At this point in the season, Vancouver Canucks fans half-wish the franchise would embrace “tanking” wholeheartedly in view of a successful draft day. However, the Canucks are playing better than ever, and so is Elias Pettersson. The expensive forward channeled his lethal form against the Florida Panthers, and Brock Boeser would want him to do just that more often.
Brock Boeser Approves of Elias Pettersson’s Shocking Resurgence
The Canucks’ 2025-26 season has been so utterly disappointing that the management has no room to refute a rebuild. So forgettable has the season been that former captain Quinn Hughes flatly refused to sign a contract extension, leading to his blockbuster move to the Minnesota Wild. Meanwhile, the front office has parted ways with several players, including Kiefer Sherwood and Conor Garland.
However, the one who stayed is Pettersson. While the 27-year-old is a core player who has proven his mettle in the NHL, his performance has dipped in recent seasons, raising questions about his hefty $11.6 million annual salary.
The bottom line is Pettersson ought to do more, and he did exactly so during Vancouver’s latest showdown against the Panthers at Rogers Arena.
Against the Panthers, the 27-year-old forward had two goals, including one on the power play, bringing an end to his 20-game goal drought. With that, Pettersson has 200 NHL goals. Speaking on his performance, Boeser stated that the locker room wants Pettersson to unleash his fiercest form more regularly.
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“We need him to let that bomb go. And in the third period, even if it hurts a guy, that’s fine. It creates stuff off that. I love to see it, and you got to keep bombing it,” Boeser said, setting expectations for Pettersson straight.
Boeser on Petey:
“We need him to do that. We need him to let that bomb go… even if it hurts a guy, that’s fine.”#Canucks
— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) March 18, 2026
Head coach Adam Foote, who had previously bluntly demanded more from the 27-year-old forward, believes that Pettersson has finally improved his work ethic. Foote further emphasized the mindset shift that may have contributed to his comeback.
“I do not think it’s about necessarily his skill set or things like that. I think he is just working on his work ethic. He comes out early, he goes on the bike after games. He’s changed his whole mindset. He is doing it for four to six weeks now, and I think I see him not get too frustrated,” Foote shared, sounding optimistic about the turn Pettersson’s attitude seems to have taken.
Despite the sinking ship that the Canucks’ 2025-26 season is, Pettersson playing like old times is a welcome change. Loud “Let’s go Petey” cheers rang across the arena, signaling fans’ faith in him despite all odds.
