“What I’m stressing with (Pettersson) is I want to give him an environment that supports him, that allows him to be himself and not feel that he’s got to be anything other than himself,” Johnson said of Pettersson. “I want to help him just in creating a space where I know he wakes up excited to come into the arena every day.”
The Vancouver Canucks Need Elias Pettersson To Round Back Into Form
The Canucks were getting steady production out of Pettersson, whom they made their first-round selection (fifth overall pick) in the 2017 NHL Draft.
With Pettersson, the Canucks were able to advance to Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinal in 2024, losing to the eventual Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers.
But since that point, Pettersson’s offense has gone down, and he’s not produced as expected. It’s especially concerning given that the Canucks are tied to him for the next six seasons with a considerable $11.6 million cap hit.
Right now, his production doesn’t justify being paid as a top-line forward, something that will need to change not only for Pettersson’s sake, but for the Canucks to emerge from their status as a basement dweller in the Western Conference.
Despite being heavily involved in trade rumors, a report that emerged earlier this month indicated that Vancouver’s previous management group never approached him with the request to waive his no-movement clause to facilitate a move.
“As far as I know, when I checked in… an Elias Pettersson trade never got close in the last few months,” Canucks Insider Rick Dhaliwal reported. “The Canucks never went to his agent and said, ‘Hey, we got a team, will you waive?”
Canucks Icon Henrik Sedin Directly Challenged Pettersson
Henrik Sedin, whom the Canucks also hired alongside his twin brother Daniel to serve in an executive role for the club, issued a direct challenge to Pettersson not long after coming back on board.
“We’re gonna be there to support him,” Henrik said. “In the end, he needs to decide; we can’t push him to do anything. He needs to decide what player he wants to be, because when he is prepared, and when he comes into the season well-prepared, I think he’s gonna surprise a lot of people.
“We’ll be there to support him; he’s gonna have to make a decision.”
Pettersson will have no choice but to elevate his performance if he wants to remain in the long-term plans of the franchise under their new front office.
Canucks GM Ryan Johnson Reveals His True Mindset About Elias Pettersson’s Future