Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson won’t be attending the upcoming IIHF World Championship after all, as a report from Aftonbladet indicates that the Swedish ice hockey federation could not secure insurance for him at the event.
Pettersson, 24, is only signed through next season and is expected to ink a massive extension at some point this offseason. He is eligible for a new contract on July 1, meaning a serious injury at the event next month could jeopardize a huge amount of money. Insurance is needed for many players at the event, usually when coming to the end of a contract.
As the extension talks approach, Pettersson is in quite a strong negotiating position. The young forward broke 100 points for the first time in his career, posting 39 goals and 63 assists in 80 games. That included five shorthanded goals to lead the league, and some incredible, dominant possession numbers that suggest he will be able to repeat that performance moving forward.
Pettersson will carry a $7.35MM cap hit next season while earning a whopping $10.25MM in actual salary, thanks to the back-loaded nature of his bridge deal. That means his qualifying offer would be at $8.82MM to retain him as an RFA in the summer of 2024, another number that only helps his case as he negotiates a long-term extension.
While international hockey fans might have wanted to see him on the World stage, Canucks fans might be okay with their prized forward taking some time off. Pettersson has a lot of work to do to lead Vancouver back to the promised land in the next couple of years, something that executive Jim Rutherford believes is possible despite their recent poor performances.
Good decision. An injury not only costs him but possibly the entire direction of the franchise. And for what? The world championships? (Aka: Olympics from Wish)