After locking up goaltender Thatcher Demko to a five-year, $25-million contract earlier this week, the Vancouver Canucks have started to turn their attention to getting a pair of other young stars signed long-term.
The Canucks have begun preliminary contract talks with both centre Elias Pettersson and defenceman Quinn Hughes, although the discussions are in the very early stages.
"This week the Canucks began preliminary, preliminary discussions with Elias Pettersson and also with Quinn Hughes," Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said on Saturday's Headlines segment during Hockey Night in Canada. "Not very far along. Still a long way to go, and obviously that will become secondary now."
The Canucks organization is currently dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak that has seen 14 players added to the NHL's COVID-19 Protocol List as of Saturday night, which includes the 21-year-old Hughes.
Hughes has a pair of goals and 28 points in 37 games for the Canucks this season, his second full campaign with the club after being drafted seventh overall in 2018. He was a Calder Trophy finalist in 2020.
Pettersson, meanwhile, has missed 11 games this season due to an upper-body injury that landed the 22-year-old on long-term injured reserve. The Sundsvall, Sweden native didn't come off LTIR when he became eligible on March 31, and head coach Travis Green said earlier this week Pettersson's injury "was more serious than we thought originally."
The 2018-19 Calder winner has suited up in 26 games for the Canucks in 2021, recording 10 goals and 21 points.
