Welcome to The Hockey News – Vancouver Canucks site’s player preview series for the 2025–26 season. In these articles, we’ll preview the players who are expected to play for the Canucks in the 2025–26 season. In this edition, we take a look at Vancouver’s number one center, Elias Pettersson.
Pettersson’s struggles during the 2024-25 season have been well documented. On top of dealing with multiple injuries, the 26-year-old was also involved in a feud with now-former teammate J.T. Miller. By the end of the campaign, Pettersson had played just 64 games, recording 15 goals and 45 points.
In The Hockey News – Canucks site’s 2024–25 report card series, Pettersson received a C for his performance last year. He was unable to live up to his contract, while his .70 points per game was the lowest of his career. Ultimately, it is safe to say that the 2024-25 season was one that Pettersson, as well as the fan base, will want to forget.
For Vancouver to be successful, they will need Pettersson to return to his Selke-level form. Now that the former Calder Trophy winner is fully healthy, that should not be a problem. Based on interviews he has done over the past few months, it is also clear that Pettersson viewed last season as unacceptable and is ready to have a bounce-back year in 2025-26.
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Pettersson is going to have a busy season. On top of the 82-game schedule, he will most likely be on Sweden’s 2026 Winter Olympics team. While some in the fan base may have lost faith in Pettersson, there is a good chance that he finds his form next year and returns to being a top 10 center in the NHL.
In short, expectations will be high when it comes to Pettersson. Not only does he need to be above a point per game next season, but he will also need to play strong enough defensively in order to be in the Selke conversation. If he can have a bounce-back campaign and be one of the top forwards in the league, there is little doubt that the Canucks will return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026.
Adam Kierszenblat‘s Stat Prediction: 30G, 65A, 95P
Izzy Cheung‘s Stat Prediction: 37G, 50A, 87P
Bold Prediction: Pettersson finishes top five in Selke voting for the 2025-26 season
Quinn Hughes
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