Maple Leafs Should Pursue Canucks Forward Elias Pettersson This Offseason – Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs

This sounds like a crazy idea, but just hear me.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a lot of changes already since the end of their campaign, firing Brad Treliving and hiring John Chayla and Mats Sundin, as well as relieving Craig Berube of his duties as their head coach. Now, their focus shifts to the 2026 NHL Draft and developing their roster.

They have plenty of cap space available this summer, and while they are expected to land one of Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg with their selections, they still need goals going forward, as they have not delayed losing Mitchell Marner.

One name that makes a lot of sense for them is forward Elias Pettersson, who has struggled to find his former best game over the past few seasons, and could need a fresh start. His huge cap hit of $11.6 billion makes him a tough player to trade, but if the Canucks are willing to keep him, it would be a smart addition.

Speculation Remains About Pettersson’s Future

Rick Dhaliwal sent out a tweet a little over a month ago, citing Elliotte Friedman, supporting the idea that the Canucks and Pettersson could sit down and consider moving on.

Elliotte Friedman @DonnieandDhali : Will the Canucks sit down with Elias Pettersson after the season, real talk, put it all on the table.

Are you committed, we can make it work in VAN.

Are their places you are willing to go, let us know.

— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) April 13, 2026

Pettersson can choose where he goes in the event of any trade due to the no-movement clause in his contract, but the Maple Leafs could be an attractive destination for him, considering he will be playing on their top six team, have an entirely new hockey team, and have the first overall pick going into the league next season.

Maple Leafs Can Benefit From Improving Center Depth

The expectation, though not a foregone conclusion, is that the Maple Leafs will take McKenna first. He’s a great player, but not a center back. Adding Pettersson fixes their issue down the middle. Obviously, his price tag is scary, but if the Canucks keep $3.6 million, he becomes a very attractive player.

Pettersson’s defensive game remains strong, and he can be trusted to take over the defense and help the puck out of his net. On top of that, he still collected 51 points in 74 games last season, which is solid considering how poor the Canucks were last season.

Now, only 51 points for a two-player player as highly paid as him is not a good product. However, lowering his cap hit to $8 million, with increased salary and the need to buy out in hopes of returning to contention, makes him a valuable asset.

It would seem that he is overpaid at the $8 million price tag, but his production should increase with a strong core going forward.

Chayka Will Want to Make a Splash

Let’s call a spade a spade; the appointment of Chayka as the new general manager did not receive a positive response.

League fans, including Maple Leaf diehards, were not happy with the decision, considering Chayka’s reputation was weak after his stint with the Arizona Coyotes.

Although he listened to what the fans wanted and fired Berube, he will want to make another move to show his importance to the fans and those around him. Doing it for Pettersson, who is a dangerous addition but quickly improves their overall depth, could put him back in their good books.

What Would a Trade Look Like?

Let’s assume the Canucks will retain $3.6 million per year until Pettersson’s contract expires, bringing it down to $8 million.

The Maple Leafs are likely to part with a prospect and two second-round picks. The Canucks won’t get much in return for the trade, but they’ll still be looking for draft money and assets, mostly to cover the reserves, and parting ways with someone who’s been one of their strongest players over the past few seasons.

The Canucks could increase the trade benefit by acquiring Morgan Reilly, which would force the Maple Leafs to include a first-round pick. Not a perfect first round pick, but a future first round pick.

Either way, the Maple Leafs should look to target Pettersson this offseason. He’ll be an improvement on their forward depth, won’t break the bank, and will help show fans and the rest of the roster that their new management team is willing to spend money and assets to improve and get back into playoff contention after a disastrous 2025-26 campaign.

As the 2025-26 postseason continues, be sure to stay tuned Hockey Writers as your source for news, updates, and more from the NHL and the world of hockey.