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After months of speculation suggesting trades for everyone on the roster, this week we’ll find out who’s staying, who’s going
Published Mar 02, 2026 • Last updated 40 minutes ago • 8 minute read
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Elias Pettersson moves puck against Utah Mammoth defenceman Mikhail Sergachev during Feb. 2 game in Salt Lake City. Photo by Melissa Majchrzak /APArticle content
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Well, this is it. The trade deadline is March 6 and, after months of speculation suggesting trades for everyone on the roster, this is the week where we find out how many Canucks are going to leave town.
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We saw Tyler Myers actually miss games last week for a trade that didn’t materialize, and the same names we’ve been hearing for weeks were being kicked around: Conor Garland, Teddy Blueger, Evander Kane, David Kampf, Jake DeBrusk. And now we’re reading a lot more about Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson and almost every other player over the age of 25 being on the block.
President Jim Rutherford is known around the NHL as a pretty crafty deal maker. So not sure he’ll be thrilled at the public aspiration coach Adam Foote has been showing at Pettersson, benching him on the weekend in another loss in Seattle.
Most now seem to agree a change of scenery is best for both parties when it comes to Pettersson but, honestly, with six years of term left and that salary, it’s a very difficult contract for another team to take. Of course, there will be a big payoff if it sparks anything close to the form he was in when he signed the deal.
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But how much confidence does anyone have that we will see that version of Pettersson anywhere ever again? Patrick Johnston examined how far the team has fallen in just two short years and highlighted what Foote had to say about the team’s highest-paid player after glueing him to the bench on Saturday.
Adam Foote benched his notional No. 1 centre Saturday. Pettersson had a couple fleeting moments at the Olympics, but on the whole was a spare part. Now, Swedish head coach Sam Hallam was a mess overall, so his judgment isn’t all that definitive. And Foote, of course, is struggling in his first season as an NHL bench boss as well.
But Pettersson’s nose dive is long-running. He fell apart under Tocchet, too.
Two years of struggles. Maybe it’s the coaching style but it’s more like the will to win.
That’s what Foote highlighted after Saturday’s game.
“He’s got to be better, and he knows that, he’s aware of that,” Foote told the few reporters who attended his press conference after the game. “We need more from him and he’s got to find it. He knows he’s got to be better for us and we’ll see that next game.”
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GAME DAYTyler Myers on clock? Tick-tock, tick-tock?
It was expected Myers would make a decision Monday regarding trade interest from the Detroit Red Wings.
A 2026 second-round pick is on the table to move the long-serving Canucks defenceman but, of course, he must first waive his no-movement clause. And there could be other suitors knocking at the door before the Friday deadline. Myers was on the ice for the morning game-day skate, but he was not in the rushes, so read what you want into that.
Myers was held from two games for roster management purposes, which is usually a precursor to a trade. Is he waiting for other offers? Is he reluctant to leave for family reasons? We shall see.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars could use another depth piece on the back end to bolster their hopeful long run and get over the Western Conference final hurdle after three-straight stumbles. And they might also make play for unrestricted free agent winger Evander Kane as a rental to add some sandpaper.
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The Canucks are willing to retain on his expiring $US5.125 million cap hit. Stay tuned.
How Canucks will line up tonight
Kane-Pettersson-DeBrusk
O’Connor-Rossi-Boeser
Ohgren-Blueger-Garland
Hoglander-Kampf-Karlsson
E. Pettersson-Hronek
M. Pettersson-Willander
Buium-Joseph
Toronto loves Vancouver trade buzz
Of course, TSN has long made a meal out of their deadline day coverage so they’re already ramping up the rumours with their army of “insiders.”
Another clear seller is the Vancouver Canucks, with Dreger reporting that a trade to move pending UFA Evander Kane appears to be only a matter of time, while all options appear to be on the table for general manager Patrik Allvin when it comes to players deeper on the roster.
Dreger said an Elias Pettersson trade remains unlikely with few teams able to absorb his $11.6 million cap hit through 2031-32.
For a player such as Kane to move, Dreger notes the market have to be sparked by a deal, such as one of the top players on the Trade Bait board being dealt.
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Pettersson not showcasing trade value
Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre highlighted how Pettersson’s poor play is as big a hurdle to moving him as his contract.
