Elias Pettersson's Agent Outlines Canucks Star's Thinking

Despite heading into the final season of his contract, Vancouver Canucks' star forward Elias Pettersson has made it clear that he's in no rush to sign an extension. In a recent interview with Elliotte Friedman, he said he just wants to wait things out for now and focus on the upcoming season. 

Now his agent, JP Barry, has expanded on that, offering the inside scoop today on Pettersson's thinking. Barry spoke on the Donnie and Dhali podcast. 

He's not an unrestricted free agent (after the season), he's just a restricted free agent, so it's ok to be patient. I think some of the main reasons are just to see how he feels, see how everything looks (with the Canucks), and that'll probably affect how he's thinking about the term... And the market obviously could be a little different by next spring. So all of that, I think, plays in to what he's thinking about being patient. 

And that last point is the key thing to consider here. With the salary cap going up next year, Pettersson could be in for an even bigger windfall than he would be now. 

"Yeah, obviously if you're in a negotiation right now and you're looking at all of the comparables," said Barry, "some of those really could change in four or five months, that is the reality... I think we just have to let it play out right now a little bit."

And then, of course, there's the 'team success' factor. Barry admitted that's another consideration for Pettersson. The Canucks took a step back last year, dropping nine points in the standings, and finishing 6th in the Pacific Division—their 3rd straight year out of the playoffs. 

"Yeah, if he's gonna commit long-term, like all players, they want to see the team moving forward and making progress."

Pettersson broke through big-time last season, cracking the 100-point mark, with 39 points and 63 assists for 102 points. Another performance like that, and his patience will definitely pay off with a massive extension next summer. 

Photo: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports