The Vancouver Canucks received a bit of a blow recently when Elias Pettersson revealed he is in no rush to re-sign. The 24-year-old Swedish star firmly established himself as a force in the NHL this past season. The Canucks certainly wanted to get this over with sooner rather than later. However, head coach Rick Tocchet isn't panicking just yet.
The Vancouver bench boss spoke with Sportsnet as part of a Q&A recently. Sportsnet asked Tocchet about Pettersson's decision and whether there is added pressure on Vancouver to succeed this season. Tocchet said the team has to do its part in convincing the 24-year-old to put pen to paper.
“I know he loves the city. I know the fan base embraces him. So if we can check most of the boxes, maybe that will be more enticing for him to sign. That’s just my take on it,” the Canucks head coach said.
Pettersson was a major bright spot in a rather disappointing season for Vancouver. He scored 39 goals and 102 points in 80 games this past campaign. These totals represent new career highs for the 24-year-old.
The Canucks, however, missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive season. Vancouver finished with 83 points, nine fewer than their total from the 2021-22 NHL season.
Tocchet joined Vancouver during the 2022-23 season. In the worst-kept secret in hockey at the time, the former NHL forward took over for Bruce Boudreau in January. Tocchet led Vancouver to a 20-12-4 record down the stretch to keep them in the hunt for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Vancouver hopes that run of form can carry over to this upcoming season and get playoff hockey back to the city.
