Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet has made it clear that star center Elias Pettersson’s “preparation has to get better.” The Swedish forward missed the final 12 games of the NHL season with an oblique muscle injury and scored just 15 goals and 30 assists in 64 games for the Canucks this season.
2024–25 Was a Season To Forget for Elias Pettersson and the Vancouver Canucks
On March 2, 2024, NHL.com reported that the 26-year-old signed a team-record eight-year, $92.8 million contract extension with an average annual value of $11.6 million. But fast forward to a media session on Friday, April 18, Tocchet didn’t hold back when pointing out what Pettersson needs to work on.
“I think he’ll tell you that his preparation has to get better,” Tocchet said via NHL.com.
“There’s no secret, if you want to be a great player, you have to prepare, almost to that obsessive type of preparation. … He’s got to practice better. … He’s learning, and do I think he will do those things? I do. I really do.
“I think I can bank on him taking this information, going away for four months, and make sure he has a plan and the plan has to change. I’m not sure he can train the same way. … To be honest with you, that’s got to change.”
Pettersson and the Canucks both had a disappointing 2024–25 season. Fans and analysts expected Vancouver, which won the Pacific Division title and pushed eventual Stanley Cup finalist Edmonton Oilers to seven games in the second round of the playoffs, to build on last year’s performance.
However, not only did the Canucks miss the playoffs this season, but rumors of a rift between Pettersson and fellow star forward J.T. Miller dominated headlines in Vancouver. Tocchet spoke about the issue, which led to Miller being traded to the New York Rangers on Jan. 31.
“I know everybody’s looking for a bad guy. I don’t know if there’s a bad guy in the thing. It just didn’t work out. It had to be resolved… and that’s what happened (when Miller was traded to the New York Rangers). It’s unfortunate. Would I not want J.T. Miller in my lineup? One hundred percent. But at that time, it just couldn’t work,” Tocchet told reporters.
Tocchet has only a one-year club option remaining on his contract with the Canucks. With issues both on and off the ice, Vancouver may need to start thinking about a rebuild if it wants to climb back to the top.