Jannik Hansen shares what he needs to see from Elias Pettersson this season

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Cooper Godin
October 5, 2024 (3:37 PM)

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Former Vancouver Canucks forward Jannik Hansen shares what he needs to see from Elias Pettersson this season.

The second half of the 2023-24 season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs were tough for Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson. Pettersson saw his production drop off later in the season and registered just one goal in 13 games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, something that isn't acceptable when you're expected to be a number 1 center in the National Hockey League.

Once the Stanley Cup Playoffs came to a close, Pettersson attributed his lack of production to a knee injury he said he sustained back in January. With the injury now behind him and a new contract in hand, Pettersson is set to be a big contributor for the Canucks again this season and needs to be ready to take a firm grip on the team's number 1 center role.

In a recent interview with Sportsnet 650 radio, former Vancouver Canucks forward Jannik Hansen shared what he would like to see from Elias Pettersson this season. The main thing that Hansen said he wants to see is Elias Pettersson being more engaged, especially in the physical aspect of the game.

Hansen went on to add that with being an $11+ million player in the NHL, Pettersson needs to be the team's number 1 center here going forward and that he needs to be (italics - that guy) for the Vancouver Canucks this year.

"Yeah, need to see him being engaged, because like you mentioned, the points will come. They will probably have a good power play again this year, he will be a part of it, the points will come from that. But how engaged is he in the physical part of the game because he can assert himself and take over games when he's physical. We've seen him throw these hits, probably coming back a little bit stronger, he should be at least. He's still in that age where you're growing into your body, your frame, your size a little bit. So, hopefully that will come through as well and then he can become our number 1 center. Until he becomes that, you're still looking for something from him." Hansen said.

He added, "He's getting paid 11-something, J.T. [Miller] is getting paid 8-something. There's no question here who should be your number 1 center. But if you look at last season, we were okay, at some points Petey, J.T., but down the stretch and in the playoffs, there was no question who our number 1 center was. It was J.T. and that can't really happen with the way you're paying your guys and what you're expecting from him. So, he [Pettersson] needs to find a way to be (italics - the guy) and J.T. will do what hopefully what he's been doing for the last many years and round out that 1-2 punch we got here in Vancouver and that will make them a lot better. But number 1 for me is how engaged is he [Pettersson], does he look interested."

Two years removed from a 102-point season, there's no doubt that Elias Pettersson has the talent to be in the triple digits on a yearly basis and there's going to be plenty of pressure on him heading into this year to get back to being that player and proving his worth as an $11 million guy.

Pettersson will look to get off to a strong start to the season when the Vancouver Canucks host the Calgary Flames on Wednesday, October 9th for their first game of the new campaign.