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With the dog days of the off-season upon us, we at Canucks Army are starting a thought exercise looking at two scenarios and trying to decide which is more likely to occur next season. We’ll lay the scenarios out, offer an explanation of our thoughts and then leave the comments section wide open for discussion and debate. It’s quite possible neither scenario is actually achieved. Or perhaps both will be accomplished. We don’t have a crystal ball, so we’re looking at probabilities here. In the third edition of the series, we are asking which is more likely — JT Miller reaches 100 points, or Elias Pettersson scores 40 goals?

JT Miller

Three seasons ago, JT Miller recorded a then-career best 99 points. It was an incredible point total and one that very well could have served as the high-water mark for his time in the NHL. But last season, Miller hit triple digits for the first time and finished with 103 points — one of only nine players in the league last season to crest the 100-point mark. Over the last three seasons, Miller is 10th among all NHL scorers and ninth in assists. He has developed into a star-level producer during his time in Vancouver, and there’s no reason to think he won’t continue to rack up points for the foreseeable future. He logs big minutes and has become a power play demon finishing tied for sixth in the league last season with 40 points with the man advantage. Even on a team with Norris winner Quinn Hughes, Miller remains the focal point for puck distribution on the power play. And that’s likely to continue again next season, although the Canucks may tinker with their power play after it lost its pop in the playoffs. Regardless, Miller is going to be a main man for the Canucks next season and will be leaned on to drive offence.

Elias Pettersson

You know the story: last season didn’t end particularly well for Elias Pettersson. And yet, even in a ‘disappointing’ season, he still scored 34 times and finished with 89 points. There were reasons for the struggles. Some Pettersson needs to own and address, and others, the hockey club hopes it has solved. The Canucks are banking on Pettersson returning to town healthy and ready to put the weak finish to his season behind him. His new mega-contract has kicked in, and the Canucks need Pettersson to play like one of the highest-paid players in the game. In free agent newcomer Jake DeBrusk, Pettersson should have a reliable finisher on his line. That should help his bottom line. And the team needs to look for ways for one of its most talented players to be more than a shooting decoy on the power play. Pettersson had 53 points in the first half of last season and just 36 over the second half. It’s going to be fascinating to see which EP40 the Canucks get when the new season begins in October.

Which is more likely?

It’s quite conceivable that neither of these presented scenarios comes to pass next season. If Rick Tocchet’s team doesn’t ride a wave of percentages the way it did in the early going last season, gaudy individual offensive totals will likely be tougher to come by across the board. Still, Miller and Pettersson have both proven to be elite offensive talents in this league, and if the Canucks are going to have success, it stands to reason both players will play key roles. That said, Miller knows firsthand just how difficult it is to reach the 100-point mark. He could still have a sensational season and just not get to the century mark. Pettersson is a bit of a wild card based on how last season finished. However, he had 20 goals at the midway mark last season, so he was on pace for his first 40-goal season. And he finished with a career-best 39 just two years ago. Motivated by the doubters and driven to succeed, Pettersson certainly has the talent to score 40 goals in this league.

Verdict: Pettersson  

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