Beyond that, fans of the Vancouver Canucks have ample subjective reasoning to critique Pettersson’s recent play, or even to have lost faith in him as a player.

But even when some criticism is warranted, there’s a clear difference between subjective opinions and statements of objective truth. And there’s a certain notion about Pettersson that we’ve heard frequently repeated recently as a truth – but that should be measurable objectively, one way or another.

The notion is this: Elias Pettersson has traditionally racked up his points against weaker opponents and has struggled to score against more high-quality opposition. In other words, he supposedly feasts on cellar-dwellers, and wilts against contenders – the classic mark of a paper tiger.

Upon hearing that notion shared few times of late in our comment section and elsewhere, it didn’t strike us as particularly true. But, true or false, it’s a checkable thing. So, let’s check.

Here’s our methodology: we broke down Pettersson’s career scoring record against each and every NHL opponent. The quality of those opposing teams has varied over Pettersson’s seven-year career to this point, so we’ll also include a note on how often that team has made the playoffs since Pettersson first arrived in the NHL. And since there’s still plenty of distinction to be had between playoff appearances and overall quality of competition, we’ll offer up a little bit of additional commentary throughout – and some concrete conclusions at the end as we firmly bust this recurring myth.

Team-by-Team Breakdown

Presented in alphabetical order, here is Pettersson’s regular season scoring record against each NHL opponent, along with a note on how often that team has made the playoffs during Pettersson’s career.

Anaheim Ducks
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 0/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	20	7	13	20	1.00

The Ducks have ranged between awful and really awful throughout much of Pettersson’s career. Appropriately enough, he’s gone point-per-game against them over the long-term. And that hasn’t changed as the Ducks have very recently got better. As you read this list, you’ll find that this performance is just a little above average – Pettersson’s overall career PPG rate is 0.97.

Boston Bruins
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 6/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	11	1	2	3	0.27

This makes us wish we hadn’t gone alphabetically. The Bruins are by far Pettersson’s worst opponent of all-time, with just three points in 11 games. But there are always outliers, and we’ll note that this is a fairly extreme outlier – his next lowest scoring rate against any one team is a 0.60 rate against Tampa Bay, which is still more than double this Boston rate. Don’t worry, the trend evens out past this point.

Buffalo Sabres
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 0/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	11	4	5	9	0.82

As the franchise with the longest playoff drought in the league, one would expect Buffalo to be one of those teams that Pettersson, but that’s not the case. His scoring rate against the Sabres has been a little bit behind his overall career pace.

Calgary Flames
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 3/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	29	14	17	31	1.07

There is no opponent that Pettersson has played – or scored – against more than the Calgary Flames. This is due to the Flames being one of two teams (Edmonton being the other) that have been in the Canucks’ division for each year of Pettersson’s career – including that pandemic-driven All-Canadian Division year.

The Flames were a much better team when Pettersson started out, too, before they lost Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk in the same summer.

Carolina Hurricanes
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 7/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	12	5	6	11	0.92

The Hurricanes are one of the few teams to have made the playoffs in every season of Pettersson’s career thus far – and they’ve been legitimate contenders in most of them. For his part, Pettersson is just one point off of being PPG against the team that, if rumours are true, he was once almost traded to.

Chicago Blackhawks
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 1/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	18	7	10	17	0.94

Here’s a good contrast that points to the error in the myth we’re busting. The Blackhawks have been one of – if not the – worst-performing teams since Pettersson arrived in the league. And yet, his scoring rate against them is nearly identical to his rate against the Hurricanes, who have been one of the best teams in the league since his arrival.

Colorado Avalanche
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 7/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	16	3	10	13	0.81

If there has been one singular ‘class of the Western Conference’ since Pettersson began his career, it’s probably Colorado. And this is one contending team that Pettersson has struggled to score against – relatively, anyway, at three points behind a PPG rate.

Columbus Blue Jackets
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 2/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	11	10	6	16	1.45

The Blue Jackets have been a mixed bag throughout the past seven years, oscillating between the basement and the playoff fringe. If someone wanted to point out a single example of Pettersson ‘feasting’ on a weaker team, this is probably it. Columbus is the opponent against whom he has achieved his second-highest scoring rate.

Dallas Stars
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 7/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	16	6	9	15	0.94

If the class of the Western Conference hasn’t been the Colorado Avalanche, it’s been the Dallas Stars. And though they’ve made the playoffs and been in contention for essentially Pettersson’s entire career, he’s still just a single point below a PPG status against them. This is one of Pettersson’s most encouraging results, in truth.

