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An astounding fact revealed by Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday is that the last time Elias Pettersson scored a power-play goal on the road was Jan. 15, 2024.
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And yet when you think about how the last two years have gone for the Vancouver Canucks, it does track.
As has been noted more than once, Pettersson was one of the NHL’s Stars of the Month for January 2024. He had a monster month leading into the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend. That’s the weekend that so many have looked back to over recent months, lamenting what might have been.
The Canucks had six all-stars that weekend — and a coach.
And somehow here we are two years later looking at the charred ashes of what was.
It’s not just that Pettersson fell so far. Maybe he really never was as good as we thought — or maybe it’s just that he was miscast and just couldn’t find his way after the league figured him out.
The Canucks fell apart. J.T. Miller somehow fell out with Pettersson so badly that even staunch supporters of his inside the organization, such as Rick Tocchet, admitted there was no path forward.
Thatcher Demko’s body finally broke. How many games will he play from here?
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Brock Boeser is here but after a quality season is now having a tough one.
Elias Lindholm didn’t want to stick around — and things hadn’t even got crazy here yet.
And then Quinn Hughes left too. Maybe he was always going to go. But at least at that moment in 2024 everything seemed possible.
Turns out Pettersson’s decline had already started.
Just baffling.
Captain? Really?
Listen, everyone behind the scenes says Filip Hronek is a very influential voice in the Canucks’ room.
That’s good. But putting a C on his jersey would be weird. The Captain is a public figure. He’s not just the leader: he’s the face of the team. And he’s just the wrong guy for the job.
This isn’t even about speaking with the media — which he doesn’t like much doing. It’s about being open and friendly to the fans, and there’s just no sign that’s a role he’s really comfortable with.
There’s no burning we-love-Hronek movement out there either. The smart Canucks fan, however many there may be left, know he’s a quality player.
But there’s no one chanting his name.
The Canucks don’t need a C next season. There’s no need.
What this team needs
A full reset.
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 — one source suggested at least two — but how serious are those offers?
At what point do you just say that’s enough?
This team needs a full reset.
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