Being an upcoming restricted free agent with arbitration rights means Pettersson has a lot of leverage when it comes to negotiations. He can wait until the end of the season, get issued an offer by the Flames, and choose to take it to an independent arbitrator. He could also simply choose to sit at home until he gets the offer he wants, or close to it from Vancouver, similar to what
William Nylander did during negotiations with the Toronto Maple Leafs.