NY Rangers Should Explore Risky Pursuit of Canucks Forward

Should the New York Rangers take a gamble on a forward from the Canucks?

Jan 12, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; View of a Vancouver Canucks logo on a jersey worn by a member of the team during the second period at Bell Centre. / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers are getting set for an important offseason, and it feels like the team has to get right or panic might set in. 

With the Rangers missing the playoffs and coming in last place in the Eastern Conference this year, the pressure is on this summer to get things right. New York was one of the biggest disappointments in all of hockey last season, and this is a franchise and a fanbase that needs to see better play. 

That will start this summer by continuing their retool and adding more talent. Despite things not going well of late, the Rangers are a team that has a ton of cap space and two first-round picks at their disposal. 

The possibilities for the team to get better are going to be endless this summer, and they should leave no stone unturned. One option that could help improve the team is a risky one, but the pursuit of Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson could be worth investigating. 

Pursuing Pettersson Would Be a Gamble 

Apr 14, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (40) during a stop in play against the Los Angeles Kings in the third period at Rogers Arena. / Bob Frid-Imagn Images

As a four-time All-Star at the age of just 27 years old, Pettersson burst onto the scene for the Canucks and made a major impact right away. As a player that the team clearly believed in to be one of the faces of the franchise, he recently signed a long-term deal. 

However, with Vancouver struggling the last few years, so has their star center. The Canucks had the worst record in the league this season, and they saw their talented center have another down campaign. Pettersson totaled just 51 points on 15 goals and 36 assists in 74 games played. 

For a player who was able to record 30 goals in three straight campaigns and hit the 100-point mark during the 2022-23 season, he has really seen a decline in production over the last two years. 

While he hasn’t been playing nearly as well of late, he is also on a massive contract that makes moving him tricky. Pettersson is owed over $11 million through the 2031-32 season, and his level of play is not living up to that number. 

However, for the Rangers, a player like Pettersson with a bad contract could be a risk worth taking. He is clearly a talented forward and would fill a need for New York. While the contract and the price tag would be hard to swallow, the Canucks would likely come close to giving him away at this point. While this would be a risky move by the Rangers based on his recent play, a change of scenery might be exactly what he needs.