What Elias Pettersson betting on himself means for Vancouver: Canucks Conversation
8 months ago
On today’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Harman Dayal were joined by Wyatt Arndt to talk about all the latest surrounding the Vancouver Canucks. To kick off the show, Harman and Quads recapped the Canucks’ defeat last night against the Calgary Flames, with Quads summing it up nicely. “They didn’t defend well; that’s what it came down to. There was only one player with a positive Corsi percentage, and that was Ian Cole. If that doesn’t sum it up, I don’t know what will.”
Harm touches on Linus Karlsson’s NHL debut after the 24-year-old was called up from Abbotsford to fill in for the injured Pius Suter:
“I thought he was solid. I liked a play he made in the 1st period to set up a Lafferty net drive. His whole line was pretty effective on a night where the Canucks just didn’t have a lot of juice. He didn’t look out of place at all.”
The guys discuss Hoglander’s recent performance, emphasizing how crucial he could be as a 20-goal player for the Canucks with some significant contracts looming.
Some good news from Abbotsford as Vasily Podkolzin returns to action from a scary concussion suffered two weeks ago.
The guys were then joined by Wyatt Arndt, a journalist and senior writer for the Canucks Army, to talk about the Canucks’ defeat, Pettersson’s contract, and more.
“What did you make of last night’s game?” Quads asks.
“Tired team,” Wyatt responds. “I liked Tocchet’s response; that they have to learn to win tired, which is a fair point. But there are some games you’re just not gonna have it.”
“Professionals are supposed to find ways to win, I get that, but that was a tough mountain to climb. Coming off an emotional game against Bo Horvat and the Islanders, it’s tough to wake up and go play in Calgary with your A-game.”
Harm chimes in, “After two games without Carson Soucy, what’s your confidence level in this Canucks’ blue line moving forward?”
Wyatt: “As long as Hughes is healthy, I have decent confidence in this team defensively, but right now, you wonder what an injury to a top guy does to this defensive group. Depth-wise, I don’t think anyone is super confident with this roster.”
When asked about the difference in Hoglander’s performance compared to years past, Wyatt responds, “He’s winning board battles. He’s not the biggest guy, but he’s using his body to control those battles better than he has in the past. He’s giving Tocchet that north-south game that he wants.”
Harm asks Wyatt his thoughts on the Canucks’ upcoming game against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
“I think they’re gonna bounce back. Their schedule is tough time-wise, but their opponents are on the softer side. It feels like Rick Tocchet is going to have his team prepared after last night’s game.”
Harm: “There’s been a lot of speculation on Pettersson’s upcoming contract. How would you feel if his contract ends up closer to the 3 to 4 year range as opposed to the 8-year deal?”
“You get the vibe from Pettersson that he’s betting on himself,” Wyatt says. “Not that everyone doesn’t want to win, but I think he needs that Stanley Cup. He is hyper-focused; he is going to be a winner. He’s had a lot of losing in this city.”
“It’s on-brand for what we’ve heard about Pettersson; he’s making sure he’s not locked into one of those contracts that keeps him in Vancouver long term should they start spiralling.”
The guys wrap up their time with Wyatt with some… Buffalo Bills talk.
Harm and Quads get into more Pettersson contract talk, pointing out the benefits of Elias signing a shorter-term deal. A three-year deal would make him eligible for a new contract when he turns 28, directly in his prime and likely with the salary cap much higher than it is now. From the Canucks’ perspective, both hosts agree they’d like to lock Petey up for eight years if possible. The guys dive further into what Pettersson betting on himself means for Vancouver.
Watch the full replay of today’s episode below!
Failed to load video.
Be sure to check out the live show Monday-Friday at 2 PM next week!
The show can be found on the CanucksArmy YouTube channel and the CanucksArmy Twitter account here. Clips of the show are also posted daily to the CanucksArmy YouTube channel, which you can find by clicking here.
The show is also available in podcast format around 2 PM every day wherever you get your podcasts! Be sure to subscribe to the CanucksArmy YouTube channel, and join in on the fun with the live chat!
Recent articles from Clarke Corsan
