RUMOR: Vegas Kicking Tires On Elias Pettersson?
The Vegas Golden Knights are known for always going after the newest and shiniest player on the market and could be going after Elias Pettersson next.
Golden Knights To Try To Get Pettersson?
Recently, Chris Gawlik of Vegas Hockey Now suggested the unthinkable for the Vegas Golden Knights: moving for Elias Pettersson.
Pettersson is coming off a 102-point year and has one year left on his RFA deal. He is undoubtedly a superstar and the type of player any team would like to have.
Gawlik's proposal is as follows:
The pitch: The salary cap is projected to go up by $4.2 million in the 2024-25 season and $4.5 million the following season.
Stephenson and Marchessault [both come off Vegas' books in 2024] combine for a salary cap hit of $8.75 million in 2023-24. Their market value in 2024-25 elevates to $11.5 million. That eats up $2.75 million of the $4.2 million cap increase.
The Golden Knights have their first three round's worth of draft picks for 2024, 2025, and 2026. A package of draft picks and prospects could possibly get a deal done for Pettersson.
Stephenson and Marchessault [both come off Vegas' books in 2024] combine for a salary cap hit of $8.75 million in 2023-24. Their market value in 2024-25 elevates to $11.5 million. That eats up $2.75 million of the $4.2 million cap increase.
The Golden Knights have their first three round's worth of draft picks for 2024, 2025, and 2026. A package of draft picks and prospects could possibly get a deal done for Pettersson.
While a bold idea, it is one that could definitely happen if Vegas is willing to part with the right pieces. Pettersson is a superstar and would instantly be Vegas' best player. They have made big splashes in the past with Alex Pietrangelo and Jack Eichel so what counts them out of Pettersson?
Will We Actually See A Pettersson Trade?
At the moment, it is hard to say. Pettersson wants to win and the Canucks are not really all that competitive. They have been meandering down the road of mediocrity for a bit now and outside of Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, they are a poorly built team.
With only one year left on his current contract, Pettersson could outright refuse to sign with Canucks because of their inability to be competitive. If he becomes available, we can expect to see every team calling on his availability and potentially even a trade bigger than the Matthew Tkachuk trade.
At only 24, Pettersson has more to grow and will likely see even more leaps in his game as he gets better linemates and continues to develop.
As seen on Vegas Hockey Now - Gawlik: Acquire Pettersson If Marchessault and Stephenson Don't Get Extensions
| POLL | ||
Would you trade away 4 first-round picks and more for Elias Pettersson? | ||
| Yes | 15 | 23.8 % |
| No | 48 | 76.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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