logo
CanucksArmy has no direct affiliation to the Vancouver Canucks, Canucks Sports & Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
Forgettable season for Marcus Pettersson mirrored so many of Canucks defensive woes: Year in Review
alt
Photo credit: © Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Jeff Paterson
Apr 24, 2026, 17:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 24, 2026, 14:58 EDT
Comments
Perhaps no one exemplified the struggles of the Vancouver Canucks to grasp Adam Foote’s defensive system more than Marcus Pettersson.
Acquired by the Canucks from the Pittsburgh Penguins the same day the club shipped JT Miller to the New York Rangers in January 2025, Pettersson was brought in for his leadership and his defensive acumen. And in the games down the stretch last season, executing Rick Tocchet’s schemes, the 29-year-old from Skelleftea, Sweden, fit the bill and looked the part. 
But Pettersson’s game took a drastic plunge this season as he adapted to Foote’s preferred man-on-man defensive zone coverage. He struggled with reads, was often caught out of position and took too many minor penalties. 
Pettersson certainly wasn’t alone when it came to in-zone issues. But he was a big part of a chaotic defensive environment that led to the Canucks finishing dead last in goals against and on the penalty kill. 
In all situations, the Canucks were outscored by an unsightly measure of 118-60 with Pettersson on the ice. At 5-on-5, it was 75-47. And across the board, the veteran’s metrics were a mess: 43.7% Corsi For, 43.6% in scoring chances and 44.7% of expected goals for.
Context matters, and some of the struggles can be explained by Pettersson having to insulate rookie Tom Willander for much of the season. Willander had his own growing pains learning on the job in the best league in the world. As a pair, there seemed to be too many instances of the two getting their signals crossed, leading to high-danger scoring chances or opponents wide open in front of the Canucks net. Far and away, the Pettersson-Willander pair was the team’s most commonly deployed duo at even strength, logging 612 minutes together at 5-on-5. But flushing all of Pettersson’s problems simply because he was paired with a rookie doesn’t tell the full story of his disappointing season.
Pettersson also skated 387 minutes 5-on-5 with Filip Hronek and another 313 minutes with Tyler Myers. While Pettersson-Hronek had a positive 13-12 differential, Pettersson-Myers were caved in by opponents who outscored the Canucks 19-9.
And some of Pettersson’s defensive warts could be overlooked if they were at all offset by offensive contributions, but he didn’t offer much in that department. A 30-point defenceman in Pittsburgh just two seasons ago and with 29 points between the Penguins and Canucks combined last season, Pettersson scored just three times and added 15 assists over 82 games in 2025-26. For the longest time, it looked like an empty net goal in Tampa Bay in mid-November might stand as his only goal of the season. However, he added goals in Colorado and Los Angeles over the team’s final nine games to boost his totals.
Despite standing 6’5”, Pettersson is listed at 174 pounds, and while not shy to engage physically, he simply doesn’t have the heft to overpower opponents. So he must rely on skating, body position and an active stick. And he’s going to have to find a way to be more effective in all of those areas when he returns next season.
Pettersson was one of three Canucks – along with Filip Hronek and Drew O’Connor – to appear in all 82 games in a highly disappointing season. For that, he is to be commended. 
But when you look at why the Canucks struggled as mightily as they did this season, there are a number of reasons. And underperformance from several veterans was high on the list. Marcus Pettersson is a better player than he showed this past season. And he needs to find a way to return to form, starting with training camp in September.
Sponsored by bet365
Editorials

Breaking News