The Vancouver Canucks are undergoing a major transition and organizational rebuild after a difficult season exposed questions across their roster and long-term direction. As Vancouver reshapes its core around younger players and a new leadership group, Elias Pettersson has become one of the biggest focal points of the conversation.
His recent training appearance in Los Angeles intensified the speculation surrounding his future. However, one former NHL defenseman believes the latest development has been given far more meaning than it deserves.
Frank Corrado Dismisses Elias Pettersson Trade Speculation
Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Frank Corrado pushed back against the reaction to Pettersson skating at the Los Angeles Kings’ facility, saying such offseason workouts are common around the NHL.
“It’s totally normal, and it happens in every market, and it’s going to happen in Vancouver with players that live in Vancouver that are going to skate with the Canucks players when they all come to town,” Corrado said on Sekeres and Price.
“It happened in Toronto. Funny enough, though, when I was playing for the Leafs, there was this mandate that we were closing the doors, and all the local guys that were NHLers were no longer allowed to skate with us.”
Corrado recalled that Toronto’s policy was unusual compared with other NHL markets. He also pointed to Vancouver and Edmonton as cities where players have plenty of opportunities to train with other professionals during the offseason.
“I was just talking to a goalie coach in the NHL the other day, and he’s like, ‘Yeah, we got this guy and that guy skating,’ because, like, in a lot of cities where maybe guys live, there’s not a ton of skates,” Corrado said. “Like in Vancouver, there’s a lot of skates in Toronto and Edmonton, but you go around the NHL, you look at some of these cities, and guys need places to skate with players that are similar capabilities to them.”
This context matters because Pettersson was seen training with players from several NHL organizations, including former Canucks teammate Tyler Toffoli. His presence at the Kings’ facility generated speculation that Los Angeles could be involved in trade discussions, especially with the Kings searching for a replacement for Anze Kopitar.
Yet the training location does not establish a trade connection. Pettersson’s wife is from the Los Angeles area, providing a straightforward reason for him to train there. Corrado made that distinction clear when he compared the situation with his own NHL experience.
“So it’s totally normal. I wouldn’t read too much into it,” Corrado said. “The one that was abnormal is when they shut the doors in Toronto and said, ‘Unless you’re a Maple Leaf, you can’t skate with us at the practice facility.’ And that was like, ‘What are we doing here, guys?’ Like, that’s crazy stuff.”
MORE: Insider Points at Canadiens’ Interest in $24,600,000 Ex-Maple Leafs Star
Pettersson’s future remains a legitimate question for Vancouver, but the Los Angeles training footage alone does not answer it. His $11.6 million AAV contract, full no-movement clause, and recent production decline remain the larger factors in any potential trade discussion.
