It's no secret that the Boston Bruins still need a top-six center. It is also no secret that the Vancouver Canucks would love to move Elias Pettersson and his contract. It is also no secret that not many teams are loving the idea of adding that contract.
Ok, so somewhere in the middle is the answer. Boston would love to add a player like Pettersson and his talent, but the contract and AAV are a deal-breaker for now; there's no doubt about that. However, Rick Dhaliwal joined Canucks Conversation podcast and explained what the latest rumors surrounding Pettersson are. It's something that should open some eyes, including Don Sweeney's.
Bruins get crucial update on Elias Pettersson's situation with Canucks
According to Dhaliwal, one team reportedly told Vancouver that they would need to retain close to $3 million a year to get a deal done. The deal carries an AAV of $11.6 million, and the total deal is eight years for $92.8 million and runs through the 2031-32 season. It also carries a full no-movement clause, which means the Canucks need him to agree to a new destination. Easier said than done.
What would the Black and Gold be paying for aside from a huge contract? Well, two years ago, Pettersson had 15 goals and 45 points in 64 games played. Last season, in 74 games played, he had 15 goals and 36 assists, with an eye-popping plus/minus of minus-30. He averaged just under 19 minutes a game the last two seasons.
It feels like the Bruins would consider him, but it feels like they would be buying a second Elias Lindholm, something they can't afford to do. Lindholm's struggles in Boston can be tied to the back problems he dealt with the last couple of seasons, and sure, he's due for a bounce-back season, but we thought the same thing last season.
It is looking more and more likely that the Bruins will begin Marco Sturm's second season behind the bench with the center depth that they currently have. Pavel Zacha, Casey Mittlestadt, Fraser Minten, and Sean Kuraly are likely the pivots. Pettersson is someone Sweeney and the Bruins should stay away from given the contract and performance over the last couple of seasons.
Boston is high on Minten and incoming rookie James Hagens landing a big role this upcoming season. Is that something that could happen? Maybe, but adding a veteran center to shore up the top six is something that really needed to be done. IS that going to come back and haunt the Black and Gold. Time will tell, but it is something a lot of fans will have their eyes on beginning next month.
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