Elias Pettersson is heading into the 2026-27 season with a clear message: he wants to feel like himself again.
That’s a big statement for a player who, not long ago, looked like one of the league’s most dangerous scorers. Pettersson put together three consecutive 30-goal seasons and reached 102 points in 2022-23.
But the last two years have been a different story. He’s finished with 15 goals in each of those seasons, and his 2025-26 campaign brought the lowest points-per-game mark of his career, all while carrying an $11.6 million cap hit.
There was even speculation over the summer that Vancouver might move the star forward, though nothing materialized.
Ahead of the annual Jake Milford golf tournament in Surrey, Pettersson sounded like a player eager for a reset.
“I just want to get back to myself,” said Pettersson ahead of the annual Jake Milford golf tournament in Surrey. “I haven’t been that the last two years.
But it’s in the past. I’m coming with a fresh mind, and I’m excited to play hockey again.”
Part of that fresh start comes with a very different backdrop around the Canucks. Vancouver has moved on from multiple veterans over the past year and brought in new co-presidents of hockey operations, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, along with a new general manager in Ryan Johnson.
Johnson has already made it clear what he wants the situation around Pettersson to look like.
Johnson has said that he wants to give Pettersson “an environment that supports him, that allows him to be himself and not feel that he’s got to be anything other than himself.”
Pettersson said that message has landed.
“It means a lot,” said Pettersson. “RJ’s someone I’ve known for a long time.
He’s always been a good guy for me. It’s been good talking about the future, and what he wants to see from me.”
Brock Boeser, who has been alongside Pettersson for years, says the forward already looks different.
“He seems like he’s in a great mental headspace right now,” said Boeser, “and he’s coming to the rink and working hard. I think that’s just a step in the right direction.”
The season ahead is expected to be a difficult one for Vancouver, with most projections pointing to another finish in the basement. That puts the emphasis on development, and on laying the groundwork for what comes next.
Pettersson says he understands the role he has in that process. As one of the team’s longest-tenured players, he knows the younger group will be watching.
“Definitely,” said Pettersson. “Me and Brock and Demmer have been here the longest, so it’s up to us to set the standard of work.”
When asked how he can help reset the culture, he kept it simple.
“Just be myself, practice hard, play hard,” he added. “And be vocal when I feel I want to be.”
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