Pettersson says extensions talks are 'on hold' with Canucks
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Vancouver Canucks star Elias Pettersson has put extension talks "on hold" as he prepares for the upcoming season.
The 24-year-old centre is entering the final season of a three-year, $22.05 million deal, which carries a cap hit of $7.35 million. He is scheduled for restricted free agency next July.
"I've just put that on hold," Pettersson told NHL.com on Wednesday. "I still have one more year left. I've been wanting to focus on training this summer and the contract will sort itself out."
Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin also took a passive approach to the contract situation in June, stating team would sit down with Pettersson's camp "when the time is right."
Pettersson scored 39 goals last season, topping the 30-goal mark for the second straight year, and also beat his career-best point total by 34 with 102 points in 80 games.
Drafted fifth overall by the Canucks in 2017, Pettersson has 136 goals and 323 points in his 325-game career. He won the the Calder Trophy, was named to the NHL’s all-rookie team in 2019 and has represented the Canucks three times at the NHL All-Star Game (2019, 2020, 2023).
Canucks set for step forward?
After missing the playoffs for the third straight year, the Canucks made several adjustments to their blueline this summer, kicked off by buying out the contract of Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Vancouver signed veteran defencemen Carson Soucy and Ian Cole, who will be join trade-deadline addition Filip Hronek in their new-look top six.
The Canucks also added veteran forwards Teddy Blueger and Pius Suter in free agency and Pettersson is hopeful the moves will pay off in the win column.
"At the end of the day I just want to win, and I think we have some really good things going now in Vancouver," Pettersson said. "We've made some good trades and I think we had a good free agency, we got some good players.
"I think we got a good feeling about what it takes to be a good team and we just have to build on what we started at the end of last season."
After holding a 18-25-3 under Bruce Boudreau, the Canucks finished the year 20-12-4 under Rick Tocchet after a coaching change.
Vancouver has made the playoffs just once in the past eight seasons, reaching the second round in 2020.