What’s the story with Elias Pettersson?

[Pavels Dog]

89 points last season, 102 points the year prior.

Yeah he's not a perfect player, doesn't really have the build for sustaining the grind, playing through injuries etc. but he's a great player who will probably go on a heater soon.

 

[centipede2233]

It’s a case of overpaiditus. Funny how his play and body language soured from when he signed. This happens to a lot of stars. He might regain form but it might take time. Hopefully he isn’t sniffing coke for the next several years like Price then finally enters the PAP 4 yrs from now.

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

He went from a 100 point per year guy, basically up until the all-star break last year, then came out of that a shell of a player. Don't know what the deal is but he's at 30+ straight games now without a 5 on 5 goal and with few Powerplay goals. He used to do everything with purpose and authority, now he just sort of floats.

It's even more impressive the Nucks took Edmonton to game 7 missing Demko and with EP a shell of his former self.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Should spend more time in the gym rather than flashing his instagram fits. A 25 year old 6'2 NHL top center should honestly be embarrassed weighing 176lbs. And he's getting physically embarrassed on the ice constantly.

Time for him to grow up and take his craft seriously or this contract will age horribly for him and the Canucks. Obviously very talented hockey player but guess what Petey, there's lots of those. Skirting by on that talent when you're 22 on a team without expectations is one thing but that act gets old. You need to have the correct mindset to be a consistent top end player year in year out in this league and Pettersson does not and has not had it for too long IMO. Don't give me that lacks confidence or he's just in his head stuff. He hasn't put in the work to get better and as a result has regressed. Really looks that simple to me. Not a lost cause by any means but he's got to take a long hard look in the mirror if he wants to figure out what his problem is. Just my two cents.

 

[kanucks25]

Nobody knows.

He's apparently dealing with a nagging knee injury but has never missed any time because of it and has had a full offseason in between.

All we know is that going back to last season, we have about a half season's worth of sample size in which he's looked like a 3rd line checking center with below average physicality and offensive ability despite having game-breaking talent.

Not all Canucks fans agree on this but me and a lot of others believe he is just extremely fragile mentally; whenever he's a little banged up or things aren't going his way he becomes a shell of himself.

His ES production has been like below replacement level.

 

[LemonSauceD]

He’s incredibly frustrating.

He maintained a 104 point pace between December 2021 (he was in the same type of slump he’s in right now prior) up until February 2024. His play was already starting to suffer though by around November/December of 2023 but he was still producing. After the all star break he’s completely just gone awol.

It’s all mental with him. He’s got an inflated ego. He has poor body language and when things don’t go his way he’ll sulk and completely play disinterested. He’s overthinking things with the puck. His compete level has been a joke and Canucks fans are as stumped as anyone.

He has such an elite level of skill and talent and he is still great defensively, but his intensity level sucks when things don’t go his way.

It also doesn’t help unlike other stars in this league he doesn’t have linemates with half the skill and talent that he has. The players he’s played with such as Mikheyev and Beauvillier all paced career seasons playing with him, and he factored in 40% of Kuzmenko’s goals before his own lack of play got him shipped. He played a bit with Hoglander.

It’s all mental with him. Alexandre Daigle type of mental.

 

[Johnnybegood13]

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Huberdeau > Pettersson

 

[Lunatik]

I'm not gonna crap on Pettersson, but reading some of the takes from Canucks fans is certainly interesting.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Nobody knows.

He's apparently dealing with a nagging knee injury but has never missed any time because of it and has had a full offseason in between.

Saw someone mention the knee “injury” is tendinitis. I remember in my playing days being told by either a PT or orthopedist that tendinitis is a nonspecific diagnosis that essentially means your knee hurts. IME that’s a frequent consequence of dysfunction elsewhere (weak core, inflexibility in hips, inadequate development of the posterior chain [ie glutes, back, hamstrings]).

This would be consistent with others’ stated concerns that his overall fitness level and dedication to training isn’t where it needs to be.

 

[kanucks25]

Saw someone mention the knee “injury” is tendinitis. I remember in my playing days being told by either a PT or orthopedist that tendinitis is a nonspecific diagnosis that essentially means your knee hurts. IME that’s a frequent consequence of dysfunction elsewhere (weak core, inflexibility in hips, inadequate development of the posterior chain [ie glutes, back, hamstrings]).

This would be consistent with others’ stated concerns that his overall fitness level and dedication to training isn’t where it needs to be.

I haven't seen much in terms of people questioning his off-ice commitment or training. There is a group of fans that think his interest in fashion/social media/etc. distracts him but there's no real evidence or rumor/talk from any credible source that suggests it is an actual issue.

His lack of strength and size does seem to be a problem for him on the ice, but you'd think the organization would put him into a fitness program that would target those weaknesses.

Besides, there's no way he was in better shape in the past than right now and in the past - whether it was in his first couple seasons or two years ago - was when he was at his best.

 

[kerrabria]

So everybody's got a theory, but nobody wants to state the obvious?
He's a remarkably streaky player with a sky high ceiling, but the stars need to align for him to be on a high.
Who knows what makes the guy tick. Not everybody is as consistent as Crosby--that goes for hockey and life. I'm sure Pettersson wishes he knew how to even out his play too.

 

[ItWasJustified]

He's apparently dealing with a nagging knee injury

Are the Canucks trying to ruin his career? If he's dealing with a nagging knee just sit him for as long as it takes for him to be 100%. Who the fornicating sign a player to a 8 year contract then only wants him at 80% of his capacity for several of those years?

 

[Cancuks]

He always played his best hockey with Miller and Boeser. Re-unite them. Try DeBrusk at center.