Subscribe
Follow Us
Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson finally broke out as a true superstar in the NHL last season, leading the team with a phenomenal 39-goal, 102-point campaign in 2022-23.
As the 24-year-old enters the final season of a three-year, $22 million contract he signed back in October of 2021, his next contract has been a hot topic in British Columbia this offseason.
The Swedish star enjoyed a boat ride in his home country with Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, and provided an update on preliminary contract talks.
“I'm not in a rush to sign,” Pettersson told Friedman. “I got one more year left over there, and I don't want to rush into anything because I still don't know myself if it's going to be a short-term or a long-term. It's gonna be probably my biggest contract so far, so I don't want to stress anything.”
Article Continues Below
The Canucks are in a tight spot against the salary cap, and do not have a ton of money to work with. But locking up their best player and franchise cornerstone is obviously a top priority for the organization.
“All summer I'm just trying to prepare myself as much as possible with training, trying to gain a little bit of weight and muscles, and yeah, especially, get off to a good start with the team,” he explained.
Elias Pettersson will be looking to help the Canucks return to the postseason for the first time since 2019-20, and the sooner he can put the contract discussions behind him, the better it will be for all parties.
