It’s no secret that Elias Pettersson is not having the season that he, the team, or the fanbase wanted from him going into this season.
But with 4 Nations kicking off tomorrow, his Swedish teammate and former Canucks linemate Elias Lindholm is praising his abilities and says he will be a ‘very good player for Vancouver’ when he returns from the competition:
“He’s a good person,” Lindholm said. “We all know what [kind of] player he can be, and we’re going to need him to play some good hockey here for us.
“You can see now he’s comfortable being around a lot of guys that he knows from before. Obviously, he has his former coach here [who] he had in Sweden. I think this is a good reset for him.
“We’re going to see a different Pettersson during this tournament … He’s going to be a very good player for Vancouver when he comes back for sure.”
Lindholm made the comments earlier Tuesday as the Swedish players spoke to the media ahead of their opening match tomorrow night against Sidney Crosby and Team Canada. This may provide much-needed reassurance to those in Vancouver who are worried Pettersson may not be able to turn this season around, especially after a drawn-out feud between him and JT Miller caused issues in Vancouver’s locker room.
Pettersson played for several years in Sweden to start his career before he was drafted fifth overall by the Canucks in 2017, joining the squad the following year. The centreman has previously seen success internationally, registering 13 points in 13 games played with the national team through the 2018 and 2019 IIHF World Championships, winning gold in the former.
Fans are now hoping the familiar faces and environment surrounding Pettersson at this competition will bring back his confidence and get him back on track as the Canucks aim to secure a playoff spot.
While Pettersson himself has no problem acknowledging this season hasn’t gone how he hoped, he is ready to move forward and get going with his Swedish teammates:
“It hasn’t been my best season, but that’s in the past, I’m just trying to look ahead. I’m very excited for [the tournament],” Pettersson told reporters earlier today.
In practice earlier today, Pettersson was paired on the top line with Filip Forsberg and Adrian Kempe. His former coach, Sam Hallam, is at the helm and explained how he chose the linemates.
“They’re all players that can make plays from tough situations, but with Kempe and Forsberg on the wings, you have some power around Petey. I’ve coached Petey before. I know how intelligent and how skilled he is. We want to give him a chance to have two strong wingers on each side, and Kempe plays a big role.”
Pettersson also practiced on the second power play unit with Jesper Bratt, Rickard Rakell, Forsberg, and Erik Karlsson. The special teams will be another opportunity for him to add some points this tournament and make his presence known on this deep roster.
It will certainly be a match to watch tomorrow night for Canucks fans hoping to see Pettersson get some swagger back, especially as they take on a Canadian team run by Vancouver Canucks’ head coach Rick Tocchet.
Puck drop is on Wednesday at 5 PM PST at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
