The Vancouver Canucks are blowing it up. Pierre LeBrun reported Tuesday night that Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Jake DeBrusk are all available, with teams already calling.
LeBrun was direct about it: teams he spoke to over the last few days confirmed all three are on the table.
That is the entire top of the Canucks' roster. Gone, or at least available to go.
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The numbers tell the story of why ownership got here. Vancouver finished 25-49-8, ranked last overall in the league, and gave up 316 goals against on the season.
Pettersson finished with 51 points in 74 games, a number that carries a $11.6 million cap hit. His last 10 games produced just 6 points, and he went minus-7 in that stretch.
The gap between that production and that cap number is a problem no team would ignore.
Canucks ownership wants out of big contracts, per league sources
A separate report from @sekeresandprice made it even plainer: ownership wants to spend less, reduce costs, and get off contracts. That's not a rebuild with a plan. That's a fire sale with a budget.
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Boeser carried a $7.25 million cap hit and went minus-48 on the season. Forty-eight. That number is almost impossible to defend to ownership when the whole team was ranked 32nd in the league.
DeBrusk's situation is a bit different. He had 23 goals and went minus-3 over his last 10. At $5.5 million, he's the most movable piece.
But here's the real question: who actually wants Pettersson at $11.6 million after a 51-point season on the worst team in the NHL?
The market will answer that fast. If the Canucks need a team to absorb that contract, they may have to attach picks or a piece to make it work.
Head coach Manny Malhotra took this job days ago. What exactly he's coaching next fall is now wide open.
Should the Canucks trade Elias Pettersson this offseason?
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