Elias Pettersson could slot in nicely as the Hurricanes’ second or third center, behind Sebastian Aho. He has 13 goals and 24 assists in 53 games on a bad Vancouver team at the moment. The Canucks are in last place and are believed to be sellers before Friday’s deadline.
Here is why Lavalotte believes the Hurricanes can be the team that ultimately lands Pettersson:
“We know the Hurricanes have been interested in Pettersson in the past — Canucks GM Jim Rutherford used trade talks with the Hurricanes to leverage the Swedish center into signing his extension. Now, Pettersson is the subject of trade rumors with Vancouver residing near the bottom of the NHL standings.”
He comes with a hefty $11.6 million cap hit and an eight-year contract that is valued at over $90 million, but if Pettersson could regain his 30-goal scoring ability, it’d be a great addition for Carolina’s powerful offense.
The next part of a potential deal is what Caarlina would have to give up, because Vancouver likely wants a haul. It’s not that Carolina can’t afford Pettersson, but at the cap hit he currently has, is it worth it to ship off some of the young prospects the Hurricanes have?
It seems at this juncture that the Hurricanes are going to hold onto Jesperi Kotkaniemi. This means the center position is pretty full at the moment, and Kotkaniemi could have been a strong piece in a potential deal.
Now, Carolina would have to offer either draft capital, or pieces in their minor league system.
The Canes are very much in a “win now” mindset, as the team’s kryptonite (the Florida Panthers) appears to be out of playoff contention. Being in the Metro division, the Canes might just have to worry about an Atlantic Division opponent for the playoffs.
Either way, expect the Hurricanes to still make a move or two before the Friday deadline. Another goalie would be a nice addition, and well, another forward as well.
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