Canucks could lose their top centreman as agent makes cryptic statement

With his fellow Swede smiling ear to ear as he explains to Toronto reporters on how the deal went down, many in the Vancouver Canucks fan base wonder where things stand in terms of their superstar.

A day after Nylander, Pettersson agent JP Barry gave the fan base a rather cryptic response to how the negotiations are going which produced more questions than answers.

It's obvious that both parties would like to sign a deal as soon as it's possible as he will be able to negotiate a contract extension after this season is over. Some players would like to go the route of one year as they would bet on themselves to see if they can get a better deal with their style of play.

Others like Nylander look for cost certainty and have expressed the desire to stay with their team for the long term which made the contract discussions simple.

Pettersson along with his Canucks teammates have had a phenomenal year thus far and have been on the top of the NHL standings for the bulk of the season. Pettersson's numbers are like Nylander's where he is playing excellent hockey and producing points at a record pace.

Through 41 games, he has scored 20 goals with 33 assists for 53 points and is a + 17. In his past five games, he has scored seven goals with three assists for 10 points.

The restricted free agent who holds Arb rights is in his final year of his contract holds a $7.35 million cap hit. It remains to be seen on how these negotiations will play out, but it's important let a deal gets done as he is the face of the franchise and will continue develop.