Report: Pettersson has nearly $100 million deal with Canucks

It's been an absolutely dream season for the Vancouver Canucks and their fanbase.

The team is on top of the league and it finally looks like their core of Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, JT Miller and Thatcher Demko are turning into bonafide NHL superstars. The only question for the team now is... can they keep it up?

Out of all those players, only Miller is signed long-term. Hughes has three more seasons on his deal, Demko has two and Boeser has one. Pettersson's deal is up after this season and there's some real concern in Vancouver that the man they call 'EP40' could be on his way out of town.

The Canucks have made it clear that they would like to sign Pettersson long-term, but there's still no deal to be announced. Pettersson himself has been quiet when asked about his future, but it's believed that he essentially told the team that he's not interested in in-season negotiations. Still, NHL insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that there's a eight year, $96 million deal waiting for Pettersson the moment he wishes to sign it.

From Pagnotta:

The Vancouver Canucks and centre Elias Pettersson are comfortable waiting for the end of the season to address the superstar’s contractual status.

The 25-year-old is on pace for a second-consecutive 100+ point season and is due for a nice raise. In fact, if he wants to commit to an eight-year extension tomorrow, he can.

According to a well-placed source tied to the club, the Canucks tabled Pettersson a long-term deal, believed to be eight years, worth $12 million per season at the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign. That offer has not been rejected; it’s there for the taking. Pettersson simply wants to take his time, see how the season plays out and revisit his future in the summer.

This isn’t about money; Pettersson is focused on winning. That’s why he shut down talks last off-season – he wanted to fully prepare for this year and help the Canucks bring a championship to Vancouver. His patience, so far, is paying off.

The Canucks aren’t feeling any heat, either. They control his rights, as Pettersson can become a restricted free agent July 1 (with arbitration rights), but they aren’t applying any significant pressure. The deal is there for him when he’s ready for it. Right now, his priorities are elsewhere and that’s winning.

- David Pagnotta

If this is true, then you have to imagine that the two sides come to terms early in the upcoming offseason. I know that if someone were offering me 100 G's, I wouldn't sleep until the paperwork was signed and the money was in my bank account. Make it happen, Petey.