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The Vancouver Canucks knew that the 2023-24 season was a success, but there were things they had to improve. Vancouver's offense dried up in the postseason, which wasn't that surprising if you looked at the underlying numbers. The social media PDO police were out in full force all year, calling the Canucks a lucky team with unsustainable success. Most rolled their eyes at the claims, but the doubters were proven right in the playoffs. A massive reason for the regression was the poor play of Elias Pettersson, who continues to be a fatal flaw for the Canucks in 2024-25.
The Canucks believed that Pettersson's lack of talented linemates was a reason for his demise in the playoffs. They addressed that issue by signing Jake Debrusk in the off-season, a perfect fit alongside the Swedish playmaker. The DeBrusk experiment is already over for the Canucks, as he's fallen to the third line. Vancouver also signed Danton Heinen, another Boston Bruins castaway who could play up and down the lineup. He started the year in the top-six but is now the fourth-line right winger.
The Canucks believed they had done enough upgrading to their wing position to help Pettersson this season. However, after four games, Pettersson's linemates are now Conor Garland and Nils Hoglander. Vancouver is 14th in the league in powerplay percentage with Pettersson moving onto the line with JT Miller and Brock Boeser, but they can't figure out their 5-on-5 scoring. It's too early for the Canucks to start panicking, but their lack of improvement from last season has to be concerning.
Canucks need Elias Pettersson to wake up
Pettersson regressed in 2023-24, but it was still an above-average season for the center. It would've been hard to top the 2022-23 season, as he recorded 39 goals and 63 assists for his first 100-point season. However, the Canucks didn't qualify for the postseason. The 2023-24 season was more acceptable for Pettersson, as he had just 89 points in 82 games but the depth down the lineup helped them grab the first seed in the Pacific Division.
The excitement of making his first playoffs that wasn't in the bubble should've led to a great postseason for Pettersson. He had seven goals and 11 assists in that bubble playoff, and the Canucks believed he was a clutch performer. The opposite was true in 2024, as he scored just one goal in 13 games and took the brunt of criticism for the offensive struggles. Vancouver stood by their star, as they surrounded him with more talent and believed he'd bounce back in 2024-25.
It's only early, which means Pettersson could return to form and still average a point per game this season. The issue for the Canucks is that the same problems that reigned supreme in last year's postseason are there today. Pettersson has Garland and Hoglander as his linemates, which isn't ideal for a player who needs to feed off his wings for success. Pettersson looks disinterested at times and unengaged in the play, which should be a major red flag for the organization.
The Canucks are 21st in the league in goals per game this season with 2.75. They are without Thatcher Demko, which is hurting their goals against, sitting 19th with 3.5 per game. It's an unsustainable trend for success that makes Pettersson's return to form even more important.
How can Vancouver solve the Pettersson problem?
The first order of business for the Canucks has to be to find Pettersson a reliable linemate. DeBrusk was always going to be a risk for Vancouver, as he was one of the most inconsistent players in the league with the Bruins. When DeBrusk is rolling, he looks like one of the best complementary wingers in the NHL. However, when he goes quiet, things go south quickly and he is invisible for games at a time. It looks bad now, but don't be surprised if at some point this season DeBrusk goes on a hot streak alongside Pettersson and they pile up points.
The problem is the Canucks aren't good enough for one of their best players to be streaky. They need to find a more consistent winger for Pettersson. It's unlikely to come from outside the organization, as they have just $375,000 in cap space to work with.
Arshdeep Bains has no points and is a -1 since joining the Canucks' top line with Miller and Boeser. Bains had 55 points in 58 American Hockey League games last season, so there is plenty of upside there. Bains is more of a playmaking threat, which could unlock some of Pettersson's scoring abilities.
Another option is Daniel Spong, who has shown flashes of offensive brilliance but the flaws had him watching from the press box the past two games. It's a work-in-progress for Pettersson and the Canucks, but it isn't unfixable.
