Elias Pettersson has spent the past two seasons under a familiar spotlight: can he get back to being the offensive force Vancouver remembers? Three games into the 2026-27 season, he’s given the Canucks plenty to like on that front with five points. But there’s another wrinkle to his start that’s hard to ignore.
Pettersson isn’t just producing. He’s throwing his weight around.
The 27-year-old leads Vancouver with 16 hits through three games, and he also sits atop the entire NHL in that category, three ahead of former teammate and NHL record holder for most hits in a single season Kiefer Sherwood. The strange part? Pettersson didn’t register a hit in opening night against the Edmonton Oilers, then came back with back-to-back eight-hit games in his next two outings.
So where did this come from?
“No, I mean I’m just trying to play a hard game; trying to play fair and square, hard, and do whatever it takes to win,” Pettersson told reporters postgame on Saturday night.
That answer fits what the Canucks have seen so far. Pettersson, a player built on skill first and foremost, is not going to live at this pace forever. He’s averaging 5.3 hits per game, which projects to 448 hits over an 84-game season - a number that would sail past his previous career high of 125 set in 2023-24.
The bigger point is what that physical edge seems to be doing for the rest of his game. Pettersson looks more confident early on.
He’s making quicker decisions with the puck. He’s trying plays again.
He’s not playing with the same hesitation, and that has opened up more chances for him.
Pettersson said the shift has come from not chasing points.
“I know from the past, if I start thinking about points, points are not going to come. I’m just trying to play a good two-way game, and when there’s time to make a skill move or whatever, I’m gonna try to do it. And when there’s not, I’m gonna try to play the right way.”
Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra pointed to the same change after the game, praising Pettersson for making himself tougher to play against while also setting the tone for the group.
“Well, it’s great for Petey,” Malhotra began. “He’s really taken on that mentality of just being harder to play against.
Points aside this year, he’s done a much better job at just being heavier on pucks, coming up with puck battles, and trying to be as physical as he can, and that was a great example of it. That being said, I think the more pressing issue is the fact that he’s our team in hits.
We need more from the rest of our group in terms of that level of physicality. We’ve discussed it with our group; they’re aware of who needs to be doing it more.
But when one of your skilled players is willing to get physical and willing to throw those kinds of hits, it’s a great way of leading by example.”
For Pettersson, the early line reads like this: two goals, three assists, five points, four shots on goal, a plus-two rating, and those league-leading 16 hits. By his own account, though, the part that matters most is simpler than all the numbers.
He said he’s “having a lot of fun.”
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Marc Gatcomb answered with the go-ahead goal for the Golden Knights, and Adin Hill backed it with 17 saves as Vegas held on for a 3-2 win. The loss was another reminder of how hard this matchup has been for Vancouver, with Hill continuing a personal run against the Canucks and Vegas once again leaving no doubt about who has controlled this series. [Read more 🡒]