Remember Elias Pettersson’s rookie season with the Vancouver Canucks?
It was like the 19-year-old Swede was shot out of a cannon.
His first NHL goal electrified fans, as he moved down the ice with speed, moving his feet and decisively choosing to shoot.
If presented with the same opportunity today, I wonder if Pettersson might just choose to pass to Derrick Pouliot instead.
That’s what it felt like when Pettersson dished off twice when presented with partial breaks on Wednesday.
You can defend the passes. Perhaps his teammates should have done more with them.
Pettersson passed this to Garland, who didn’t register a shot (Sportsnet)
But it also follows a concerning trend this season.
Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100 per cent of the shots you don’t take,” and that’s a major reason why Pettersson’s goal-scoring has run dry.
If you don’t shoot, you don’t score.
And he’s not scoring.
Through 15 games, Pettersson has just three goals, putting him on pace for 16 on the season. This is after a disappointing 15 goals in 64 games in 2024-25.
Among Canucks forwards that have played more than three games this season, Pettersson ranks second-last in shots per minute at even strength.
Pettersson tallied three shots on goal on Wednesday, after going without a shot in consecutive games in Nashville and Minnesota. It was just the second time all season he has registered more than two shots in a game.
Pettersson has 23 shots on goal this season, good for 1.5 shots per game. That’s a full shot less per game than he averaged during his first six seasons in the NHL.
It’s not hyperbole to suggest that the Canucks have a lot riding on Pettersson.
Not only is he in the second year of an eight-year contract paying him $11.6 million a season, but he’s also their only hope to solidify the No. 1 centre position.
If the 26-year-old doesn’t return to form, it’s unlikely the Canucks will return to the playoffs, and it could spell the end of Quinn Hughes’ time in Vancouver.
If that happens, we might be talking about a rebuild.
So yeah, they need him to produce.
Pettersson is playing in all situations, averaging 19:52 of ice time per game, and he’s playing tough minutes against the other teams’ top players. He has been strong defensively and is second among all Canucks players with 10 points in 15 games.
But to be ok with his production thus far would be lowering the bar for a player who has potential for so much more.
What’s missing from Pettersson’s game is a killer instinct when the puck is on his stick. Too often, he seems content with deferring to others.
Sure, he’s making smart, safe passes. And certainly he’s not hurting the team when he’s on the ice.
Pettersson has been fine, and fine is acceptable for Max Sasson, Aatu Räty, or Teddy Blueger. But the Canucks need Pettersson to be better than fine.
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