Local News
Can 4 Nations help Canucks’ Elias Petterrson
In his post-game press conference Saturday, Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said there were a couple of times on the bench when he called Elias Pettersson’s name to go out against Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews.
“And one time he hesitated,” Tocchet told reporters. “I said, ‘No, get out there. You’ve got him.’ I think that he needs a little bit of a push … and I think that was a big thing for him. So hopefully he can build on it.”
In truth, Tocchet has been pushing Pettersson since training camp. But Saturday was one of the struggling star’s best responses to the prodding, as Pettersson had a world-class assist in the Canucks’ 2-1 win and also helped limit the potent Leafs offence.
Pettersson was fully engaged, even knocking down Toronto defenceman Simon Benoit with a reverse hit to maintain control of the puck shortly before he set up Filip Hronek for the Canucks’ first goal — his first point in the four games since his supposed tormentor, J.T. Miller, was traded to the New York Rangers.
More importantly, the two-way performance was proof that Pettersson, despite his mysterious speed loss and whatever else may have been holding him back this season, can still be an impact player for the team that signed him to that franchise-record $92.8-million contract 11 months ago.
“I know that Elias is, as I said a couple of weeks ago, committed to do the right things, finding his way to play to the level where we all know that he’s capable of,” Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said the day after the Miller trade. “My expectation is higher on him than anyone else on our team, and I expect him to meet my expectation, and I expect him to meet his own expectation. And so far, he has not done that. If you talk to him, he’s disappointed, but he’s aware of it. And I know that he’s capable and he will work at it.”
Pettersson has a great opportunity during the 4 Nations Face-Off, which starts Wednesday in Montreal, to take another step towards being great again.
Pettersson is part of Team Sweden, for whom he has a chance to play without the suffocating scrutiny he has brought upon himself in Vancouver. He has a chance to just be a hockey player without having to be the player. And, if the Canucks are lucky, that chance may allow Pettersson to rediscover the elite offensive game that had him fifth in National Hockey League scoring this time last year.
“I just want him to have fun,” Tocchet, part of the Team Canada’s coaching staff, said Saturday. “Like, I know it’s a serious tournament. Everybody wants to win; it’s serious. I want him to go represent his country and go have fun with his countrymen. Just have fun. Try stuff. I just want him to go out there and have some fun and come back (and), hopefully, that tournament, hanging with his buddies, it rejuvenates his whole demeanor.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Pettersson said during an exclusive interview with Sportsnet last week. “It’s going to be a good test for us and for me. Regardless how it goes, it’s going to be fun and I’m going to challenge myself.”
In our conversation, Pettersson said he remembers watching Team Sweden win the Olympic gold medal at the 2006 Games in Turin — Canucks development coaches Henrik and Daniel Sedin were on that team — and that he has always loved watching his country’s stars play best-on-best hockey.
Pettersson sees the 4 Nations as a chance to test himself, to measure up, like he did Saturday.
“I always want to challenge myself,” he said. “That’s what I believe brings the best out of me. I always want a challenge like that.”
Pettersson’s skating has come under scrutiny for its decline in explosiveness since he scored 102 points two years ago.
According to NHL Edge stats, Pettersson’s top speed that season of 23.31 miles-per-hour was in the 94th percentile, and his total bursts above 20 mph (88th percentile) were also elite.
This season, his top speed is registered at just 21.58 mph, well below the NHL median, and his total speed bursts are in the 55th percentile. Among regular Canuck forwards, Pettersson’s current top speed ranks ninth.
Pettersson told reporters at the end of last season that he had tendinitis in his knee. When he returned from Sweden in September, he said he’d had to train around the problem over the summer.
He said his knee has not been an issue this winter. But clearly, he needs more leg strength — and probably more muscle and strength overall. The Canucks want to see a major uptick in Pettersson’s conditioning.
Interestingly, NHL Edge shows Pettersson’s total miles skated, 145.81, are in the 81st percentile, so the 26-year-old is still working to get around the ice and playing a 200-foot game. And Pettersson showed Saturday that, when he is engaged, he can still make an impact even without his explosiveness.
“I mean, I’m trying to play the best hockey every game,” he said. “And some nights feel better than others. I’m just trying to chip away. . . because I know what I’m capable of. But it hasn’t clicked the way I wanted so far. But I know what I’m capable of and I know what the team expects of me.”
Playing for Sweden instead of the Canucks, without the expectation to be “the guy,” Pettersson has a chance to make the 4 Nations tournament a turning point in his season.
“Could be,” he said. “It could be. I mean, I’m always going to expect myself to do things. I’m always going to have expectations on myself to play my best hockey. But regardless what my role is, it’s going to be fun to represent Sweden. Play against the best. It’s exciting.”
Sweden opens the tournament Wednesday against Team Canada.
