LAS VEGAS - Brock Boeser has had a close-up view of Elias Pettersson’s slide, and he’s convinced the Vancouver Canucks centre is still chasing the version of himself that once looked unstoppable.
At this week’s NHL/NHLPA player media tour, Boeser said Pettersson appears to be in a better place as he heads into a fresh season with a revamped organization around him.
“Seems like he’s in a great headspace,” Boeser said of the 27-year-old Swedish centre. “Way better than the last few years.”
That’s a big shift from where Pettersson has been since his rise to stardom. He arrived on the North American scene in 2018-19 and won the Calder Trophy after posting 66 points, including 28 goals and 38 assists, in 71 games. From there, his game kept climbing, eventually peaking with a 102-point season in 2022-23 that featured a career-best 39 goals.
The Canucks rewarded that breakout with an eight-year, US$92.8-million extension carrying an $11.6-million average annual value and a full no-movement clause after Pettersson opened the next season with 75 points in 63 games.
But the momentum didn’t last.
A nagging knee injury helped drag down his playoff production, and he finished the postseason with one goal and five assists in 13 games as Vancouver fell to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the teams’ second-round series. The trouble only deepened when the Canucks came back together the following September, when Pettersson and J.T. Miller’s relationship deteriorated to the point that Miller was eventually traded to the New York Rangers in January 2025.
Pettersson’s numbers kept sliding too. He put up 45 points in 64 games that season, then followed it with another 15-goal year and 51 points in 74 games last season as Vancouver finished last in the overall standings. That season also included the trade of captain and star defenceman Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild.
Before the contract, Pettersson averaged 1.03 points per game. Since then, that number has dropped to 0.70.
“It’s obviously been a rough couple of years,” Boeser said.
Now the Canucks are under new leadership. Henrik and Daniel Sedin have been elevated to co-presidents of hockey operations, Manny Malhotra is the new head coach and Ryan Johnson has taken over as general manager. Boeser sees that reset as a real opening for Pettersson, especially after seeing him at informal skates before training camp next week.
“It’s just a fresh start,” said Boeser, who is 29 and signed through 2031-32. “He really needs to take advantage of it … try and put everything aside and just focus on what he can do.”
Boeser also knows his own responsibilities are growing as Vancouver tries to climb back from a brutal stretch.
“I have to take a big step in that role,” he said. “Be a guy that the younger guys can lean on and talk to, be there for them and set an example.”
He’s not pretending the road ahead is simple.
“The last couple of years went from super high to super low, so it’s been difficult,” he said. “But I think just with the new changes, it gives me hope. You don’t know how long it will take.
“You never know what can really happen in this league.”
Boeser also had praise for Malhotra, who played with the Sedins during his days as a Canucks centre, then spent three years as a Vancouver assistant, four more in the same role with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the last two seasons coaching the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks.
“High on work ethic,” Boeser said. “He’s going to hold you accountable.”
And he’s already intrigued by one more piece of the organization’s future: Caleb Malhotra, who Vancouver selected with the No. 3 pick at June’s NHL draft. Boeser doesn’t know much about the coach’s son yet, but he’s eager to see where it goes.
“I heard he’s a stud,” Boeser said. “Whatever helps our organization get better.”
In Other News...
Canucks Prospects Showcase Brings An Early Look At Names Fans Need To Watch
The Canucks are set to get an early read on a mix of young talent next week, announcing a 24-player roster for their prospects showcase doubleheader against the Seattle Kraken in Abbotsford. The group includes draft picks, Abbotsford Canucks players and invitees, with the two games scheduled for Sept. 12 and 13 at Rogers Forum.
Before the puck drops, Vancouver will also stage a practice on Sept. 11, giving the organization one more chance to size up the group in a more controlled setting. For a team always trying to identify who might be ready to take a step, these late-summer events can offer the first real clues about which names are starting to separate themselves. [Read more 🡒]
Elias Pettersson Rumors Put Early Pressure On The Canucks
The noise around Elias Pettersson has not gone away, even as the Canucks try to keep the focus on the ice and on restoring the centers top-end form. His agent, J.P. Barry, has already pushed back on reports that Vancouver asked Pettersson to waive his no-trade protection or that a deal was close this summer, a sign of how quickly every hint around his future gets amplified.
For the Canucks, the challenge is as much about managing the conversation as it is about managing the player. General manager Ryan Johnson has stressed the need to build a supportive environment around Pettersson so he can get back to the level that made him one of the leagues most important young forwards, even as rumors keep swirling after reports of a home purchase in Los Angeles and lingering interest from the Kings. [Read more 🡒]
Vancouvers New Era Faces An Early Setback Before Opening Night
The Vancouver Giants are getting a first look at life under new general manager and coach Michael Dyck, but the start of camp has already been complicated by an injury to winger Cash Koch. Koch is sidelined week to week with a lower-body issue he picked up in training camp, and the current expectation is that he will not be back until around October.
It is an early reminder that even in a fresh era, nothing comes neatly packaged in September. The Giants open their regular season on Sept. 19, several players are still away at NHL rookie camps, and the team has already split its two preseason games, leaving Dyck with a roster picture that is still very much in motion. [Read more 🡒]