The discussion that fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins know is coming at some point is at least a full season away, but they won’t be able to ignore it much longer.
The iconic duo of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin aren’t getting any younger, and both players are going to call it a career sooner rather than later; right now, the prevailing thought is that 2026-27 could be the last year of Malkin’s career, while Crosby is also entering the last year of his current contract.
The Penguins are going to need a reliable source of offense from a notable name to help carry the load when both players decide to hang up the skates, and right now, they’re being named as having an outside shot to land an intriguing forward.
NHL Insider Links Pittsburgh Penguins To Canucks Forward Elias Pettersson
According to noted Vancouver Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal, the Penguins have “some degree” of interest in Pettersson, though there’s no current traction on any kind of deal.
“I do believe Pittsburgh has some degree of interest in Elias Pettersson. I am not hearing the rumour that the Canucks have asked for Ben Kindel; no way the Penguins are gonna give up such a promising young player… for a bad contract,” Dhaliwal said.
“Teams that are desperate at center call; I checked in this morning, Pettersson has not been asked… to waive his no-move; that tells you… there’s nothing close,” Dhaliwal added.
Pettersson remains with the Canucks for now despite having been heavily involved in trade rumors over the last several months. While Vancouver traded away the likes of Quinn Hughes, Conor Garland, Tyler Myers, and Kiefer Sherwood last season, Pettersson remained in place.
He still has six years, including the current 2026-27 campaign, left on his contract with an $11.6 million salary cap hit.
Could Elias Pettersson Eventually Land With The Penguins?
The Swedish forward continues to be the subject of trade rumors despite carrying multiple years and a hefty salary cap hit on his contract.
Pettersson, whom the Canucks selected in the first round (fifth overall pick) in the 2017 NHL Draft, has skated in 548 career games and has scored 202 goals with 311 assists. He’s also contributed eight goals with 16 assists in 30 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
So far this year, he’s tallied twice while adding three assists in three games played.
Penguins Linked To $92.8 Million Star Forward