Player Discussion Elias Pettersson Talk | Also Chiropractors, the Medical Staff, and You

crowfish

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Jun 3, 2011
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Our window will slam shut if we get this kind of performance for 11.6 mil/yr.

I hope he turns it around, and we all know he can, but man oh man, I'm personally tired of waiting.

He needs to be better.

I am personally tired of waiting too, it's been 1 full game now with him making 11.6 and he had a sorta bad game, this is not acceptable!
 

SeawaterOnIce

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Aug 28, 2011
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Lmao this fanbase is absolutely delusional about player values. Retain money to trade Elias Pettersson?

It's all theoretical right now, however if we are in a position to trade Elias Pettersson then we will likely have to retain. It's not ludicrous to think so...

It's sort of similar to JT Miller when he was rumored to be on the trading block in 2023. NY, Carolina and Pittsburgh wanted Vancouver to retain....but it was a non-starter.
 

Canucker

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Oct 5, 2002
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The problem I have with EP is that I really don't know what fires him up, if anything? He's paid like one of the top 5 players in the league but all too often you wonder if he's even playing. I have no idea what motivates him and I have to wonder if Tocchet knows either. He's like the Elon Musk of hockey players, super talented but a really strange character who you are never really sure what's going on in his brain and if he'd rather be off doing something else. When you are getting paid like EP I should know you are on the ice because you should be dominating the majority of your shifts, especially against weaker opponents.

OTOH...it was the 1st game of the year, and there will be some adjustments...you can't throw out the baby with the bath water.
 

Szechwan

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Sep 13, 2006
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I think what drives people crazy is that he looked like more of a game breaking talent in his rookie season than he does now. His shot was electric, he was quick and agile, and he regularly deked guys out of their jockstrap 1 on 1.

Details-wise he is a vastly superior player now, but for whatever reason that electricity that he possessed early on is no longer present for the most part. His half-wall clapper seemingly misses about 90% of the time, his short-side wrister that used to nearly take off the goalie's ear is nowhere to be seen, all the small touches that used to make him look like genius now go into skates and result in turnovers.

I don't think he's washed or anything, but I think he's really struggled to maintain the offensive dominance while staying on top of the defensive details. It's like it's all one thing too many for his brain to process.
 

Bertuzzzi44

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Jun 26, 2018
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I think what drives people crazy is that he looked like more of a game breaking talent in his rookie season than he does now. His shot was electric, he was quick and agile, and he regularly deked guys out of their jockstrap 1 on 1.

Details-wise he is a vastly superior player now, but for whatever reason that electricity that he possessed early on is no longer present for the most part. His half-wall clapper seemingly misses about 90% of the time, his short-side wrister that used to nearly take off the goalie's ear is nowhere to be seen, all the small touches that used to make him look like genius now go into skates and result in turnovers.

I don't think he's washed or anything, but I think he's really struggled to maintain the offensive dominance while staying on top of the defensive details. It's like it's all one thing too many for his brain to process.

Well said, he used to easily deke defenders and go right through traffic with crazy stick handling and puck control, now he fumbles it.
 

God

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Apr 2, 2007
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I think what drives people crazy is that he looked like more of a game breaking talent in his rookie season than he does now. His shot was electric, he was quick and agile, and he regularly deked guys out of their jockstrap 1 on 1.

Details-wise he is a vastly superior player now, but for whatever reason that electricity that he possessed early on is no longer present for the most part. His half-wall clapper seemingly misses about 90% of the time, his short-side wrister that used to nearly take off the goalie's ear is nowhere to be seen, all the small touches that used to make him look like genius now go into skates and result in turnovers.

I don't think he's washed or anything, but I think he's really struggled to maintain the offensive dominance while staying on top of the defensive details. It's like it's all one thing too many for his brain to process.
Before the all-star break last season, he was also that player. That's what's so frustrating - he is either a top 10 or top 40 centre, and we don't know what drives him to be the former.

I really hope he gets "it" back. Contending windows are small, and ours isn't even open without him at his best.
 

VanJack

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Jul 11, 2014
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It's only a murmur now, but could become much louder with Pettersson as the season grinds onward.

I wonder how serious they were about trading him to Carolina, with Martin Necas and maybe a couple of other players coming back? Also wonder if at any point they'll regret not making a deal like the one with Horvat.
 

Munber1

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Jun 5, 2011
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I think maybe he's a bit too focussed on showing off his fancy stickwork, which usually happens while skating slowly...but maybe he thinks people expect that of him?
I'd like to see him with a bit more of that Garland attitude/energy...and he seemed to play better when he was just starting out with the Canucks because maybe he was eager to show everyone
how good he was, which is different than the feeling of trying to live up to what he thinks others expect of him
 

Bertuzzzi44

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Jun 26, 2018
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Any player that makes over 11.5M jumps out at you on the ice. You can tell within 1 shift they are the best player on the ice. EP has never been that, quite the opposite actually. People notice his poor skating and always falling over. I really hope he turns into a dominant Superstar game in, game out, as the Franchise has pushed all the chips in on this player by giving him that monstrous contract.
 

