Selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round (No. 38) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Pettersson has 180 points (21 goals, 159 assists) in 604 games for the Ducks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Canucks.
If New York’s pick falls within the top 10 of the 2030 draft, the first-round pick will transfer to the 2031 draft and be unprotected.
Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson said the trade "came together rather quickly."
“It was something I felt was a good return for a player and a person like Marcus," Johnson said. "I've made it very clear that I don't mind pushing out picks (into the future). Draft capital is very important to me and also spreading that out at times is going to be something you've got to navigate, and looking at their first-round picks, there were limited options, obviously. So, to get to that as the asset coming back, it took some thought and some time, and again our staff was prepared, and when it came together, we had to pivot pretty quickly.”
The Canucks then signed defenseman Jamie Oleksiak to a two-year, $10 million contract ($5 million AAV). Oleksiak had 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 78 games for the Seattle Kraken last season. Selected in the first round (No. 14) of the 2011 NHL Draft by the Dallas Stars, the 33-year-old has 161 points (45 goals, 116 assists) in 758 games for the Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Kraken.
“Jamie is a big body who moves very well on the ice,” Johnson said. “He’s a solid two-way defenseman who isn’t afraid to use his size and strength to his advantage, and we like his reach and athleticism. He competes very hard and has grown into a good leader in the dressing room. Adding him to the mix on the backend will help us in many positive ways.”
Pettersson is the second defenseman the Rangers added Wednesday, after they acquired Sean Durzi from the Utah Mammoth for forward Vincent Trocheck.
The Rangers also traded defenseman Will Borgen to the Boston Bruins for a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a conditional third-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.
