Trending or Ending?: Elias Pettersson Being Traded to the Kings – The Hockey Writers – Vancouver Canucks

Elias Pettersson was seen skating in Los Angeles, which immediately led to comments about how he looked and if this was a sign that he might be on his way to the Kings in a trade. It’s a big jump to suggest that an NHL player skating outside his own city might mean a deal is coming, but there are reasons to wonder here.

In my latest Trending or Ending series, I’m going to take a look at the rumors that Pettersson might be a trade option for the Vancouver Canucks and if the Kings are the most logical choice. Not only that, but is his skating with Kings players a sign that something is coming?

The rumors started when a video surfaced of what looked to be an out-of-condition Pettersson skating in Los Angeles. The report suggested he was skating with several NHL players, including some Kings players. This, of course, caught people’s attention because it wasn’t long ago that the Kings were rumored to have shown some interest in a Pettersson trade.

TSN reporter Farhan Lalji reported in early July that the Kings reached out to the Canucks and “kicked the tires” on a Pettersson deal. No formal offer was reportedly made, but it sounded like the Kings weren’t prepared to meet whatever ask the Canucks had.

Given Anze Kopitar’s retirement, buzz surrounds the Kings. They might be eager to add a center and Ken Holland isn’t afraid to make a splash. It feels like they’re falling behind in the Pacific Division race, they are definitely among the older teams in the NHL, and a fresh start for Pettersson, where his wife lives, could make sense.

If the Kings believe Pettersson can find his old game — which included a 39-goal and 102-point season — it could be a solid addition. It would be a gamble, but Pettersson might still have No. 1 offensive center potential.

The Case for “Ending”: Informal Skates Like This Happen All The Time

To suggest that Pettersson might be traded to the Kings because he was in Los Angeles and skating is a reach. Informal skates for players in other cities are not abnormal. It happens all the time. Players meet up with other players, grab ice where they can (or where they live or vacation), and get workouts in. It’s simply a way to shake the rust off with players of that caliber.

So too, there’s no indication that a trade is actually close. Speaking on CanucksArmy, Rick Dhaliwal reported that Pettersson has been known to spend summers in Los Angeles because his wife is from there. Additionally, Dhaliwal said there hasn’t been much interest in Pettersson around the league. No one is lining up to make trade offers.

There’s also something to the theory that a new front office wants to, at the very least, give Pettersson a chance to bounce back in Vancouver. The Sedins and new GM Ryan Johnson wouldn’t be seen as fair to the player or the team if they bailed before seeing if he could rebound.

So, Trending or Ending?

I’m going with ending on this one. Conceding that there have been whispers of a Pettersson trade to the Kings this offseason, nothing seems close. And an informal skate in Los Angeles doesn’t change that.

Will a trade eventually happen? It could. Might the Kings be the team to watch here? Perhaps. Does that mean a deal is imminent or that Pettersson will be in a different jersey before the start of the 2026-27 season? That seems unlikely.