Craig Button has high praise for Canucks defensive prospect Elias Pettersson

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Cooper Godin
September 18, 2024 (9:23)

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Former NHLer General Manager & Scout Craig Button had some high praise for Vancouver Canucks defensive prospect Elias Pettersson recently.

The Vancouver Canucks recently participated in the Young Stars Classic in Penticton and a number of the team's prospects stood out throughout the weekend including defenceman Elias Pettersson.

Pettersson came over to North America at towards the end of the 2023-24 season and appeared in nine games for the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks - eight in the regular season and one during the Calder Cup Playoffs.

One person that's been pretty impressed with Elias Pettersson and believes that he can be an NHL defenceman one day is TSN's Craig Button. Button was a guest on Donnie & Dhali yesterday and shared his thoughts on the 20-year-old blueliner.

"Oh yeah, I don't have any...you know, I guess I could say I have no doubt. What I see in Pettersson is a player who's territorial, who defends hard, who's going to make life very challenging for any opponent that wants to think they're going to have an easy time playing in Vancouver's defensive zone. He asserts himself physically, he's smart and I think one of the really positive things about Pettersson is that he knows his game. He doesn't try to be something he isn't." Button said.

He added, "When I consider the work, and I'm just going to go to the blue line, I consider the work that Adam Foote and Sergei Gonchar have done with the blueliners in Vancouver. I think that Pettersson is just going to be another player that is celebrated, that's going to be valued for what he brings. Listen, I know every single player would love to be Quinn Hughes. Unfortunately, the Quinn Hughes' of the world are very rare. So you need lots of different types of players to round out your lineup and I think Pettersson, he knows how to play with good players, who knows how to make life uncomfortable for opponents and literally, I have no doubt that he'll be an NHL player and a really competitive, hard player for the Vancouver Canucks."

Pettersson had a strong year back in Sweden during the 2023-24 campaign. After four games in the Swedish Hockey League with Orebro HK, it was decided that for his development's sake, to go play in the second division, HockeyAllsvenskan, where he'd get more ice time. Pettersson joined up with his hometown team, Vasteras IK, where he registered 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 34 games.

It's going to be interesting to keep an eye on Pettersson throughout training camp and in preseason games to see what role he's given. It's almost a certain that he's Abbotsford bound to start the season where he'll play a big role on their blue line in a top-four role.