Surprising Results - Vancouver Canucks Compare Elias Pettersson & Pavel Bure's Career Through 428 Games

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Owen Fullerton
November 28, 2024 (7:16 PM)

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On Wednesday night, Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson suited up in his 428th game as a Canuck, and in doing so he matched the total games played in a Canuck uniform by NHL legend Pavel Bure.

With Bure being arguably the most talented Canucks forward of all time and Pettersson being the most productive young forward the team has had since - The Hockey News decided to compare the careers of each star in a Canucks jersery.

The two players both enjoyed hot starts to their NHL careers, and are the only Canucks players to win the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.

While they both scored at a torrid pace to start their careers, it's Pavel Bure who holds the edge over the current Canucks star.

Bure is by far the more prolific goal scorer, potting 254 compared to Pettersson's 177, while Pettersson's 252 assists edge Bure's 224.

Overall Bure outscore Pettersson through the first 428 career games by 49 points, with Pettersson narrowly achieving above a point per game pace.

Pettersson has however been penalized significantly less, accruing only 78 PIMs to Bure's 328.

As far as team and playoff success goes, Bure holds the edge having led the Canucks to a Stanley Cup Final in 93-94 on the back of an exceptional 31 points in 24 games.

Neither player has managed to hoist the Stanley Cup.

Pettersson to be all time highest scoring Canuck?

While he trails him through the first 428 games, Pettersson is almost certain to pass nearly every marker Bure has set as a Canuck, as the 26 year old is in the first of an eight year deal.

Bure went on to have success in Florida and New York, but enjoyed his best seasons early in his career as a Canuck.

Pettersson, meanwhile, has a very real chance to become the highest scorer in Canucks franchise history.

The team's only forward to have scored at above a point per game pace in his Canucks career is Bure - while Pettersson and JT Miller are currently numbers two and three.

Pettersson's career started much hotter than the franchise's number one and two leading scorers, the Sedin twins, and if he plays out the entirety of his eight year deal in Vancouver, he's almost a shoe in to find himself atop the leaderboards.

POLL
Will Elias Pettersson break Pavel Bure's all time Canucks' points total before the trade deadline?
▢ No, but before the season ends
▢ No, and it won't be this season
▢ Yes, before the 4 nations cup
▢ Yes, just in time for TDL