Canucks: Predicting which NHL awards Pettersson will win
The Vancouver Canucks possess a franchise player in the likes of Swedish center Elias Pettersson. Which NHL awards is he capable of capturing in his NHL career?
It didn’t take long for the Vancouver Canucks to realize that Elias Pettersson is truly special. In fact, he was an overnight sensation the minute he stepped into the National Hockey League, and now, the silky Swede is a well-known hockey player who is highly respected across all of the NHL’s 31 hockey teams.
With two professional seasons under his belt, which includes a total of 139 games played, the young 21-year-old has gathered a very impressive 132 points (55 goals, 77 assists). In the past decade, only Connor McDavid has had a higher Points Per Game % when it comes to players in their first two seasons of NHL experience.
Having his name alone in such an elite company with McDavid raises a lot of questions around the star forward, questions that need answers. How good is Pettersson really? What will be his greatest accomplishments? Those are all great questions, but for the sake of this article, we will be diving into one question in particular…
“Which NHL awards will Pettersson capture during his career?”
Personal awards and nominations
Calder Trophy: 1 win
Yes, we already know he won the Calder, but it’s worth mentioning for the sake of this article. In a single rookie season, Pettersson became the face of Swedish hockey. 66 points (28 goals, 38 assists) in 71 games was enough to pass Pavel Bure for the Canucks rookie scoring record and capture the Calder Memorial Trophy. The win was the perfect way to cap off his introduction to the league and it was the organization’s first rookie award since the Russian Rocket did it back in 1991-92.
Art Ross Trophy: 1 win
One of the most difficult individual awards to win in all of sports has to be the Art Ross Trophy. Awarded to the player who leads the entire NHL in points at the end of the season, it is never an easy victory. In recent years, its become McDavid’s trophy to lose, and being up against him in the same division won’t make it any easier for Petey.
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Pettersson is the Canucks best player right now, but he’s still a ways away from penetrating the top 10 in scoring across the league. As Pettersson reaches his prime years, his early numbers indicate that he will be a natural top-five center in the league. It’s just a matter of when that will happen. My prediction is that Pettersson will peak around the age of 24 and will have a three-four year window of opportunity. Somewhere between 2023 and 2026, Pettersson will capture the NHL scoring title.
Hart Memorial Trophy: 1 win, 2 nominations
The Hart Memorial Trophy is next in line in terms of difficulty to win. It’s awarded to the league’s Most Valuable Player, but the player winning the award doesn’t necessarily have to finish on top of the league standings. Still, it’s awarded to only the league’s most elite players.
Stacking up the early numbers of Pettersson’s career to award winners like Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, and it appears his value could prove worthy down the stretch. He’s already proven capable of being a franchise face, maybe next he can prove to be the face of the entire league.
Jot him down for two nominations and for him to have his name etched in the Hart trophy just once. That’s not a knock on Pettersson’s skill by any means. It’s just a realization of how challenging winning this award truly is.
Personal awards and nominations continued
Ted Lindsay Award: 1 win, 2 nominations
The Ted Lindsay Award is probably one of the more meaningful awards a hockey player can win. Not chosen by the league or fan votes, this trophy is awarded to the NHL’s most outstanding player voted by fellow members of the NHL Players Association. In other words, in order to capture this award, Pettersson will have to gain respect from the best players around him.
Petey has already gained the attention of hockey fans everywhere, but it won’t be until he wins this award, that a guy like Pettersson will feel truly accomplished. He sets his eyes on the best, and he won’t stop until this award has his name on it. Give him two nominations with one of those resulting in a Ted Lindsay win.
Conn Smythe Trophy: 1 win
Yes, I realize that in order for Pettersson to win this trophy he has to at least make it to the finals first. Preferably he does it with a Stanley Cup championship attached. He wouldn’t want to be the modern-day J.S. Giguere now, do we?
Awarded to the Stanley Cup Playoffs’ best player, I have faith that Pettersson has what it takes to accomplish this feat. He’s a winner at every level and so far, he’s done everything to prove that. He was an SHL Rookie of the Year and SHL champion. He’s a World Junior Champion as well as a Calder winner once he transitioned to the NHL.
I truly believe his award cupboard is just beginning to take shape. He;s been a winner his entire life and he has what it takes to take this team to the finals. Expect him to do it with a Conn Smythe-like performance.
Team awards
Presidents’ Trophy: 2 wins
Pettersson has already taken certain aspects of the Canucks to new heights. He’s a big part of the team’s top four power play, and he’ll be the driving force of Vancouver as they enter their Stanley Cup window.
With a well-crafted core all under the age of 25 now surrounding Pettersson in Vancouver in the likes of Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat, and Thatcher Demko, the Canucks will have a longer Stanley Cup window than most. If things go swimmingly, Pettersson and company could rack up a couple of Presidents’ Trophy wins. If Pettersson plays his entire career with the Canucks you can expect him to help the team win it at least twice.
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: 2 wins
Awarded to the team that comes out of the West to represent their conference in the Finals, I expect that when Pettersson and the Canucks are at the peak of their relationship, this team has what it takes to make the finals more than once.
Pettersson is a winner. He won’t be satisfied if he only makes the finals once in his career. Like many great players before him, he’ll find a way to be a consistent presence in championship games.
Stanley Cup: 2 wins
The holy grail of championships. Awarded to the winner of the Stanley Cup playoffs, this championship only gets lifted by the world’s best champions. You reach this level and you’ve done it all. This is what every kid dreams of one day doing in the National Hockey League.
Like millions of people before him, Pettersson drools over the idea of winning this prestigious award. His drive to do what it takes will be what pushes him over the edge and brings this team their first-ever Stanley Cup.
Dripping with the will to win, Pettersson will do anything and everything in his power to cement his name among the best of all-time. He knows winning this championship more than once is the perfect way to do it.
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What do you think Canucks fans? Where will Pettersson find himself among the greatest to ever play? Which awards is he capable of capturing in the NHL? Comment below!