Halfway through Saturday’s game, Foote dropped Pettersson from the first line to the fourth, where he skated between Nils Hoglander and Linus Karlsson. Pettersson did make a nice pass to set up Karlsson in the slot, but his fall to the fourth line mirrored his Olympic deployment for the Swedish team in Italy.
No wonder there hasn’t been much trade interest in the 27-year-old beyond some periodic tire-kicking.
Friedman reported that the Canucks have told teams they’re not willing to retain salary on Pettersson’s $11.6-million annual cap hit, which would further reduce his appeal to anyone who thinks a trade might spur the fallen star back toward point-per-game form.
With 13 goals and 35 points in 51 games, Pettersson is on pace for a 51-point season if he plays the Canucks’ final 23 games. Last season, in the first year of his franchise-record eight-year contract, he had 45 points in 64 games. His points-per-60-minutes of 1.49 is half what it was three years ago during his 102-point season.
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If Pettersson stays in Vancouver and his next two seasons are as disappointing as these two have been, the Canucks will be measuring him for a buyout. So, retaining $2-million a season for the next 6 ½ years could actually be a bargain if it facilitates a trade.
How quickly Canucks have fallen
In Patrick Johnston’s story, linked above, he highlights how swift the fall from contention things have been for Vancouver. Just two years ago there was Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser and Thatcher Demko at the All-Star Game. Demko’s broken, Boeser is having one of his worst seasons in his career and you know about Pettersson.
You can’t win without stars in the NHL and the top-end of Vancouver’s roster is just awful. The Athletic did a nice job analyzing the top lines of each team and which have been the best and worst this season. You can guess where the Canucks rank, but you’d also be challenged to identify what comprises the ‘top’ line for the Canucks.
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Elias Pettersson’s two-way play has been sturdier than his line’s alarming goals-against rate (which is likely worsened by Vancouver’s post-Quinn Hughes blue line and Adam Foote’s system) suggests. Defensively, he’s deserved better results.
Offensively, though, there’s no denying he’s no longer the game-breaker that once scored 102 points. Yes, Pettersson’s been hindered by a disappointing group of wingers (Evander Kane, Jake DeBrusk, Brock Boeser) on his line, which has almost certainly deflated his point production. However, it’s also clear his skating lacks the separation it used to have, and his individual shot rate remains a major red flag.
Overall, it isn’t surprising the Canucks’ first line is one of the worst in the NHL because it consists of mediocre middle-six wingers and a centre that’s still good, but a low-end 1C/elite 2C rather than a premium No. 1 centre.
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If there’s a silver lining for the Canucks it’s that the Leafs are in a world of hurt. A three-game winning streak before the Olympic break sparked hope, but they look dreadful at the moment and all the national hockey media is calling for a fire sale and a total rebuild. At least the Canucks have the hope of being at the top of the draft lottery.
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During the Saturday Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Maple Leafs are “widening their scope of what they (will) consider” ahead of the deadline next Friday.
While Friedman noted that he doesn’t think that would include the biggest names like Auston Matthews or William Nylander, he reiterated that “the word around them is they’re widening their ideas of what they may consider, and they are talking a bit more about players with term.”
The Maple Leafs entered Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators with a record of 27-23-9 and are currently on track to miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
If you missed it, former Canuck captain Hughes was on Saturday Night Live with a cameo on the weekend, celebrating their Olympic success. Reviews were generally good, especially the highlighting of the previously snubbed women’s team. It would be interesting to get a serious reaction from the Canucks marketing team as Hughes showed more personality in a handful of minutes on SNL then he did in all his years here as a Canuck.
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None of the Canucks are at the top of anyone’s preferred list – Iain MacIntyre
Iain MacIntyre was on the Donnie and Dhali Show this morning explaining why we haven’t seen much on the movement of Canuck’s players even though management is eager to sell. And why he wouldn’t be surprised if no one is moved until closer to Friday’s deadline.
With the playoff salary cap teams are just being very careful about who they pick up because they may not be about to pick up three guys they may only be one. So I think if that’s the case everybody obviously has their list and none of the Canucks are at the top of anyone’s list.
… So I think there’s going to be a lot of stuff that goes right down to the deadline on Friday. There usually is with the NHL trade deadline but I think this year especially. So because everyone is going to wait to see if they can get their guy and then move to Plan B and Plan C. And I think right now the Canuck players are Plan B, C, and D for a lot of teams.
Check back for more Canucks news throughout the day …
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