New Statistic Reveals Just How Bad Vancouver Canucks Star Elias Pettersson Has Been In Recent Times

PUBLICATION

Tom Banks
October 20, 2024 (7:32 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

The Vancouver Canucks started last season hot behind some of their biggest stars, but in recent times, Elias Pettersson's production has fallen off in a big way.

Last season, there were few teams as good as the Vancouver Canucks in the regular season, and with red-hot starts from the likes of Quin Hughes, Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson, this comes as absolutely no surprise. However, the latter slowed down significantly towards the end of the season, and after a slow start to this year, many are questioning if he's mentally in the game right now.

Through five games this season, Vancouver sit at 2-1-2, placing them in a tie for fourth place in the Pacific Division, but it's hard to ignore the overall lack of production from No. 40 at this point. Through five games, Pettersson has just two assists and carries a goal differential of exactly 0, not what you want to see from your highest paid player and franchise star.

Even dating back to last season, former Coach Bruce Boudreau pointed out that Pettersson looked distracted and lacked confidence, and now a damning stat has revealed just how long those struggles have gone on for.

According to X account Sportsnet Stats, Pettersson has now gone 30 consecutive games without scoring an even strength goal, including just 8 goals over his last 50 outings including the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Over the last three seasons, Petterson has scored over 30 goals in each, with a career high of 39 coming back during the 2022/23 season, but it's becoming clear that his body language and overall confidence is struggling, with the Canucks not thriving as a result.

At 25-years of age, there's still so much time for Pettersson to figure out whatever's going on, but if the team want to be considered Stanley Cup threats, they will need him to deal with it quickly and start thriving once more.