'Canucks are listening on Elias Pettersson' trade.

It was not so long ago that the Vancouver Canucks looked poised to be a perennial playoff threat, but a series of very unfortunate events have transformed this once promising looking team into one of the National Hockey League's worst through 47 games in the 2025-26 regular season.

The team's lack of success on the ice has led to talk of a rebuild with several players on the team's current roster being mentioned as possible trade candidates ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. While the usual names have been out there, things took a drastic turn this week when Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal revealed that the Canucks are in fact listening to trade proposals that would involve star forward Elias Pettersson.

"Yes the Canucks are listening on Elias Pettersson," confirmed Dhaliwal on Halford and Brough.

The revelation is a shocking one when you consider that this is the very same management team that initially signed Pettersson to an 8 year deal with an average annual value and salary cap hit of $11.6 million per season. That deal of course includes a no-movement clause, something that Dhaliwal believes will be an issue for the Canucks.

"I have no evidence that he would waive his no move," said Dhaliwal. "He's got a pretty powerful agent in J.P. Barry who doesn't always like the Pettersson trade rumors out of Vancouver."

Dhaliwal also believes that trading Pettersson could prove challenging for the Canucks, with opposing teams perhaps unwilling to eat the full salary on Pettersson's current contract.

"Team's are going to want Vancouver to retain," said Dhaliwal. "Does Vancouver have the stomach to retain for 6 years on Pettersson?"

The reaction from the Canucks fan base would likely be a nuclear one in a scenario where the Canucks retained salary in a transaction of this nature, especially given what has transpired in recent history. Pettersson was at the center of controversy last season when a public clash between him and teammate J.T. Miller eventual led to Miller being traded to the New York Rangers. Moving on from Pettersson less than a year after the organization chose to trade Miller away as a result of their interpersonal conflict, and having to retain salary to do so, would be nothing short of catastrophic asset management on the part of the Canucks.

The alternative however may not be out there.

"The other one for you is what team is willing to take that entire $11.6 million cap hit?" asked Dhaliwal. "What team out there is willing to take that hit?"

Stay tuned for more on this developing story.