Detroit Red Wings
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 0/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	12	5	13	18	1.50

The Red Wings are Pettersson’s preferred opponent with a whopping 1.50 PPG all-time record against them. They’re also a bit of a tough team to gauge in terms of their challenge level. Sure, they’ve missed the playoffs in each of the past seven years, but they’ve often spent that time in the mushy middle, and have certainly been more competitive since Steve Yzerman took over. In other words, they’re not the traditional cellar-dweller that Pettersson has been accused of dominating, even if they are a weaker club overall.

Edmonton Oilers
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 6/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	25	7	14	21	0.84

Naturally, the Oilers are Pettersson’s second-most-frequent opponent, after Calgary, though his scoring rate against them isn’t quite as high. The Oilers look to be Pettersson’s toughest Pacific opponent for whatever reason, though we’re only really talking about a matter of a few points, or decimal places.

Florida Panthers
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 6/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	11	2	8	10	0.91

If one is scouring this list for optimism, they’ve got to like this. The Florida Panthers are verging on a modern day dynasty, and yet Pettersson has almost gone point-per-game against them, too, and is just the slightest smidgen below his career average.

And for those asking “what have you done for me lately,” Pettersson has five points in his last five games against Florida, specifically.

Los Angeles Kings
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 4/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	21	9	12	21	1.00

Another Californian opponent, another perfect point-per-game record – and, spoilers, that’s not the last time, either. For whatever reason, Pettersson has a seven-year trend of going exactly PPG against opposition from the Golden State. It’s actually a little weird!

In any case, of the trio, the Kings have clearly been the best over the past seven years.

Minnesota Wild
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 5/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	16	7	5	12	0.75

Back in the day, one would expect every player to have lower scoring stats against the stifling Wild. They don’t really carry that reputation anymore, but for whatever reason, they’re a team that Pettersson has had a bit of trouble scoring against, with just a ¾ PPG rate. They’ve always been in the playoff hunt, but rarely a true contender.

Montreal Canadiens
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 3/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	16	7	4	11	0.69

The Canadiens have turned around one of the quickest and most effective rebuilds in hockey, only bottoming out for a small handful of seasons before returning to the playoffs. Their bottoming-out, however, coincides with the highest-scoring seasons in Pettersson’s career, which is why it’s a bit odd to see him score so little against them.

Nashville Predators
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 5/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	17	11	9	20	1.18

Don’t judge the Predators by their measly results in 2024-25. They’ve been a solid middle-of-the-road playoff team for most of their other recent history, if never a true contender. Still, they’re one of the team’s Pettersson has scored the most against, just slipping into his top-five by PPG.

New Jersey Devils
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 2/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	10	3	5	8	0.80

Maybe it’s all the familial drama, but the Devils are another team – and a weaker one at that – against whom Pettersson’s scoring has dipped down below his usual career pace.

New York Islanders
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 5/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	11	4	4	8	0.73

We are noticing a bit of a trend here in Pettersson’s scoring being lowest against somewhat middle-of-the-road Eastern Conference teams. The Canadiens, the Devils, the Islanders, and coming up soon, the Flyers. We’re not sure what it means, and will note that Eastern opponents naturally come with smaller sample sizes.

New York Rangers
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 4/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	12	4	10	14	1.17

Seeing the Rangers only make the playoffs in four of seven past seasons is a little surprising. In any case, Pettersson has played well against the Canucks’ ’94 rivals, with over a point-per-game and nearly an assist-per-game, at that.

Ottawa Senators
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 1/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	15	10	12	22	1.47

Pettersson hasn’t scored the most against the Canadiens or the Maple Leafs, but his Eastern Canadian road trips haven’t been a total waste, because the Senators are Pettersson’s second-best opponents. Technically, this would be another example of a weaker team that Pettersson has dominated, though it must be said that they’ve gotten better in each year of his career.

Philadelphia Flyers
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 1/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	12	3	7	10	0.83

We mentioned that trend with middling Eastern Conference teams, and it continues with the Flyers. A 0.83 rate isn’t awful, by any stretch, and is just two points back of being PPG anyway, but it is interesting to note all the same.

Pittsburgh Penguins
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 4/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	11	6	7	13	1.18

The trend doesn’t continue with the Penguins, a former dynasty that has been on the slow-and-steady decline since Pettersson arrived in the league. Matching up with the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Pettersson has enjoyed one of his top-five results against the Penguins.

San Jose Sharks
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 1/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	22	7	15	22	1.00

It is almost a little freaky. In 63 games against Californian opponents, Pettersson has scored exactly 63 points. In any case, there’s little bragging to be done about scoring against the Sharks, specifically, as they are one of those actually cellar-dwelling franchises.

