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Canucks' Elias Pettersson accepts his dip in performance late last season; "recharged" for new year amid tendinitis issues
As the Vancouver Canucks begin a new season, star forward Elias Pettersson is aiming to bounce back after admitting that he struggled with a nagging knee injury late last campaign.
The talented Swede got off to a blazing start in 2023-24, sitting fifth in NHL scoring through Feb. 15 with 28 goals and 72 points in 55 games. However, his production tailed off down the stretch, mustering only seven goals and 23 points over the final 40 regular-season and playoff games.
Following the Canucks' early playoff exit, Pettersson revealed at season-ending media availabilities that he had been dealing with knee tendinitis since January.
Now fully healthy after an offseason of recovery and focused training, Pettersson said on Wednesday to Sportsnet:
“I feel recharged. Obviously, it was a lot of noise (last season), but it was expected.
"It took a long time to sign, and then I signed and signed a big dollar and was not performing as I wanted. But that’s behind me now, and I’m looking forward to what’s ahead.”
Pettersson's scoring drought aligned with intense contract negotiations leading up to the trade deadline.
With the Canucks pushing their young star to commit long-term, the two sides finally agreed an eight-year, $92.8 million extension on March 2 (as per PuckPedia).
“I still feel it (tendinitis) sometimes, but it feels good now — better than where we left off last season," he added.
"We had to work around it in the off-season training, but, yeah, I feel good, and I feel better on the ice. It gave us more time to work on conditioning and work on speed. Everything is fine.”
With a clean bill of health and his big-money contract secured, the 25-year-old Pettersson is ready to prove next season.
Canucks GM Patrik Allvin talks about Elias Pettersson
Patrik Allvin discussed Elias Pettersson's upcoming season during an interview with Sportsnet at the Young Stars tournament in Penticton.
Allvin emphasized that he expects Pettersson to bounce back and reach "another level" this year.
"I definitely need him back to another level, which he's capable of," Allvin said. "We all know that. I think he's extremely hungry to show that."
With his drive and skillset, Allvin said that Elias Pettersson has all the tools to meet the high expectations on him this year. The Canucks GM is optimistic that Pettersson will have a strong season as long as he can remain healthy.
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