Penguins want to trade for Elias Pettersson from Canucks, but Vancouver wants 1 tricky player
Penguins want to trade for Elias Pettersson from Canucks, but Vancouver wants 1 tricky player originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Pittsburgh Penguins have been heavily linked in trade rumors to Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars.
If that can’t happen, though, it sounds like the Pens have a different plan to use their cap space.
They’re interested in Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks, according to local radio station 93.7 The Fan.
The report indicates that the Canucks want Ben Kindel in return, “and that’s made the trade hard to make,” it adds.
Kindel is a talented young player, and while Pettersson has skill, too, his contract is rough.
He’s still under contract for six more seasons, at $11.6 million per season.
MORE: Dylan Larkin’s trade list is causing a problem
It seems unlikely any team would trade for Pettersson without the Canucks retaining at least some of his salary.
When Pettersson signed the deal a few years ago, it looked like he was emerging into one of the best all-around centers in hockey.
Since then, he’s regressed in a big way. His defensive abilities are still present, but his scoring has fallen off a cliff. If that doesn’t change, it’ll be tough for him to warrant such a big salary.
Still, the Penguins seem intent on taking a big swing. They appear to want a player who can both contribute to one final run with the aging core, then help bridge to a new era.
Pettersson may not be as shiny as Robertson, but apparently, there’s a chance he ends up being the outcome, too — depending on how the Penguins truly feel about giving up Kindel.
