As the NHL free agency period approaches, a former teammate of Nathan MacKinnon—who lifted the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche—appears to have made up his mind. According to reports, Elias Pettersson and the Vancouver Canucks are emerging as the most logical personal fit for the highly coveted pending free agent.
The 2023-24 NHL season wasn’t kind, whatsoever, to Pettersson and the Canucks. Amid a rocky offseason in Vancouver, many speculated that the franchise’s uncertainty would hurt its chances of landing key players. However, they may have just proven those doubts wrong.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram is shaping up to be one of the most sought after players in the upcoming free agency period in the NHL. Coming off a career-best 38-point season with the struggling Sabres, Byram is reportedly not looking back. Setting off for new horizons, it didn’t take long for the British Columbia native to look at the Canucks.
Byram, who hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2022 with MacKinnon and the Avalanche, will enter his seventh NHL season during the 2025-26 campaign. Although the Canucks don’t have an urgent need for a left-handed defenseman at the moment, they could have great use for a talent like Byram. Especially to quiet down the unbearable buzz surrounding Quinn Hughes’ future.
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.
Reports indicate Byram is looking West for his next adventure in the league. Avalanche insider Adrian Dater chimed in, dropping a bold remark about the blueliner’s stance. “I believe Byram wants to be a Canuck,” Dater said on his X account.
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It’s a match
Though his numbers won’t blow anybody away, Byram brings a strong skillset that could serve Vancouver well. Signing the homegrown talent won’t solve all of the organization’s issues—some of which extend to Pettersson’s future and beyond—but it would likely be a welcome move among fans and players alike.
“Lots of Western Conference teams are interested in Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram,” Rick Dhaliwal said during an episode of the Donnie and Dhali podcast. “I would not be surprised if the Canucks are one of those teams.”
