Many Vancouver Canucks fans have grown frustrated with Elias Pettersson.
You’d have to imagine that Canucks management feels the same way.
The Canucks number one centre looked like a superstar leading up to his infamous eight-year contract extension worth $11.6 million per season.
He once looked like a cornerstone, franchise player. But, almost two years to the day since signing the contract, Rutherford no longer feels that way.
‘No, I don’t think I need to say that at this point,” Rutherford said bluntly when asked on 100% Hockey with Millard and Shannon if Pettersson was a cornerstone piece for the Canucks.
The 77-year-old executive was careful with his words when describing the play of his highest-paid player.
“He has played better than given credit for this year with the Canucks,” Rutherford said. I think he’s worked very hard at his two-way game.”
But Rutherford did say something that all Canucks fans are thinking.
“A guy in his position, we’d like to see do more on the offensive side.”
No doubt.
From the beginning of the 2022-23 season, up until signing with the Canucks on March 2, 2024, Pettersson had 177 points in 142 games. That total was good for seventh-best in the NHL during that stretch, ahead of other NHL superstars such as Matthew Tkachuk, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, Kirill Kaprizov and Cale Makar.
Of course, it’s been a disaster ever since.
In nearly two years since signing that deal, Pettersson has 94 points in 134 games, ranking 136th among NHL players.
With rampant speculation about the future of many players on the Canucks roster, Rutherford shed some insight on the possibility of trading Pettersson.
“If somebody made just a great offer, we’d have to look at it,” he said.
There’s a pretty stark difference between those comments and the ones Rutherford made about Filip Hronek.
“He’s been our best player this year,” Rutherford said. “He’s a number one defenseman. He’s a heart and soul guy.”
It’s easy to see why a fresh start might be best for Pettersson. He’s constantly under the spotlight in a hockey-mad Vancouver market. And, based on the baggage of the past two seasons, a change of scenery could be welcomed.
When thinking about a potential Pettersson trade, the Los Angeles Kings certainly come to mind.
However, a “great offer” for Pettersson might be a pipe dream at this point, which is backed up by reports that teams want the Canucks to retain on his contract, which has six years remaining after this season.
Until then, the Canucks might be stuck with Pettersson, unless they proactively try to shop him and broker a deal. That doesn’t sound like something the team is overly interested in doing.
“It’s not a guy that we feel that we have to get out there and shop,” Rutherford said. “He’s a young guy. His offense can still come back. I think it will. He’s a very skilled guy.”
Pettersson’s decline in foot speed has limited that skill. Back in 2022-23, the Sundsvall, Sweden native ranked in the 90th percentile in terms of speed bursts between 20-22 miles per-hour. He’s dipped to the middle of the pack since, but has creeped back up into the 70th percentile this season.
Part of the uptick in his speed is because five of Pettersson’s ten quickest bursts this season have all occurred in the two weeks leading up to the Olympic break.
The Canucks might need more of that speed to creep back into his game if there’s any hope of his rediscovering his one elite offensive production. Perhaps then, they could actually get something decent in return for him.
