The Truth About Vancouver Canucks Star Elias Pettersson's Make-or-Break Bounce-Back Year
Photo credit: Bob Frid - USA TODAY Sports
A reporter recently shared that what Elias Pettersson's bounce back year could end up looking like for the Vancouver Canucks, if he stays healthy and all goes well.
2024-25 was ultimately a disaster for Elias Pettersson and the Vancouver Canucks as the Swedish forward finished the year with his lowest point total in a non-covid campaign, registering 45 in 64 games, as the club missed out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
However, Pettersson has already put last season in the rearview mirror and has been hard at work this summer preparing for what everyone hopes is a monster campaign for the 26-year-old, with him telling NHL.com in Sweden that he's "out for revenge" this year.
"I haven't thought about it, but for myself it's revenge. I'm not happy with last season. I'm trying to lead by example. But I know that I can become a better leader, in that aspect. I'm trying my best, but also trying to get better." Pettersson said while at Sweden's Olympic Orientation Camp earlier this month.
Reporter shares what bounce back season could look like for Vancouver Canucks' Elias Pettersson
In an article for Canucks Army on Wednesday, Tyson Cole shared what he believes a bounce back year could look like for Elias Pettersson during the 2025-26 campaign.
According to Cole, if Elias Pettersson is able to put up 30 goals, hover around a point-per-game and increase his shot speed, which has dipped in recent years, then that would align with what expectations should be for the Sundsvall, Sweden native.
"Pettersson is far and away the Canucks' best centre on the roster. And now, with JT Miller traded, Pettersson has nobody to hide behind if he struggles. He's proven he can be that player in the past; it's just about putting the past behind him and proving to himself and the fan base he's the player from 2018-2024, not last year's version." Cole said.
Anything more than a point-per-game pace this season would be quite impressive for Elias Pettersson and while everyone knows he has the talent to be a 100+ point player, like he was in the 2023-24 campaign, asking him to go from 45 points to triple digits is pretty unrealistic.
What the Vancouver Canucks can hope for is a return to a point-per-game this year, maybe finish 2025-26 with 80-85 points and then build on that for the following season, perhaps returning to 100 points, or close to it, by the time the 2026-27 campaign wraps up.
Source: Canucks Army/Tyson Cole
Canucks: What does an Elias Pettersson bounce back actually look like?
Canucks: What does an Elias Pettersson bounce back actually look like?
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