NHL News: Elias Pettersson reportedly set to lose key teammate as Canucks face 'longshot' extension

The Vancouver Canucks continue their frenetic pulse towards the 2025-26 NHL season, with dramatic stops scheduled during the offseason, free agency, and during the upcoming entry Draft. As the winds of change blow through Vancity, one star teammate of Elias Pettersson is expected to skip town, according to reports.

Pettersson and the Canucks are stepping cautiously into Adam Foote’s era at the helm of the organization—one that fans hope will lead down far better roads than last season’s dreadful journey.

Vancouver is already looking quite different, yet more changes are expected once the NHL calendar flips on July 1st and several players become unrestricted free agents (UFAs). Some may want to stay in town, but others—like Brock Boeser—have apparently made up their minds and will, more likely than not, sign with a new team for next season.

While Pettersson would benefit by the Canucks keeping the team’s second-leading producer—and the organization would gladly extend him—Vancouver is well aware of Boeser’s standpoint, and it recognizes it’s a ‘longshot’.

Elias Pettersson #40 of the Vancouver Canucks arrives before the game against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on January 25, 2023 in Seattle, Washington.

“Boeser, 28, is a ‘longshot’ to re-sign with the Canucks, one team source confirmed to me this week. He is prepared to move on to the next chapter of his career and will attract significant interest this summer, especially given the limited market,” insider David Pagnotta stated on The Fourth Period.

see also

NHL News: Canucks reportedly exploring trade for star teammate of Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes in Vancouver

Demko could be on the move

Goaltender Thatcher Demko has struggled to solidify his role as the Canucks’ number one netminder—due largely to injuries, though inconsistent performances have also played a significant role.

Demko rose to fame in Vancouver after being sent in net during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs in aid of Jacob Markstrom. Since, he has been on and off the starting job, yet it seems the Canucks are heading in a different direction. Kevin Lankinen has taken ahold of the crease, and Demko is reportedly being discussed in trade talks, as he will enter the final year of his contract in Vancouver next season.

“Thatcher Demko appears open to a change of scenery and is expected to be in play as he enters the final year of his contract,” Pagnotta noted on the current goaltending situation in Vancouver. “With the Canucks committed to Kevin Lankinen, teams evaluating their goaltending position will be an option for Vancouver.“