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2026-27 Canucks Bold Prediction: Elias Pettersson reaches the 80-point mark

Photo credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images

By Arielle Lalande

Sep 4, 2026, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 4, 2026, 00:24 EDT

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To preface, this series is called Bold Predictions for a reason! While there may not be any expectation that Elias Pettersson reaches the 80-point mark for the third time in his career this year, it is not entirely unfeasible.

Elias Pettersson is a good hockey player. He is, ostensibly, a great hockey player, actually. His unique skating, set of hands, absolutely iconic shot and release when he’s firing on all cylinders, and his phenomenal defensive game are traits that defined his early years as a Canuck, and still do. Pettersson’s undeniable talent is something often forgotten in the endless conversations about his current status as a player. But the last few seasons of his career have seen his offensive production dip, his confidence take a tumble, and his speed and overall skating become much more spotty. It’s unlikely the state of the Canucks’ own locker room helped improve on any of these issues. But let’s not rehash all of that.

The Elias Pettersson conversation simply is not about individual talent – frankly, it never should have been. It’s about expectations and circumstances. Yes, countless teams would jump at the chance to have Elias Pettersson on their team, even at the level he has been performing the past two years, a solid level for an average-to-good centre. But “average” does not describe the player that the Canucks initially signed. They had a bona fide future superstar on their hands. “Average” is certainly not the player that Canucks fans have become accustomed to and come to adore throughout the early years of his career. Pettersson continuing to play at the level he has over the last two seasons would be a good performance for many other teams, but it is not for the Canucks. The bar has been set. Pettersson simply cannot be graded on a league-wide curve – especially not while carrying a $11.6 million AAV on a contract not set to expire until 2032.

Either way, discourse about EP40 has long been exhausted. His stat sheets from years past and the fact that the Canucks have had an almost complete changing of the guard when it comes to staff could start to tell a different story.

Pettersson has a lot to come back from to get back to form. His best offensive season came in 2022-23, the first year he hit the 100-point milestone and reached 102 points in 80 games. It also came during a pretty bad year for the Canucks, overall. He stayed on a hot streak the following season, a fantastic year for the team overall, and he finished the year with 89 points. Pettersson’s pace did falter after 2024’s All-Star Break in Toronto, though, and it seemingly has yet to recover two-and-a-half years later. It’s been baffling to watch. He had 45 points in 64 games the year after. He hit a record-low points-per-game rate last year, with 51 points in 74 games.

Before 22-23, Pettersson could consistently hit the 60-point range while playing over 60 games. Next, over 100 points, then almost 90. Until he hit this wall he’s been stuck at, working up to becoming an expected 80- or 90-point-per-season player was entirely reasonable. He clearly has that superstar potential still in him. It’s hard to believe that can just disappear overnight.

With the team officially rebuilding, Pettersson is hopefully going into the year with a fresh outlook, free of the previous era’s heaviness and drama keeping him down. Now-GM Ryan Johnson has already discussed having open and honest communication with him. If there’s been a mental block, now is the time to bulldoze it. Circumstances are very different from how they’ve been. Expectations are now adjusted. Is a comeback year for Pettersson really that much of a long shot? That’s the hope, if all things go right. Historically, things have not always gone right for the Vancouver Canucks. Why not now? Just this once?

Now, Pettersson’s output might also be highly reliant on how consistent his wingers are. Pettersson has lacked consistent linemates since the days of the Lotto Line, and Pettersson’s individual stat line this year will not be immune to the influence of the team around him – for better or for worse. Brock Boeser is and will always be an option to play on Pettersson’s wing, but the two don’t always have instant chemistry as one might believe. It’s highly dependent on their No. 3, and as of right now, Pettersson’s linemates are still up in the air.

This upcoming season will likely be the most important season of Pettersson’s career thus far, at least in terms of how it shapes discussions around his future. While an 80+ point season is probably not all that realistic for him, it could shut down much of the noise around him and his contract almost instantaneously. Whether 60, 70, or 80 points, he just has to prove he’s still got it.

So, how can Pettersson’s true expected output be assessed when the last few seasons have been outright uncharted territory for his career? It can’t, really. Yes, it is boldly optimistic to predict that Elias Pettersson could put up his best performance since 2023-24 this upcoming season. But let’s do it anyway.

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