Canucks HC Rick Tocchet has his say on $92.8M star's recent performances

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Jul 27, 2024 12:13 GMT

On Wednesday, Rick Tocchet, head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, shared his thoughts on Elias Pettersson's performances. Pettersson signed an eight-year, $92.8 million contract with the Canucks on March 2 with an average annual value of $11.6 million. Expectations are high for the young star, and he is under scrutiny for his on-ice contributions.

In a recent interview with The Athletic's Thomas Drance, Rick Tocchet discussed Pettersson's performances last season. Drance noted Pettersson's strong play in the first 50 games. However, he struggled with confidence and injuries later in the season and playoffs.

Tocchet also stressed the importance of building a strong relationship and trust with Pettersson and acknowledged the star's potential and areas for improvement.

"With Pettersson, the year and a half that we’ve worked together, it’s about building the relationship and the trust," Tocchet said.

Tocchet also praised Pettersson for his adaptability, despite the rotating wingers he played with last season. He stayed focused, earning Tocchet's respect.

"Saying that, he does a lot of great things for us. He took a bullet, because sometimes he played with a rotating cast of wingers, that was just the way our team was going," Tocchet said.

"It was nobody’s fault, and for the most part, he kept his mouth shut in the sense that he just played. I give him a lot of respect for that," Tocchet added.

With the upcoming season in mind, Tocchet shared positive updates on Pettersson's offseason preparations. Strength coach Alex Trinca visited Pettersson and reported that he is doing well.

Canucks' Rick Tocchet encourages Elias Pettersson to be more assertive and confident

In the same interview with The Athletic's Thomas Drance, Tocchet encouraged Pettersson to be more vocal and confident in his requests. He urged Pettersson to visit the coach's office with ideas and suggestions.

"He’s also a guy that I want him to come in my office, and say “Hey Toch, give me this guy and this guy, I want to see if I can make this work.” I’ve told him that. I want him to have that confidence in himself, don’t be afraid to come into my office to ask for things," Tocchet said.

"And then make sure that if you do ask for things, it’s not so much that you make sure you deliver, but you make sure you do the right things. That’s all," he added.

Now the Canucks are preparing for the new season, and Tocchet wants Pettersson to develop as a player.