The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks have gotten out to similar starts this season, both playing well enough to be in playoff contention but not strong enough to be viewed as contenders early on in the season. The Oilers have posted a 9-8-2 record through their first 19 games and sit just outside of a playoff spot, while the Canucks are tied for third in the Pacific Division with a 9-5-3 record through their first 17 games.
Related: Oilers’ Bouchard Still Expected to Receive Massive Extension Despite Slow Start
Both teams have been inconsistent to start the 2024-25 campaign and haven’t quite found the dominance they had at times last season, but both of their biggest issues have been their lack of depth defensively. With both teams making changes to their blue lines this past offseason, they’re both eyeing the same defender to help bolster their lineup.
Pittsburgh Penguins’ defender Marcus Pettersson has been gaining trade interest from both the Oilers and Canucks recently, according to a recent report. Pettersson, who is 28 years old, is a left-shot defender from Skellefteå, Sweden. He was drafted in the second round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft by the Anaheim Ducks at 38th overall after a strong season in Sweden with Skellefteå AIK J20 where he had 18 points in 38 games. He has established himself as a trustworthy defenceman at the NHL level, so it should be no surprise that teams have shown interest in acquiring him.
Oilers & Canucks Could End Up in Bidding War for Pettersson
The Penguins are trending toward another tough season where they will miss the playoffs and be sellers at the 2025 Trade Deadline. Pettersson will be one of the most sought-after players considering teams need strong defensive depth to have a chance at making a run in the postseason. Both the Oilers and Canucks have struggled immensely in that regard, and bringing in a guy like Pettersson could solve that problem heading into the playoffs. Depending on the asking price from the Penguins, this could lead to a bit of a bidding war between the two teams.
Pettersson has notched 15 goals and added 126 assists for 141 points through 464 games which comes out to a 0.30 points-per-game average. While his offensive game has never stood out as his biggest asset, he has established himself as a shutdown defender who can be trusted to play top-four minutes.
The Oilers have been cycling through defenders and haven’t kept the same lineup for the majority of their games. Travis Dermott, Ty Emberson, and Troy Stecher have all cycled through their lineup playing different roles depending on the night. The recent injury of Darnell Nurse exposes the need to improve fast before they find themselves further down the standings. With Evan Bouchard’s defensive play declining combined with the lack of depth on the blue line, the team needs to act fast if they want any chance of making a deep playoff run like last season.
The Canucks have found a bit more success this season and have been solid to watch at times, except they too have had some depth issues defensively. Quinn Hughes hasn’t slowed down at all but fans have been concerned with the play of Filip Hronek, as well as the rest of their depth defenders. Bringing in a guy like Pettersson stabilizes that defensive core, and turns the Canucks into contenders if they can maintain their game offensively.
Both teams going after Pettersson would be smart, and he would fit right into both lineups. It will be a matter of who pays more to bring him in. The Canucks have a stronger prospect pool that they can leverage in trade negotiations which could give them an advantage over the Oilers, but time will tell which team decides to pay more for him.
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