Diversification

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Jun 21, 2019
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He played fairly well in the first period. Seemed to go downhill for him once he passed up that grade A chance to shoot it from the slot. Let's give him until the quarter mark to pass judgement.
 
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sandwichbird2023

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Aug 4, 2004
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Any player that makes over 11.5M jumps out at you on the ice. You can tell within 1 shift they are the best player on the ice. EP has never been that, quite the opposite actually. People notice his poor skating and always falling over. I really hope he turns into a dominant Superstar game in, game out, as the Franchise has pushed all the chips in on this player by giving him that monstrous contract.
I'm not sure if you are referring to the period where he is paid $11.5m (1 game sample size), or his career as a whole, but if you are talking about his career, then your comment is clearly wrong. There has been several periods (extended periods) where Petey is clearly the best player on the ice and stood out big time.

I get everyone is frustrated but let's not say things that are clearly false now.
 

crowfish

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Jun 3, 2011
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75 points in 62GP before signing the extension last year, 21 points (6 goals) in 33GP after the extension. I don’t know if it’s all mental and pressure related, but it definitely doesn’t look good right now.

His play was dipping well before signing the contract, so your timeframe is painting a false narrative that shows Pettersson in a negative light where it is not warranted. Let's keep things factual instead of just adding fire to the Pettersson hating.


Any player that makes over 11.5M jumps out at you on the ice. You can tell within 1 shift they are the best player on the ice. EP has never been that, quite the opposite actually. People notice his poor skating and always falling over. I really hope he turns into a dominant Superstar game in, game out, as the Franchise has pushed all the chips in on this player by giving him that monstrous contract.

Pettersson has had poor skating since day 1 in the NHL, not even poor, just noticeably worse than great skaters like Hughes, MacKinnon, McDavid etc. That did not stop him from scoring 413 points through the first 408 games of his career. It seems the fanbase is mad at Pettersson for not being McDavid or MacKinnon and holding it against him since signing the contract, but he was never like those guys, and doesn't need to be to be worth his contract.

Pettersson's game is an elite playmaker with great hands and an elite shot. Skating / physical gifts are not a part of his game and never have been strengths, so using that as a reason why he is not worth his contract is not fair criticism, since those things are not what earned him his contract. It would be awesome if he skated like Hughes and was as strong as Matthews, but that would be a fictional player that doesn't exist.
 

Peter Griffin

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His play was dipping well before signing the contract, so your timeframe is painting a false narrative that shows Pettersson in a negative light where it is not warranted. Let's keep things factual instead of just adding fire to the Pettersson hating.
I was just using it as a possible reason for his downward play but you’re correct, his February stunk as well. Basically post all-star break he’s been around a .5 ppg player. If he doesn’t get off to a good start this season, the pressure is only going to intensify.
 
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Kryten

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Pettersson's game is an elite playmaker with great hands and an elite shot. Skating / physical gifts are not a part of his game and never have been strengths, so using that as a reason why he is not worth his contract is not fair criticism, since those things are not what earned him his contract. It would be awesome if he skated like Hughes and was as strong as Matthews, but that would be a fictional player that doesn't exist.
Thats completely fair, but these traits with his size makes him a winger, the position he has produced the most with Miller as his center. Ive been beating this drum for a while now that he needs to be a winger until he matures, then he can take a crack at center later in his career like Miller did. He would need to be 6’5” and 240 lbs to make up for his softness as a center. He oozes skill but is not ready to lead the team with a letter, let alone his line
 

Cupless44

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Jun 25, 2014
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I am personally tired of waiting too, it's been 1 full game now with him making 11.6 and he had a sorta bad game, this is not acceptable!
No not for the 5th highest cap hit in the NHL, you can't be just ok in too many games, going back to last year.

For 11.6 million there has to be games when you can be the difference maker. Paid like a star, play like a star.
 
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kanucks25

Chris Tanev #1 Fan
Nov 29, 2013
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Pettersson has had poor skating since day 1 in the NHL, not even poor, just noticeably worse than great skaters like Hughes, MacKinnon, McDavid etc. That did not stop him from scoring 413 points through the first 408 games of his career. It seems the fanbase is mad at Pettersson for not being McDavid or MacKinnon and holding it against him since signing the contract, but he was never like those guys, and doesn't need to be to be worth his contract.

Pettersson's game is an elite playmaker with great hands and an elite shot. Skating / physical gifts are not a part of his game and never have been strengths, so using that as a reason why he is not worth his contract is not fair criticism, since those things are not what earned him his contract. It would be awesome if he skated like Hughes and was as strong as Matthews, but that would be a fictional player that doesn't exist.

I don't care if Pettersson was the weakest player and worst skater in the league, the impact he makes is all that matters and it doesn't really matter how he does it.

And at his price tag, his impact ought be consistently at an elite level.

Even during his best stretches of hockey he skated like Bambi but nobody really cared because he was dominant.
 

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