'Being Honest Without Judgment,' Canucks GM Ryan Johnson Outlines Trade Conversations With Elias Pettersson
The Vancouver Canucks are making major roster renovations this summer, including hiring a new GM and coach. But new GM Ryan Johnson appears to be setting the stage for a blockbuster trade involving star center Elias Pettersson. Will Johnson pull the trigger on a Pettersson deal?
Video Transcript
And where he could be going and what the Canucks would want to get for him, Michael.
I like the LA Kings as a landing spot.
I think now that LA has brought on Peter Laviolette as their head coach, it does signal that this is a team that does believe that they have a championship window still open, that they're going for it.
And, you know, they've got Artemi Panarin.
You know, they lost Anze Kopitar, so they could use a- Oh a number one center.
I don't know if Elias Pettersson is that guy, but you put him on a team- That's true with Quinton Byfield, and you do have two number two centers at the very least.
So I don't know what it would take to pry him out of there.
Maybe like a combination of like a Sean Durzi and, I don't know.
W- would you have to give up a whole lot now for Elias Pettersson at this point?
What are you cooking up, Ryan?
What's- It's taking on the salary almost enough, and maybe it's just a couple prospects and a, a pick that you'd have to send the other way.
Yeah.
I, yeah, I, I do think that if you're Vancouver, just shedding that contract is, is probably the big win for you, where yeah, maybe you get a, a pick or two.
I, I hazard to say a, a first rounder.
You It's, it's weird is that you would hope that Elias Pettersson was worth a first rounder, but I don't know if he is at this point.
So maybe- If you're not getting that, then maybe keep him Maybe, or you're, I mean, if you're ripping it down to the studs, then, you know, like rip that Band-Aid off and say like, "Okay, you know, well, we've got Braden Coots in the system.
He's obviously not gonna be ready yet, and he's probably not a number one.
He might be a number two at best."
you know, you have the draft where maybe you can pick up a center for the future.
I don't know, like do you go Caleb Malhocher at pick three?
Do you trade down a bit and still take Caleb Malhocher and get another asset?
That's interesting.
I agree with you on the Kings.
I think with Panarin and Fiala and Kempe, he'll definitely have wingers to play with.
It's in division with Vancouver, which might be a little awkward, but I think that- That's true LA is a calm enough market that Eli- Elias Pettersson- Yeah wouldn't have a spotlight on him, you know?
Everybody's gonna be thinking about the Lakers, or the Dodgers.
Detroit would be a, another spotlight, right?
Yeah, yeah.
And a, a team that really needs to make the playoffs, they would be staring at Elias Pettersson being like, "You need to be Dylan Larkin even though you're not."
I know.
That's what I was just thinking.
