Canucks: 3 takeaways from Elias Pettersson’s 2019-20 season

VANCOUVER, BC - NOVEMBER 16: Vancouver Canucks Center Elias Pettersson (40) skates up ice during their NHL game against the Colorado Avalanche at Rogers Arena on November 16, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC - NOVEMBER 16: Vancouver Canucks Center Elias Pettersson (40) skates up ice during their NHL game against the Colorado Avalanche at Rogers Arena on November 16, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Vancouver Canucks Center Elias Pettersson (40) skates up ice (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Vancouver Canucks Center Elias Pettersson (40) skates up ice (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

For the second straight season, Elias Pettersson was the best player on the Vancouver Canucks. Here are three takeaways from his sophomore year.

For all of the Vancouver Canucks fans that feared the proverbial “sophomore slump” for Elias Pettersson this season, he didn’t have one. In fact, the 21-year-old Swede picked up right where he left off and continued to use his second pro season to build on his already promising career.

2019-20 was almost an identical season statistically for Petey. He played in three fewer games in the shortened season but mirrored his point total from a year ago. He scored 28 goals and had 66 points before the NHL, unfortunately, paused and later ended the regular season.

Quietly though, Pettersson was able to work out the kinks in his game (specifically his strength and size), round out things on the defensive side of the puck, and further improve his already strong possession numbers.

Maybe he didn’t wow the crowd quite as much as he did in year one but trust me, Pettersson’s efforts in becoming one of the world’s best athletes didn’t go unnoticed amongst the National Hockey League’s most elite superstars. Here are three of my biggest takeaways from his sophomore season.