Report: Elias Pettersson has left Vancouver

We're less than a week away from the opening of Vancouver Canucks training camp and the team's two biggest stars will NOT be there unless something big happens between now and then. Superstars Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes are both still unsigned despite negotiating with GM Jim Benning all offseason. If you're a Canucks fan, you HAVE to be feeling nervous about this team heading into the season.

Yes, Benning made some strong moves in bringing aboard players like Connor Garland and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, but if he can't get Pettersson and Hughes in the lineup what does it matter?

To date there have been reports that both sides are grinding away at long-term extensions for both players, but in the past week there's been some uncertainty that a deal will get done in time for training camp. Now, there are reports that Pettersson has left Vancouver entirely and has flown to Michigan to train with Hughes in his hometown.

From Canucks insider Thomas Drance in his most recent column for The Athletic:

Sources in Pettersson’s camp confirmed to The Athletic on Monday evening that the Canucks centre has already departed Vancouver. He’s flown to Michigan to be with his teammate and fellow unsigned restricted free agent Quinn Hughes.

Hughes and Pettersson are both represented by Pat Brisson and J.P. Barry of Creative Artists Agency and are close friends off the ice. They will remain in Michigan together, training and preparing for this upcoming season, as they await a resolution in contract negotiations.

 Again, if you're a Canucks fan that has to make you nervous. 

Pettersson has shown nothing but love for Vancouver since he first arrived in the city back in 2018, even spending his offseasons there to acclimate to the city and its culture. After all he's still a young man, originally from a small-ish sized city back in Sweden. He has embraced Vancouver and Canadian culture fully, so the fact that he's decided to up and leave the city with the opening of training camp just days away will likely sound alarm bells for the majority of Canucks fans. After all, this is a fanbase that isn't exactly known to be even-keeled. Suffice it to say that if the Canucks and Pettersson can't come to terms before the beginning of the regular season then things could turn ugly REAL fast.