Ex-Players Point to a Vancouver Canuck Carrying More Pressure Than Anyone Else in Hockey
Photo credit: Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports
Two former NHLers recently shared their opinion of which player is facing the most pressure in the league this season and it happens to be a Vancouver Canuck.
After a disappointing 2024-25 campaign, which saw the club miss out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Vancouver Canucks are ready to bounce back, but in order to do so, they'll need a number of their star players to be big contributors, which wasn't the case last year.
Among those that the Canucks will need to return to their old form is Brock Boeser - although he still managed to register 25 goals in 2024-25 - along with Elias Pettersson and Thatcher Demko, the latter two of whom dealt with injury issues throughout the year.
Vancouver Canuck facing most pressure of anyone in the NHL, former player says
During a recent edition of the Missin Curfew podcast, co-hosts & former players Shane O'Brien and Scottie Upshall, along with their guest, Brad Richardson, were discussing who might be facing the most pressure in the National Hockey League heading into the 2025-26 season.
The trio believe that after registering just 45 points in 64 games last season, which was the first year of his eight-year, $11.6 million AAV contract, that Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson is under the most pressure of anyone else in the NHL.
"I don't think anyone has more pressure on them in the entire National Hockey League than Elias Pettersson coming back to Vancouver. Now Richie we'll start with you here, rumor has it he's put up 13 pounds, I guess my question is, is that enough? I guess that's a lot in one summer, right?" O'Brien said.
Richardson added, "13 pounds to me, that doesn't mean much as far as is he just gonna show up and play hockey? I don't know, is he gonna have some balls and play the right way? He looked scared last year. Maybe 13 pounds gives him a little more confidence, but he still doesn't look any bigger to me. I don't know, I saw a picture of him the other day, he still looks skinny in his upper body and maybe it's on his legs and his ass. But he's just gotta go play hockey and be that go to guy and have some balls. I don't know, we'll see if the weight does anything, but he's got a lot of pressure and if it doesn't go well at the start of the year, it's gonna go downhill quickly for him."
Richardson added, "13 pounds to me, that doesn't mean much as far as is he just gonna show up and play hockey? I don't know, is he gonna have some balls and play the right way? He looked scared last year. Maybe 13 pounds gives him a little more confidence, but he still doesn't look any bigger to me. I don't know, I saw a picture of him the other day, he still looks skinny in his upper body and maybe it's on his legs and his ass. But he's just gotta go play hockey and be that go to guy and have some balls. I don't know, we'll see if the weight does anything, but he's got a lot of pressure and if it doesn't go well at the start of the year, it's gonna go downhill quickly for him."
Pettersson understands the pressure he's facing this season, which is why he worked extra hard this summer to prepare for his "revenge" year in Vancouver and says that he's feeling great as training camp got underway last week.
"Obviously, I'm not happy with how last year was. That's in the past. I just want to get back to myself and be the leader player I know I can be, and what I can do is only focus on today," Pettersson said according to Izzy Cheung of The Hockey News.
He added, "I'm happy where I'm at. Definitely feel stronger. Shot's a little harder. Just overall, feel stronger and better."
He added, "I'm happy where I'm at. Definitely feel stronger. Shot's a little harder. Just overall, feel stronger and better."
Only time will tell if Elias Pettersson is going to bounce back this season, but as the Vancouver Canucks have aspirations of being a playoff team, they'll need the Swedish forward to put last year in the rearview mirror and return to being at least a point-per-game player.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 22 | 931 ANSWERS Ex-Players Point to a Vancouver Canuck Carrying More Pressure Than Anyone Else in Hockey Which Vancouver Canuck do you think is facing the most pressure this season? | ||
| Elias Pettersson | 800 | 85.9 % |
| Brock Boeser | 23 | 2.5 % |
| Quinn Hughes | 30 | 3.2 % |
| Thatcher Demko | 78 | 8.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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