Reports that Elias Pettersson is “closing the door” on the Canucks

In case you missed it earlier this week, Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson made headlines with some of his comments regarding his contract situation heading into a pivotal season for the team. 

Pettersson's $7.35 million annual contract is up at the end of this season and he's eligible to sign an extension with the team anytime now. But, in conversation with Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, Pettersson stated that he's in no rush to sign in Vancouver and, essentially, that he wants to see how things play out before committing to the team.

"I'm not in a rush to sign. I don't want to rush into anything. I still don't know myself if it's going to be a short term or a long term. But, it's gonna be probably my biggest contract so far."

- Elias Pettersson

More from Friedman on today's 32 Thoughts podcast:

"Is there reason to panic here? Has he closed the door on the Canucks? No, I don't believe that. He knows his next contract is going to be a big one, wherever it is. And I don't think he's worried about that. I think he just wants to make sure that everything is going in the right direction and I got the sense that he is confident in what they (Canucks) have, he just wants to see the results. And as long as the Canucks do what he believes and what they're selling him they can do, I don't think this is going to be an issue. They know they're going to have to pay him, I think they're prepared to pay him, they're prepared to pay him long term. I think the guy just wants to win and he wants to be sure that it's there."

- Elliotte Friedman

Now, if I'm a Canucks fan this makes me a little nervous.

It sounds like Pettersson is putting the onus on the team to take a step forward, something that they haven't been able to do under their current core. Go back to 2020 and the Canucks had one on of the best young core lineups in the NHL with Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser and Thatcher Demko. Flash forward a few years and only Pettersson and Hughes have emerged as true core, franchise building type of players. Horvat's gone, Boeser is inconsistent and Demko has been stifled a bit by injuries. It's put up or shut up time for this young core and they may end up losing their best forward if they can't put together some results this upcoming season.