J.P. Barry, representative of Vancouver Canucks superstar Elias Pettersson, expects preliminary talks for a long-term extension to get underway this offseason.
"I think we're going to watch that market for (restricted free-agent) players who are already out there a little bit this summer," Barry told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "But I think in the talks that we’ve had (with the Canucks), they do want to get together sometime this summer or early fall at least - in the next few months - to try and talk about the future.
He added: "We've stayed in contact. Elias is thinking about it. I think it's going to happen, we're going to sit down this summer. We're going to talk about staying there long term. That is the plan right now."
Pettersson is entering the final season of the three-year, $22.05-million bridge contract he inked with Vancouver in 2021. The 24-year-old is eligible to sign a new deal as of July 1. He built a case for a significant raise this past season after finishing 10th in the league scoring with 102 points.
Pettersson set career highs in goals (39), assists (63), shots (257), and average ice time (20:33) during a tumultuous season for the Canucks in which the club missed the playoffs, changed head coaches, and traded former captain Bo Horvat.
Pettersson currently carries Vancouver's third-highest cap hit among skaters, trailing J.T. Miller ($8 million), and Quinn Hughes ($7.85 million). The Canucks project to have ample cap space come 2024-25 - the first season of Pettersson's potential new deal - with only nine players currently signed through the upcoming campaign.
Pierre-Luc Dubois of the Winnipeg Jets, as well as Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier of the New Jersey Devils, are among the most prominent unsigned RFAs this offseason that could influence the market on Pettersson's next contract.
The Canucks drafted Pettersson fifth overall in 2017. He's collected 323 points in 325 games with the franchise, and he won the Calder Trophy in 2019.
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