Elias Pettersson trade buzz just picked up a new voice, and this one ties him directly to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Chris McCluskey said this week he'd go all in on Pettersson if the price is right, pointing to Toronto's deep Swedish presence as a selling point.
The Maple Leafs already roster Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Emil Andrae, Calle Jarnkrok and Dennis Hildeby, all Swedish, giving a potential arrival a built-in support system.
Pettersson carries an $11,600,000 cap hit and managed just 51 points in 74 games this season, a serious drop from his peak production.
He finished at a minus-30, and Vancouver limped to a 25-49-8 record for 58 points, dead last in the entire league.
Over his last 10 games, Pettersson posted just 6 points, exactly the kind of slump fueling this whole conversation in the first place.
McCluskey didn't hold back in his post, admitting Pettersson has been through a lot but still framing him as a swing worth taking.
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Why Toronto's Swedish core makes Pettersson an easy sell
Toronto already carries big numbers with Auston Matthews at $13,250,000 and William Nylander at $11,500,000, and stacking Pettersson's $11,600,000 on top gets messy fast.
Fitting three centers making franchise money onto one cap sheet is a tough sell, no matter how comfortable the Swedish clubhouse feels.
Toronto closed the season 32-36-14 for 78 points, proof this roster needs actual scoring depth, not just another marquee name at the very top.
Vancouver also went just 9-27-5 at home this season, a number that explains why ownership might finally be ready to move a name this big.
Vancouver, meanwhile, would be selling low on a former 102-point center just to clear a cap number that's about to get heavier every year.
McCluskey called it due diligence. Whether Toronto's front office actually explores it is a completely different question, and nothing here suggests they have.
Should the Maple Leafs really go all in on trading for Elias Pettersson?
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