Can Elias Pettersson Prove Himself to the Canucks?
Veteran forward Elias Pettersson’s future with the Vancouver Canucks has been the focus of many fans' questions after a season in which Pettersson failed to meet expectations. With locker room drama, injuries, and sub par performance on the ice, many thought Pettersson wouldn’t even make it through the season with the Canucks. However, the 26-year-old Swede remained on the roster through the end of a generally disappointing season for the team. As the 2025-2026 season draws near, Pettersson’s future in Vancouver remains in question as fans assess whether he will be able to come back stronger after the offseason.
During the 2024-2025 season, Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller reportedly had some sort of undisclosed ongoing drama that was impacting the team's energy in the locker room. This became more of an issue as both teammates were struggling on the ice as well. People began to wonder if Pettersson or Miller would be traded to avoid any further issues for the team, and sure enough, Miller was traded to the New York Rangers. This news was hard for some as they believed Pettersson’s performance had not earned him a reason to stay on the team and the Canucks would have been better off keeping Miller on the roster. For the next few months of the season, eyes fell on Pettersson to see if he could redeem himself and bring back the player we once knew and loved. However, the six-foot-two star couldn’t find his game again.
Despite nothing less than a disappointing season from Pettersson, not to mention the Canucks as a whole, a trade involving the center isn’t necessarily something the franchise is looking at to aid the team. In early May, it was confirmed that Pettersson had returned to Sweden to kick off his training for the upcoming season. After a knee injury in January 2024, Pettersson said he was unable to train to his full strength before the 2024-2025 season began, and he is already off to a much better start during this offseason. Though the discourse on Pettersson’s skill remains a prevalent one, one thing you can be sure of is that he is putting in the work to live up to his expectations. As the fifth overall pick in the NHL draft and the highest paid player on the Vancouver Canucks, Pettersson must prove himself during the upcoming season. Though the Canucks seem as though they aren’t seriously considering trading him at the moment, if Pettersson doesn’t come back stronger and ready to play this season, his future with the team will probably be brought to a close.
