It’s been a turbulent season in Vancouver, to say the least.
Between locker-room feuds, franchise-altering trades and losses, the Canucks have not lacked for drama just one year after emerging as the feel-good winners of the Pacific Division.
At the centre of it all has been forward Elias Pettersson, who endured a reported rift with now ex-teammate J.T. Miller and has seen his production plunge.
On Tuesday after practice, the Swede opened up on his struggles.
“I’ll just be honest: I haven’t been the way I want to be this year. I haven’t played to expectations I have on myself, the franchise has on me. So I’ll be the first to tell you, but that’s in the past,” he said.
“I just want to take these last 22 games, plus more hopefully, and play my best hockey. I wish we had more wins, I wish we had played a lot better, but can’t dwell on that anymore. And just trying to look ahead.”
It has been just over a year to the day that Pettersson, 26, signed an eight-year, $92.8 million contract extension with the Canucks on March 2, 2024.
The deal was supposed to make Pettersson the face of the franchise as it moved into a new era of success.
Instead, the Canucks assistant captain has become the face of something else entirely.
He said he’s trying to embrace everything that comes with that.
“I think pressure’s good. It means you care. And if I wouldn’t care, it means I wouldn’t think too much about it. But I want to turn it around more than anyone,” Pettersson said.
In 54 games this season, Pettersson has managed just 11 goals and 24 assists. By comparison, he scored at least 32 times in each of the previous three seasons and recorded 102 points two years ago.
He drew headlines in February when, after a particularly frustrating 2-1 loss to Utah, he lashed out at reporters, saying it was “more annoying” to deal with media than his slump.
“After the Utah game, I missed a breakaway and got asked about it and how frustrating this season has been and I was really mad at that moment and I said something I didn’t mean,” Pettersson said.
“I said media’s annoying, which it some days can be, but it’s the last thing that’s making me play bad or not myself this year. I just wanted to make that clear.”
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With 22 games to go, the Canucks remain firmly in the playoff hunt. Before Tuesday’s action, Vancouver sat tied with the Calgary Flames for the second wild-card spot with 65 points in 60 games.
Vancouver begins a three-game homestand on Wednesday when it welcomes the Anaheim Ducks to Rogers Arena.
The NHL’s trade deadline is Friday at 3 p.m. ET, with the potential for more Canucks turmoil as longtime forward Brock Boeser is rumoured to be on the move.
Pettersson said the plan now is to just keep moving forward.
“There’s multiple things we can do, but it’s just try and win every day and help your teammates and work with coaches,” he said. “I’m not perfect. I wish I was perfect, so I’m just trying to grow every day and be a better player.”
