Elias Pettersson Seeks NHL Comeback After Last Season's Challenges

After having scored points since the move to NHL 2018, it stopped for the sharpshooter from Ånge last season.

He ended up in an open conflict with teammate JT Miller and almost halved his point harvest from the previous season.

In 64 matches, it was only 45 points, 15 goals and 30 assists.

The previous season, he made 89 points, of which 34 goals, in 82 matches.

Vancouver chose to trade JT Miller to improve the mood, but not even that helped the Swede.

Deleted accounts

Pettersson was heavily criticized by fans and media in the hockey-crazy Vancouver and the Swedish star told during the national team tournament Four Nations that he had deleted his accounts on social media.

The best I've done, he said then.

Now the revenge is coming. The Vancouver leadership, with Swedish general manager Patrik Allvin at the forefront, demanded after last season that Elias Pettersson would come back more well-trained after the summer.

He has done that.

I've put on a few extra pounds (six pounds). It's always about improving strength to get faster. I've been healthy and been able to train fully. For me, it's about revenge, I'm not satisfied with last season, Pettersson told nhl.com in August.

”Our big player”

Vancouver missed the playoffs last year when several of the stars underperformed. Pettersson's friend and teammate Brock Boeser says he sees a different Elias Pettersson now.

He looks incredibly good. He's flying out there. It looks like he's got his confidence back, says Boeser according to Sportsnet and lifts the Swedish star's importance:

”Petey” is our big player, he's the one who's going to drive this team and he needs to be the one who makes a difference.

Elias Pettersson signed a new monster contract with Vancouver in March 2024, an eight-year agreement worth approximately 873 million kronor.

A dream contract that gives some pressure, he admitted during Four Nations:

I've got a contract that I'm very happy with, but with that comes pressure and I don't think I've lived up to it fully.

Göran Sundberg/TT

Facts: Swedes with the most points

TT

These Swedes made the most points in the NHL's regular season last season:

1. Jesper Bratt, New Jersey, 81 matches–21 goals–67 assists–88 points.

2. William Nylander, Toronto, 82–45–39–84.

3. Lucas Raymond, Detroit, 82–27–53–80.

4. Filip Forsberg, Nashville, 82–31–45–76.

5. Adrian Kempe, Los Angeles, 81–35–38–73.