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Elias Pettersson has not been at his best of late for the Vancouver Canucks.
That, in part, made him a big part of trade rumors throughout the 2025-26 season, although an expensive contract made it tough to move him.
In the end, he didn't go anywhere. He finished out the season with a Canucks team that had the worst record in the NHL.
Pettersson played 74 games and tallied 15 goals with 36 assists (51 points).
He was also a minus-30, which speaks to the caliber of the Canucks but also to his decline in play from his starring role as a two-way forward that earned him a giant contract a few years ago.
Now, the offseason is underway in Vancouver, and it's not clear what the future holds for Pettersson.
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What's next for Elias Pettersson?
Pettersson himself doesn't seem to want to go anywhere.
He held his season-ending press conference with reporters on Friday and said all the right things.
"I like it here," Pettersson said. "This feels like home."
The Canucks are the only NHL team Pettersson has ever known. He has played 545 games for Vancouver over eight seasons.
If he doesn't increase his level of play, though, Vancouver will be stuck with a player at $11.6 million per year for the next six seasons that isn't carrying his weight.
Something has to give here -- either a sell-low trade or an improvement by the 27-year old Pettersson.
Without either of those things, the Canucks will remain in a tough spot with their Swedish alternate captain.
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