For the second consecutive season, a major talking point surrounding the Vancouver Canucks was center Elias Pettersson. While the 27-year-old led the team in points with 51 in 74 games, he once again did not live up to his $11.6 million cap hit. With another six seasons left on his contract, the question remains whether the time has come for the organization and Pettersson to go their separate ways.
At his year-end media availability, Pettersson was asked about his future with the Canucks. He does have a no-movement clause, but all that means is that he needs to agree to any potential trade. Despite the constant trade rumours and noise, Pettersson stated that he is committed to helping the organization through this difficult stretch.
"I like it here," said Pettersson. "This feels like home. Signed here, for a reason. We are in a tough spot, and none of us are happy with the season. But like Thatcher (Demko) and Brock (Boeser) said, we've got good pieces here. So just trying to build it up and build a good team."
If Pettersson is going to be part of the solution, something needs to change. That includes the way he trains in the off-season, as whatever has happened the last few years does not appear to be working as intended. While he didn't give specifics, Pettersson mentioned multiple times that a change in how he trains may be needed if he wants to get back to being a top center in the league.
"Yeah, that's what I want to be. I want to be the best player out there. And obviously, hasn't gone the way I wanted the last two seasons and a half. But it's like trying to change up my, see what I did good, what felt good, what not felt good. Change up my summer training. And, yeah, go from there. I know I have a lot of good hockey in me, and I haven't showed it, but I'm confident in myself, but definitely will change up my training a little bit with certain things."
Later on in the day, Jim Rutherford also spoke on Pettersson's season. Vancouver's President of Hockey Operations was honest in his assessment of the Swedish center, and also pointed out that a change was needed in how Pettersson prepares in the off-season. While Rutherford was critical, he also noted that there is still time for Pettersson to rebound and help the team in the future.
"Yeah, he's been disappointing. Obviously, I think there's a lot of good things he did. He tried to become a two-way player, and he's tried to do the things that it ultimately takes to win as a team. But his production is down so much. It's difficult, right? I believe that if he puts the work in in the summer, it's the same as anything people do in life. Preparation is the key to success, and I don't believe he's put enough preparation in at this point to be the player he needs to be. But he's young enough. He's capable of doing it. And if he does the thing he's told to do, he has a chance to succeed here. But if he doesn't, you know the GM is going to have to make a decision. But you're damned if you do, and you're damned if you don't. You're damned if you trade the guy, because he could go and take off again and then are you gonna decide no, he's gonna do it here, and he doesn't, so it's a very tough decision. But I do feel confident that Petey has the ability, that he can bounce back. And he doesn't have to be a guy who gets 110 points. Even just a point a game will be enough as this team grows and becomes a better team. It'll be enough for this team to be successful, but he's got to get to that, and he's got to work at it."
The Pettersson discussion in the marketplace will continue throughout the off-season. It is clear that he has not lived up to expectations and will continue to get criticized by both the media and fans all summer. Overall, Pettersson and the organization will have to have some serious conversations over the next few months to determine whether a trade is best for both parties at this point.
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