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The Vancouver Canucks missed the postseason in 2024-25 for a myriad of reasons. Quinn Hughes and Thatcher Demko missed time with injury, they traded JT Miller amid locker room drama, and a key center was dreadful. The Canucks got just 45 points out of center Elias Pettersson in the first year of his massive contract. Pettersson spoke with Peter Ekholm of NHL.com about seeking revenge in Vancouver and ahead of the 2026 Olympics.
“I know what I'm capable of,” Pettersson told Ekholm. “Actually, I haven't thought about it, but for myself it's revenge. I'm not happy with last season.” What exactly is going to change for Pettersson? “I've put on some [muscle]. It's always about building your base strength, to get quicker on the ice. To gain a few pounds, get stronger in general, that's always the goal. But for me, it's a bonus to gain a few pounds.”
Pettersson scored 34 goals and 89 points in 2023-24, inking an eight-year, $12.6 million AAV contract in the middle of that season. The first year of it was terrible, with his lowest goals, assists, and points totals in his six full seasons. Only his 26-game 2020 campaign produced lower numbers.
A vital season for Elias Pettersson and the Canucks
The Canucks need to get Pettersson back to his 90-point pace to sniff the postseason this year. If they do not, Quinn Hughes will enter the final year of his contract with rumors flying everywhere. There are already conversations about him joining his brothers with the New Jersey Devils. That will only get louder if the 2025-26 season goes awry.
The Canucks brought back Brock Boeser on a seven-year deal to play alongside Pettersson. That should help, even though they were both healthy for all of last year. Boeser's numbers dropped as well, from 40 goals in 2023-24 to just 25 a year ago.
Adam Foote comes into the fold as the new head coach after Rick Tocchet was let go and went to the Philadelphia Flyers. After three seasons as the team's assistant, he got the promotion to the head coach role. That should help keep consistency among the star players there while bringing a new voice to the locker room.
The Canucks will have a lot of pressure on them this season while playing in a loaded Western Conference. Can they win the Pacific Division like they did in 2024? Or will it be another disappointing season that ends in massive trade rumors?
