The Chris Johnston Show: Chris Johnston and Julian Mackenzie talk about the Vancouver Canucks and Elias Pettersson. That, even though he didn’t perform well until his big contract, teams will still want to get him.
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Mackenzie: “One player in Vancouver that I’m impressed with I’ve asked him about before, and I want to bring him up again, but, but, Elias Patterson.” Second year of an eight-year, $11.6 million contract.
In theory, yes, I understand why you would want to move on from this player. The question is, who will take this contract where it is now? I really like the teams that might like that player. When he’s on his game, he’s one of the best players in the league. But he didn’t look like that, did he?
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Johnston: “He hasn’t, but, you know, the one thing the Canucks remember is that he’s the type of guy to go, start over, and be, you know, take off, and everybody’s like, why don’t you just give it to him?
You know, I wonder what the Carolina Hurricanes, though, you know, had conversations about, in Pettersson last year and, and, and, and, I think they’re going to be looking for other, other impact players on their roster. And, you know, maybe have the belief that if you plug them into their system and give them that fresh start and surround them with the players they have there in the position they have there, that can work. So, you know, that’s just calling one group.
You know, there, there are other groups out there. You know, the LA Kings are losing Anze Kopitar at the end of the year. You wonder about the fit there. I could see the Detroit Red Wings being interested in someone like Petterson. I just don’t know if the Canucks will be able to get any of those teams the kind of return that would make sense.
And you know, they’re not at a stage where they feel like they have to get rid of this guy, but they, they listen to everybody. I mean, that’s what comes out of Rutherford’s comments to Patrick Johnson, that, you know, there’s, there’s no, there’s no conversation they’re open to having. It doesn’t mean they will, it doesn’t mean they will act on everything, but I think they should. They have to consider all, every possible option as they look to get a high draft pick this year and rebuild, rebuild years down the road.
So, you know, it’s too bad how things went for Petterson, because I think his values have already decreased from where they were last year when these comments were made, or, sorry, when that, this contract was starting to hang there and, yes, of course, he’s not the asset that he used to be.
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But come on, look at his history. I mean, it’s hard not to be surprised that rarely disappears. But, you know, I don’t know. I don’t think anyone has an easy answer and, you know, why things are going well for him. So you know, he’s going to be very visible on the next trade board when it comes out, because it’s a big name, but, it’s a big contract, and I think there’s a risk involved, for anybody who’s seriously looking at bringing him in.
Mackenzie: “Three years ago, Elias Patterson was a 100-point player. Two years ago, he was on a 30-goal plateau. In fact, he had three straight seasons where he was able to do that. If there’s a player that, if you’re a GM, you hope he finds a way back. Like I get why Elias gets why Patterson gets that. good luck moving on to that contract.
Johnston: “And remember, it’s hard to find centers of influence and trade. Usually, you have to trade for scarce assets to do it.
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You know, if Nazem Kadri finally lifts his no-movement clause and moves. Someone like Brayden Schenn in St. Louis. I mean, these are potential employees. Maybe Ryan O’Reilly, even if the Predators play as well as they have of late, that becomes very unlikely.
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But there aren’t a lot of players you can put in the center’s top six that can be traded for at this time. But you know the fact that Patterson is one of them, I think that’s why teams are going to take a long-term look, at least if it makes sense.”
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