Can Elias Pettersson get back to 100 point form if he gains more muscle this summer?

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

This. I haven’t seen enough shift by shift effort from Pettersson the last two seasons.
Also a ton of his points in 2022 to 2024 came against really bad teams. He was great at blowing up San Jose and Anaheim but going MIA versus the best teams.

He peaked vs Vegas in the Bubble Run and hasn't played at that level since.

 

[wetcoast]

Caufield and 3 firsts

50+ minutes of Hughes/Hutson

Throw in Slaf?

That's poor team building though.

Watching the playoffs this year clearly shows how important big all around Dmen are and as much as I love Hughes and Huston, while probably never being as good as peak Hughes, will get better but having 2 guys like that on the backend probably doesn't work for a SC win.

Same thing with CC another smallish winger, Canucks needs centers.

 

[Brookbank]

If he trains this summer and gains muscle mass, I think he would be that much better and could get back to 100pts. He's already pretty strong but hes not living up to his potential and is dominated physically by larger players. When he's got confidence he's one of the best players in the league. Unfortunately his confidence can be fragile.
What do you think?

This whole narrative doesn't really work. He won a Calder and got 90-100 points with the body type he has.

There's something to the tendonitis. It isn't all just in his head. You don't just choose to be slower ect. Even on his best games now, his first stride is slower. He has some kind of physical issue

 

[Brookbank]

He peaked vs Vegas in the Bubble Run and hasn't played at that level since.

He got 90 and 100 points after the bubble run

He has it. It didn't go away. It never does historically

 

[Brookbank]

He's played at 100 point pace once out of 7 seasons, gonna go with no, chief.

He was a career PPG player before this year, chief. Betting against career PPG players long term usually doesn't work, chief.

 

[Coffee]

He was a career PPG player before this year, chief. Betting against career PPG players long term usually doesn't work, chief.

Sky is not a chief


Jk

 

[Dirty Dan]

Being a bodybuilders doesn't do shit for sports. Im sure his lower body is powerful look at his slapshots

 

[Fatass]

Of course he could get back to his 100 point Selke level play, but it’s highly doubtful.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

60-70 is definitely his floor. His speed and shot velocity has decreased significantly, and he was very obviously refusing to shoot. His shot being his main weapon in previous years. strength will help him power through checks to playmake and deke. but his knee and wrist were heavily hampered in the past 2 years... leading to him getting the yips. IF he gains strength, hopefully things will snowball.

I don't think it’s the yips. If you had said that last year after the playoffs? Sure. But then this year, it’s moved past the yips mate.

Last year after the allstar break, he dropped off and yeah it was because of some knee injury but when it boils over to a full season after that? That’s a very expensive issue. It’s not the first time a player with high draft pedigree suddenly has a couple of fantastic seasons where you think this is it, here’s his coming out party as a star, then….it just doesn’t happen.

I think both sides need a fresh start. I don’t see Elias finding his way back on a team that doesn’t have a good opinion of him and he doesn’t need to be on a team where the real bloke in charge, JR, basically calls you a points passenger that doesn’t step his game up when it matters.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Of course he could get back to his 100 point Selke level play, but it’s highly doubtful.

He hit that total once. Which looks a lot like an outlier year at this point. A lot seem to think his knee issues are still there. Which I mean, you’re an athlete with the availability of very good doctors and having issues with it for over a year?

The thing is this is common injury for most players, it’s something a lot play through and sort out. So what the f*** is he doing that isn’t helping?

It's hilarious that he's basically been told to stay in Vancouver this summer and workout under the team’s guidance. That’s a lot of babysitting.

 

[JKG33]

I suspect if gets 100 points, it'll only be for a bad team giving him all of the prime ice time.

Yup, the pump n' dump Erik Karlsson method

At this rate that team will be Vancouver, because like SJ with Karlsson it'll be the only way to trade his shitty contract

 

[rielledup]

This whole narrative doesn't really work. He won a Calder and got 90-100 points with the body type he has.

There's something to the tendonitis. It isn't all just in his head. You don't just choose to be slower ect. Even on his best games now, his first stride is slower. He has some kind of physical issue

I don't understand why this isn't everyone's response in this thread as it should be the extremely obvious response to make. Unless you think everyone in the league got a lot bigger and stronger since EP had a 100 points it makes zero sense to think that him not being big and strong enough is the problem

 

[93LEAFS]

If he puts on that much weight quick he probably losses his agility. Honestly, it's about getting him back in the right headspace.

As a Leafs fan, I don't think Marner ends up better if he puts on 20 to 30 pounds. His game is about what's in his head combined with agility. Pettersson is the same spot. Now, the issue with centers is they constantly have to battle down low, but Pettersson is probably more valuable as a winger removed from that than having to put on 25 pounds to fight guys like Barkov, Eichel, Matthews, Draisaitl down low.

 

[TheGoldenGod]

I’m at the point where I’m pretty comfortable saying that I would much rather have Robert Thomas or Nick Suzuki on my team going forward.

I would say both are more well rounded in the other facets of the game and carry their respective teams offensively. They also both display great mentality, leadership, and compete.

No offense to Petey but those are the guys I’d rather have for a playoff run right now. Which is shocking because I always thought he was the clear cut best center from 2017.

 

[Stephen]

I don't think it's muscle issue with Pettersson more like he seems to have gone down the road of being a headcase and needs to figure his crap out. Vancouver's best bet is to find as Elias whisperer to get him back on track. Otherwise you might have kind of a Patrik Laine just up and down career.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Yes, get him on some HGH

 

[shello]

Pettersson seems like a prime candidate for moving to a place with sunshine year round. My uncertified diagnosis is that he is affected by lack of sunlight and would be physically better if he left a un-sunny city like Vancouver

He’s Swedish, I don’t think the lack of sun is an issue

 

[Howie Hodge]

Needs to work out:

 

[NyQuil]

The fact that the source of his decline is still a relative mystery is problematic.

 

[BraveCanadian]

No

Plenty of evidence that being a buff gym rat =/= being better at hockey.

 

[BillDineen]

The fact that the source of his decline is still a relative mystery is problematic.

Contractextensionitis

 

[mc1laren]

He isn't/wasnt as good as people think/thought he is/was.

As a Canucks fan I never got it when I saw people talking like he was this amazing player. Like, he's pretty good, like a barzal, but never saw him as a good franchise leading type forward.

Barzal 460 points in 530 games and has never cracked 25 goals

Pettersson 457 in 471 games despite an abysmal season this year and has been a 30 goal scorer 3 times, hitting 39 once.

He may not be franchising leading type but he’s shown to be much more productive player than Barzal with an elite defensive game.

 

[HeadLiceHatty]

A better question is how much muscle can he put on and will he ever bench 375.