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Milestone watch: Despite recent struggles, Pettersson poised to move into top 6 in Canucks all-time scoring next season
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Photo credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Jeff Paterson
Jul 7, 2026, 13:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 7, 2026, 12:49 EDT
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The draft has come and gone, the frenzied portion of free agency is (for the most part) over, and we’ve reached that point of the offseason when National Hockey League general managers will try to get in a little downtime over what’s left of their summers. While the Vancouver Canucks may entertain trade offers for some of their veteran players, they are not expected to be very active in player transactions. With that in mind, we can step back and take a bigger picture view of the hockey club. Each off-season, we like to look at milestones achievable by key Canucks heading into the new hockey season. This is the first in a four-part series examining the possibilities for a variety of players.
If Elias Pettersson remains a Canuck and plays a full schedule in 2026-27, he will surely rise to sixth on the franchise’s all-time scoring list next season. And the five players that will remain ahead of him on the list all have their numbers retired and hanging from the rafters at Rogers Arena. 
Pettersson has amassed 508 points in the 545 games he’s played over eight seasons in Canuck colours. He currently sits seventh on the all-time points list, 42 behind Thomas Gradin. Stan Smyl is fifth in franchise scoring with 673 points, so he’s out of reach for at least next season. It would require Pettersson to average 82.5 over back-to-back seasons to reach The Steamer. That, however, is a discussion for another day.
The Canucks are clinging to fading hope that Pettersson can regain the star-level production form that saw him produce 102 points and finish 10th in league scoring in the 2022-23 season. However, over the past two and a half years, including 45- and 51-point seasons, the 27-year-old has been in steady decline as an offensive dynamo.
If he plays the full 84-game (yes, it’s now 84) season, Pettersson will move past the likes of Matt Cooke, Kevin Bieksa, Garth Butcher and Bo Horvat into 13th on the franchise’s all-time games played list. 
He also has a chance to shoot up the organization’s all-time assists parade. Pettersson currently sits ninth on that list with 308. He is just two behind Alex Edler (310), 45 back of Gradin (353), and trails Quinn Hughes by 63. 
There are two other categories in which Pettersson should easily cement his spot in franchise history next season. Despite his scoring struggles of late, he sits fourth in game-winning goals – tied with Trevor Linden with 33 apiece. If Pettersson could somehow net five game winners next season, he’d join Henrik Sedin at 38 and trail only Daniel Sedin (86) and Markus Naslund (49). 
Pettersson is also tied for fourth in franchise history with seven overtime winners, matching Sami Salo for that mark. Brendan Morrison, with nine, is definitely within reach next season, as is JT Miller, who scored 10 in his time in Vancouver. Daniel Sedin leads the list with 16 OT goals.
It’s been tough to watch Elias Pettersson scuffle for more than two years now, but through it all, he has carved out a spot as one of the most productive players to ever wear the uniform. His ascent in several categories will continue in 2026-27 – as long as he remains with the organization.
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