Vancouver Canucks: Why Elias Pettersson won’t have a sophomore slump
Elias Pettersson’s rookie season with the Vancouver Canucks was nothing short of remarkable. Despite his dip in production in the second half of the season, Pettersson won’t suffer from a sophomore slump.
Nope, not going to happen. At least, not to Vancouver Canucks‘ forward Elias Pettersson. The sophomore slump has been a hot topic in recent years, with players such as Nikita Zaitsev, Scott Wilson, and even Vancouver’s very own Ben Hutton seeing a dip in production after their rookie campaigns in the NHL.
The worry with Pettersson would be the less than glamorous second half of his season. After finding success early on — from scoring ten emphatic goals in his first ten games to make everyone around the league take notice of him, all the way to his shifty moves and slick playmaking abilities that Canucks fans saw on a nightly basis — Pettersson saw a dip in production in the second half of the season.
He looked tired, he didn’t look like the same electrifying player that we saw at the start of the season. Now, this has a lot to do with opponents simply taking away his time and space, but it also has a lot to do with Pettersson carrying most of the load for his team.
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Not only did he lead his team in goals as a rookie, despite missing games due to injury, but Pettersson also had the highest shooting percentage on the Canucks at 19.4% (of players who played more than 30 games). When he lets go of the puck, he rarely misses.
That shooting percentage is part of the reason why I believe that Pettersson will not fall victim to the dreaded sophomore slump. He is too skilled of a player and has too much of a will to win and outmatch his opponents to simply allow defenders to get the better of him. Players with Pettersson’s abilities to adapt and overcome obstacles simply don’t let challenges get the better of them.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Take how he ended his season for example. It was a successful season for him, no doubt, but it’s no secret that he would have liked to continue his production rate from the first half. However, Pettersson’s final game was a testament to his never give up attitude.
It was a matchup with the playoff-bound St. Louis Blues, with rookie goaltender and Calder Trophy nominee Jordan Binnington in goal. Pettersson knew that people around the hockey world were talking about how Binnington could give him a run for his money at the Calder due to Binnington’s stellar second half and Pettersson’s lack thereof.
Tuning out all that outside noise, Pettersson played his heart out one final time before his memorable rookie campaign officially came to an end. In his last opportunity to show why he deserves the recognition as the NHL’s top rookie, Pettersson blasts home one last one-timer past Binnington and with much authority, seals the deal on the Calder Trophy conversation.
After that game and after Pettersson had a little time to reflect on his rookie season he said:
“I feel like lately I didn’t play my best hockey. Teams were scouting me, trying to shut me down. I have to find a way to be successful when teams put even more pressure on me. Of course, every summer you try to get stronger, faster, all that. But when it doesn’t go my way, I will try to find new ways to be successful.”
If that doesn’t speak volumes to Pettersson’s character and his will to win, I don’t know what does. There are few players in this league with as much talent as Pettersson, but there’s even fewer who share the same level of work ethic, and a sheer desire to outmatch their opponents.
On top of all this, Pettersson is hungrier than ever now that he has gotten a taste of what the NHL is like. He knows what kind of toll playing a full 82 games has on your mental and physical health, and he knows what he needs to improve on in order to be successful next season. Above all, Pettersson can’t wait to get back to work next season.
“I’m really excited for next season. This season was exciting for me and the team and the organization, and also for the fans. It’s no secret Vancouver has had some down years. But it’s starting to go up and we’re becoming a competitive team for the playoffs.”
We can’t wait for next season either Petey. It is that competitive drive that is seldom matched along with a will to always be improving that will play key factors in why Pettersson will come back with an absolute vengeance in his sophomore year.