Seattle Kraken
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 1/4

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	12	4	7	11	0.92

The Kraken have only been around for four of Pettersson’s seasons, and he’s scored at essentially his career pace against them thus far. In this case, one might have hoped for a little more feasting from Pettersson on a new geographical rival in the form of an expansion team.

St. Louis Blues
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 5/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	17	6	18	24	1.41

Pettersson’s third-best point-per-game rate comes against the Blues, a team that has ranged all the way from winning the Stanley Cup to missing the playoffs in Pettersson’s seven-year career. If you want to pick out the best team that Pettersson has a dominant record against, the Blues are head and shoulders above the Red Wings and Senators.

Tampa Bay Lightning
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 7/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	10	3	3	6	0.60

Though he has scored against them at more than double the rate he has against Boston, the Lightning have been Pettersson’s second-toughest opponent. That said, the Lightning are really the only true contender we can find on this list that Pettersson has truly suppressed scoring numbers against, making it the exception that proves the rule – or busts the myth, in this case.

Toronto Maple Leafs
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 7/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	14	3	8	11	0.79

If there was a team you wished Pettersson scored more against, it’s probably the Leafs. For whatever reason, his scoring has lagged behind here. Perhaps it’s the additional gravitational pressures of playing at the centre of the hockey universe…

Utah Mammoth (FKA Utah Hockey Club, FKA Arizona Coyotes)
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 1/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	16	7	11	18	1.13

For the purposes of this study, we think it’s fair to lump the record of the Arizona Coyotes and the Utah Hockey Club/Mammoth together. We understand there’s a technical distinction.

In any case, they’re an opponent against whom Pettersson has had slightly above average success, but only by a couple points over PPG.

Vegas Golden Knights
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 6/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	18	7	10	17	0.94

As a franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights have only been around one season longer than Pettersson. And they’ve been one of the top teams in the Western Conference for nearly their entire run of existence. If we’re talking ‘playoff-capable’ opponents, then Vegas is probably top of the list. Pettersson, however, has just barely missed out on PPG status against them and essentially matched his career pace.

Washington Capitals
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 6/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	10	6	4	10	1.00

We’re kind of running out of commentary here, but Pettersson went PPG in his matchups with Alex Ovechkin to date, and that’s pretty cool, no?

Winnipeg Jets
Number of Playoff Appearances Since 2018: 6/7

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG
EP40 VS.	19	7	8	15	0.79

For those who were already going to use this list to confirm their biases, anyway, here’s one last contending team that Pettersson hasn’t scored at a great rate against for the road. It’s interesting to note that the Jets are one of just two Western Conference opponents – with the Wild being the other – that Pettersson has scored at a less than .80 rate against.

Pettersson was best against…

1) Detroit: 1.50 PPG

2) Ottawa: 1.47 PPG

3) Columbus: 1.45 PPG

4) St. Louis: 1.41 PPG

T-5) Pittsburgh: 1.18 PPG

T-5) Nashville: 1.18 PPG

This is a mixed bag of teams. You’ve got two occasional pseudo-contenders in Nashville and St. Louis, a former great team on the decline in Pittsburgh, and three weaker – but not quite cellar-dwelling over the long-term – teams in Detroit, Ottawa, and Columbus. There may be some evidence of Pettersson scoring slightly more against weaker opposition – as one might expect most players to do – but certainly not of him piling up an excess amount of his points against them.

Pettersson was worst against…

1) Boston: 0.27 PPG

2) Tampa Bay: 0.60 PPG

3) Montreal: 0.69 PPG

4) New York Islanders: 0.73 PPG

5) Minnesota: 0.75 PPG

There’s only one long-term contender on this list in the form of the Lightning, though the Bruins were also there a few years back. Pettersson has definitely scored less against the Eastern Conference than the Western, but most of the true contenders fall somewhere in the mushy middle of his production history.

That means…

Pettersson has scored at a 0.85 point-per-game rate or higher against 19 of 31 other NHL franchises to date. He’s scored at a 0.75 point-per-game or lower against just five opponents. The reality is that Pettersson’s point-producing is more-or-less evenly distributed amongst his opposition, regardless of that opposition’s quality.

Someone with an ulterior motive can easily cherry-pick examples if they still want to believe in the myth of Pettersson feasting on weaker teams and wilting against the strong ones. They’ll point to a 0.60 rate against the Lightning, and a 1.45 rate against the Blue Jackets, and draw the same conclusions that they were always going to draw, anyway.

But that’s not the picture painted by Pettersson’s entire body of work over his seven-year career. Whatever his struggles may have been, past or present, they don’t seem to have much to do with the quality of his opponents.

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