Pettersson still not open to signing extension in season

A blistering first half to the campaign hasn't changed Elias Pettersson's desire to wait until the offseason to sign a new contract.

Pettersson first made his intentions clear to table contract talks in August and was asked about it again Friday after president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford signed a three-year extension.

"Wait until end of the year," Pettersson said, per NHL.com's Kevin Woodley.

Pettersson is due for restricted free agency this summer upon the expiration of the three-year, $22.05-million bridge deal he signed in 2021. He's expected to get a significant raise, as he currently sits sixth in league scoring with 59 points through 45 games.

Rutherford remains confident a deal will get done when the time is right.

"We can wait. I'll say the obvious, we keep saying it over and over: We really want him to stay," he said, according to Sportsnet. "He's a very special player. He's very important to the Canucks. He's very important to the city.

"He can't walk at the end of the season, and that (is) the position we've taken. We've taken that position very comfortably, so there's not anybody getting anxious here."

The Canucks are projected to have over $30 million in cap space over the offseason, according to CapFriendly, but only have 12 players signed for the 2024-25 campaign. Pettersson's linemate, J.T. Miller, is currently Vancouver's highest-paid player at $8 million annually.

Pettersson has racked up 382 points in 370 games with the Canucks since being drafted fifth overall in 2017.

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