Elias Pettersson’s collapse as a viable No. 1 NHL centre has truly been astounding.<\/p>\n
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Published Mar 01, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 4\u00a0hours ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 3 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n An astounding fact revealed by Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday is that the last time Elias Pettersson<\/a> scored a power-play goal on the road was Jan. 15, 2024.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. 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He had a monster month leading into the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend. That\u2019s the weekend that so many have looked back to over recent months, lamenting what might have been.<\/p>\n The Canucks had six all-stars that weekend \u2014 and a coach.<\/p>\n And somehow here we are two years later looking at the charred ashes of what was.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just that Pettersson fell so far. Maybe he really never was as good as we thought \u2014 or maybe it\u2019s just that he was miscast and just couldn\u2019t find his way after the league figured him out.<\/p>\n The Canucks fell apart. J.T. Miller<\/a> somehow fell out with Pettersson so badly that even staunch supporters of his inside the organization, such as Rick Tocchet<\/a>, admitted there was no path forward.<\/p>\n Thatcher Demko<\/a>\u2019s body finally broke. How many games will he play from here?<\/p>\n Canucks Report<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Brock Boeser<\/a> is here but after a quality season is now having a tough one.<\/p>\n Elias Lindholm<\/a> didn\u2019t want to stick around \u2014 and things hadn\u2019t even got crazy here yet.<\/p>\n And then Quinn Hughes<\/a> left too. Maybe he was always going to go. But at least at that moment in 2024 everything seemed possible.<\/p>\n Turns out Pettersson\u2019s decline had already started.<\/p>\n Just baffling.<\/p>\n A fed up coach<\/p>\n Adam Foote benched his notional No. 1 centre Saturday. Pettersson had a couple fleeting moments at the Olympics, but on the whole was a spare part. Now, Swedish head coach Sam Hallam was a mess overall, so his judgment isn\u2019t all that definitive. And Foote of course is struggling in his first season as an NHL bench boss as well.<\/p>\n But Pettersson\u2019s nose dive is long-running. He fell apart under Tocchet too.<\/p>\n Two years of struggles. Maybe it\u2019s the coaching style but it\u2019s more like the will to win.<\/p>\n That\u2019s what Foote highlighted after Saturday\u2019s game.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got to be better, and he knows that, he\u2019s aware of that,\u201d Foote told the few reporters who attended his press conference after the game. \u201cWe need more from him and he\u2019s got to find it. He knows he\u2019s got to be better for us and we\u2019ll see that next game.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got to play with more zip, like, more pace to his game, more engaged. Good things will happen when he gets his motor going.\u201d<\/p>\n Captain? Really?<\/p>\n Listen, everyone behind the scenes says Filip Hronek<\/a> is a very influential voice in the Canucks\u2019 room.<\/p>\n That\u2019s good. But putting a C on his jersey would be weird. The Captain is a public figure. He\u2019s not just the leader: he\u2019s the face of the team. And he\u2019s just the wrong guy for the job.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t even about speaking with the media \u2014 which he doesn\u2019t like much doing. It\u2019s about being open and friendly to the fans, and there\u2019s just no sign that\u2019s a role he\u2019s really comfortable with.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no burning we-love-Hronek movement out there either. The smart Canucks fan, however many there may be left, know he\u2019s a quality player.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s no one chanting his name.<\/p>\n The Canucks don\u2019t need a C next season. There\u2019s no need.<\/p>\n What this team needs<\/p>\n A full reset.<\/p>\n That means trading Pettersson. Maybe he somehow finds his way over the remainder of the season. There are definitely teams that have kicked the tires \u2014 one source suggested at least two \u2014 but how serious are those offers?<\/p>\n At what point do you just say that\u2019s enough?<\/p>\n This team needs a full reset.<\/p>\n pjohnston@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Canucks: Why a Tyler Myers trade scenario is vital for the rebuild<\/p>\n![\"all](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1983280487-1.jpg\")
The Canucks six all-stars in 2024. It’s hard to fathom how badly things have turned since. Photo by Bruce Bennett \/Getty ImagesArticle content<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.6.2\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-vp.svg\"){kind=logo}
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