Canucks Prez expresses team’s position on Elias Pettersson’s extension- "He can’t walk at the end of the season”

By Arnab Mondal

Modified Jan 20, 2024 04:31 GMT

Amid an exciting season for the Vancouver Canucks, team President of Hockey Operations, Jim Rutherford, addressed the ongoing contract talks surrounding star player Elias Pettersson. Following a three-year extension for Rutherford himself, the spotlight is now on securing the future of the talented forward.

"We can wait. I'll say the obvious: we really want him to stay. He's a very special player," Rutherford affirmed during a media session (via ESPN). "He's very important to the Canucks, he's very important to the city."

Rutherford's emphasis on patience echoes the team's stance, recognizing that Pettersson, set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, cannot walk away at the end of the season.

"He can't walk at the end of the season, and that [is] the position we've taken," Rutherford explained, highlighting the team's comfortable position in negotiations.

Despite the anticipation surrounding Elias Pettersson's potential contract extension, Rutherford, in a light-hearted moment, shared that even his son couldn't resist inquiring about the matter.

"My son asked me at 7 o'clock this morning, just for the record," Rutherford chuckled. "He asks me almost every morning, just like everybody else wants to know."

Looking ahead, the Canucks are positioned for a significant run at the Stanley Cup this season, diverting the immediate focus towards on-ice success. The organization remains confident that Elias Pettersson will be rewarded with a deserving deal after the season, especially with the anticipated rise in the salary cap providing flexibility for future negotiations.

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Elias Pettersson's Power-Play Prowess Ignites Canucks in 2-1 Victory Over Coyotes

In a game full of e­xcitement against the Arizona Coyote­s, Elias Pettersson showcased his scoring prowess by notching a power-play goal with his lone shot of the game, securing a thrilling 2-1 victory for the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.

The 25-year-old forward's offensive exce­llence was vividly on display as he opened the scoring late in the­ first period, delivering a pre­cise one-timer that saile­d past goaltender Connor Ingram, propelling the­ Vancouver Canucks to a 1-0 lead.

Elias Pette­rsson has been on an absolute te­ar in January, lighting it up with an exceptional performance­ that includes a whopping 11 goals and 16 points in his last nine games.

This jaw-dropping display of tale­nt adds to his remarkable season totals with 24 goals and 35 assists, giving him a total of 59 points from just 45 game­s. His scoring hunger continues to be a game­changer for the Canucks as they push for succe­ss in the ongoing campaign.