 10 offense in the league.

The Sabres, who score 3.00 goals per game, which happens to be 16th in the NHL, would be adding a player who is two seasons removed from a 100-plus point season and has been an above-average defender, but there are some kinks the Sabres would have to work out for all of this to happen.

Pettersson’s Cap Hit and Trade Protection Could Be an Obstacle

There are a few hurdles the Sabres will have to clear to make this work. The first is Pettersson’s $11.6 million cap hit through the 2031-32 season. The Sabres currently have $2.1 million in cap space, so a move like this would likely have to be a hockey trade. Given the return Hughes got from the Wild, I could see the Canucks wanting a few more NHL-level players.

Not only could cap space be an issue, but Pettersson has a full no movement clause, which means he has to waive it and give the Canucks permission to trade him to any team. This would mean that, for the deal to be realistic, a few things need to happen.

Pettersson waives his no movement clause.
The Sabres send more salary to the Canucks than they receive.
A possible third team could enter the mix, whether they’re a part of this trade or a separate trade, and have the Sabres send a player to them as a salary cap dump.

Now, what could a hypothetical trade look like?

Sabres Acquire

Elias Pettersson
2027 fourth-round draft pick (from Utah Mammoth)

Canucks Acquire

Bowen Byram
Anton Wahlberg
2027 second-round draft pick

Utah Mammoth Acquire

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

In a unique three-team trade, the Sabres would end up dealing a young, proven defenseman in Byram, a prospect in Wahlberg, and also a 2027 second-round draft pick, while also dealing Luukkonen to a Utah team with the cap space and need for a goaltender.

Is this possible? Absolutely. For the Sabres to make a trade work for Pettersson, Luukkonen will have to be dealt. It eliminates the three-goaltender system, and at this point, riding with Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis is the right move while waiting for Devon Levi to be fully NHL-ready, as he is still developing in the American Hockey League (AHL).

The Sabres trading for Pettersson makes them a better team right now. If they want to have a shot to break their 14-season playoff drought, making a trade like this is as close to a must as you can get. Should the Sabres trade for Pettersson?