Analyst takes jab at Elias Pettersson: Humiliates him live

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Felip Gosselin
July 20, 2024 (6:07 PM)

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In the middle of contract negotiations and facing an elevated amount of pressure, there was lots to handle for Elias Pettersson, and he's been hearing about it.

"It's been a boisterous season in terms of contract and how s**t I've been the last three months."

The Canucks secured Pettersson with a significant 8-year, $92.8 million contract, but his performance faltered when it mattered most during the playoffs. According to TSN's Farhan Lalji, Pettersson's mental game does not align with the high expectations set by his substantial salary. Lalji suggests that Pettersson struggles to cope with the pressure that accompanies such a hefty contract.

"Absolutely immense, immense amount of pressure, and I'm not sure he's up for it, and that's not a criticism of him as a player, but he is a player that lets the outside noise in, and it does affect him."

"On top of that, we also aren't sure how much the injury affected him in the playoffs because, when you look at Pettersson's description of it at the end of the season, he certainly felt it was a little more severe than maybe say the team did.

Now, we hope that Pettey has managed to leave the injury behind him and picked it up where he left it.

"Hopefully, the summer is enough to put all of this behind them, but everybody in this marketplace is going to have their eyes squarely on Elias Pettersson because when you talk about whether this team is better or worse or more equipped for playoff success," Lalji said.

Pettersson will have the opportunity to show his detractors wrong. Now that his contract is settled, the focus will shift away from him, and he'll be able to fully focus on the game and his performance.

Credit: House of Hockey

Elias Pettersson called soft and not mentally tough by analyst