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NHL analyst Mike Johnson sings $92.8M Elias Pettersson's praise despite Canucks forward's slump during playoffs
NHL analyst Mike Rupp has praised Elias Pettersson despite his poor playoff performance. Pettersson signed an eight-year, $92.8 million deal with the Vancouver Canucks in March 2024, but he had a disappointing postseason, with just one goal and five assists in 13 games.
Despite facing criticism, Rupp says Pettersson's career achievements should not be overshadowed by this slump. Pettersson’s $11.6 million annual salary reflects his skill and past successes.
"It tells you the strength of his body of work prior to his slump at the end of the season. The fact that he's in the top 10, despite having a cold finish, sort of losing his confidence, is amazing, considering how great a player Pettersson is."
Rupp pointed out Pettersson’s defensive skills, which are often overlooked. Pettersson is known for his strong defense as well as his offense. Despite a drop in offensive output, his defensive metrics stayed strong.
"Pettersson is one of the best defensive centermen in the league. Make no mistake about it. So yeah, we can talk about his offense coming and going—it kind of disappeared at the end of the season—but his defense is a really strong part of his game."
Rupp also mentioned that off-ice issues, like contract talks, might have affected Pettersson’s play. With these issues resolved, Rupp believes Pettersson will recover and perform well again. He expects Pettersson to return to his best form, thanks to his good relationship with coach Rick Tocchet.
Pettersson’s season stats include 34 goals and 89 points. He also had a knee injury that was only revealed at the end of the season. Despite this injury, Pettersson's strong defensive play shows his value. His playoff struggles are partly due to this injury, but his defensive stats suggest he will improve in the future.
Elias Pettersson and Canucks teammate J.T. Miller in NHL's Top 12 Centers for 2024
The NHL Network's "Top 20 Centers Right Now" list includes two Vancouver Canucks in the top 12. Elias Pettersson is 10th, holding his spot from last year. J.T. Miller, previously unranked, is now 11th. Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Auston Matthews are the top three.
Elias Pettersson is aiming to improve on his 89-point season and reach over 500 career points. If he does, he could enter the Hart Trophy conversation and become the seventh Canuck to surpass 500 points.
Meanwhile, J.T. Miller is looking to build on his 103-point season and reach 700 career points. He remains a key player for coach Rick Tocchet.
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