With the trade deadline looming, and all the rampant speculation that emerges in the days leading up to it, may we present another little interesting tidbit. Perhaps it’s nothing more than a coach and a player he coached last season catching up on life and family, but according to Vancouver Canucks insider and sports radio host Rick Dhaliwal, Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet and Canucks center Elias Pettersson had a rather lengthy discussion during the Olympics.
Tocchet, who was one of Team Canada’s assistant coaches, and Pettersson, who was playing for Sweden, reportedly got together but nothing was specifically revealed in terms of what the two spoke about.
“Someone told me earlier this week that in Italy at the Olympics they saw Rick Tocchet and Elias Pettersson having a long conversation at the (Olympic) village,” Dhaliwal told Halford and Brough In the Morning on Friday morning. “I did get that verified, I can’t just get it and then just relay it to you, but I did get it verified. These two guys could’ve walked by each other in the village and not said, ‘Boo.’ But they didn’t, they had a lengthy talk. Those that think that Tocchet hated Pettersson, that’s not accurate. Just like every coach in the world, he needed to see more from his star player. He needed more effort, more intensity, more compete, better habits. And he needed the care level to go up. The same things that (current Vancouver coach) Adam Foote is looking from Elias Pettersson this year.
“Good on Tocchet for taking the time to talk with Pettersson in Italy. It shows you the player/coach relationship doesn’t need to end at the rink. Deep down Tocchet did care about Pettersson regardless of how things ended.” Dhaliwal added the duo had a “very good long talk” about “family and everything under the sun” and it was “very cool” for the two to have a chat.
Of course, two people having a conversation at an international competition isn’t a guarantee Pettersson is heading from Vancouver directly to the Flyers. A lot of things would have to be aligned for that to be possible. But seeing both conversing can’t help but be a plus should Philadelphia start kicking the tires on the center.
Pettersson, 27, was part of a whirlwind of controversy last season when he and former Canucks forward JT Miller didn’t quite see eye to eye most of the time. The result was Miller being sent off to the Rangers for a 2025 first-round pick, Victor Mancini, and Filip Chytl on Feb. 1, 2025. Meanwhile Pettersson has had a rather trying last two seasons. After amassing 102 points in 2022-23, and then 89 points the following season, the forward had just 46 points in 64 games in 2024-25. This season hasn’t been much better frankly, as he has just 12 goals and 23 assists for 35 points in 50 games. Needless to say, he, much like the Canucks, have hit the skids in a big way.
But could the Flyers put together an offer this coming week to land Pettersson and finally give the club a sorely needed top-line center they haven’t had since Claude Giroux was in his prime? Well, that is easier said than done perhaps.
“A lot of these Canucks veterans are easier to move at the NHL Draft or the summer” Dhaliwal said Friday morning on Vancouver radio station 650 AM. “DeBrusk, Garland, Boeser, Pettersson, they’re all underachieving, they’ve all got massive money and massive term left on their deals.” He added that it’s basically next to impossible for any contender this season to take on any of those contracts at the trade deadline, noting how close so many are to the salary cap ceiling. The result is that the Canucks may have to look to lesser teams, those hoping to turn the corner or those who are a few years away from becoming contenders themselves.
Could the Flyers land Elias Pettersson?
Enter the Flyers? Dhaliwal said teams are calling and inquiring about Pettersson, but thought it was doubtful teams could take on the rather hefty cap hit of $11.6 million completely, especially considering the center’s contract is for another six years after the 2025-26 season. However, knowing the Flyers could acquire that top line center with no contract extension discussion for six more seasons might be a huge advantage, particularly if Pettersson could rediscover his playmaking touch. With the rising cap ceiling, the fact the Flyers have some contracts coming off the books in terms of buyouts and retained contracts, and that there is no real huge contract extension outside of Trevor Zegras to contemplate, it could certainly be doable if both clubs entertained such a trade.
It’s highly doubtful the Flyers could swing a deal to land Pettersson before the trade deadline, but having even a rather superficial discussion between a star player and his former coach certainly couldn’t hurt. It possible Flyers general manager Danny Briere takes a hard look at what needs to be done to acquire a center still in his prime in terms of age but having had some setbacks of late. If Briere’s acquisition of Trevor Zegras has shown anything, it’s that a player who has had a few bad seasons on a bad club can have a breakout or comeback season in a new city and with a change of scenery.
What would it take?
If the Flyers swallowed the entire contract and left Vancouver holding not a penny in retention, then Philadelphia would certainly have to sweeten the pot. Most likely it would be a multi-piece deal that would include some young prime prospects and/or one or possibly two first-round draft picks down the road. It would be foolish to toss out names as to who the Canucks might desire, but Briere’s “has to make sense” mantra most likely wouldn’t result in the Flyers parting with the likes of Matvei Michkov, Zegras, or Porter Martone for starters.
However, those discussions are for another day. What we know now is that both the former coach of the Canucks and the current top-line center had a nice chat a week or two ago, caught up on some things and left without coming to blows. It’s a very low bar for sure, but if it ended up being a baby step that leads to discussions about Pettersson heading to Philadelphia, then who says no?