Canucks: Elias Pettersson and Bo Horvat on NHL’s top 50 fantasy centres
By Alex Hoegler
NHL.com released its rankings for the top 50 fantasy hockey centres. Elias Pettersson and Bo Horvat of the Vancouver Canucks made the list.
The Vancouver Canucks have one of the NHL’s top 1-2 punches at centre in Elias Pettersson and captain Bo Horvat, both of whom have grown into franchise cornerstone players.
Horvat took over as Vancouver’s No. 1 centre in 2017-18 as Henrik and Daniel Sedin moved into lesser roles for their final season. Once Pettersson arrived, however, Horvat was bumped down to the more suitable No. 2 centre role.
Not that Horvat’s production has suffered or anything. In 2018-19, he set career highs across the board — 27 goals, 34 assists and 61 points.
Last season, he posted 22 goals and 53 points in 69 games. If the season wasn’t shortened due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Horvat could have easily set new career bests.
Pettersson, meanwhile, is quickly building up his case as one of the league’s elite centres. He won the Calder Trophy in 2018-19 after tallying 28 goals and 66 points. He was on his way to topping those numbers before the season suspension. Pettersson finished the 2019-20 campaign with 27 goals and 66 points in 68 games.
A dynamic 1-2 centre duo, indeed.
Ahead of the 2020-21 season, NHL.com ranked the top 50 centres for fantasy hockey. Pettersson and Horvat made the list, placing seventh and 22nd, respectively.
We don’t know yet how long the 2020-21 regular season will be, but 82 games seems unlikely at this point. You know Pettersson will be good for nearly a point per game, and that Horvat is reliable for a 25-goal, 50 to 60-point pace.
There’s a high chance that Jake Virtanen will move into the top-six following the departure of Tyler Toffoli, who flourished on the top line with Pettersson and J.T. Miller.
If Virtanen is ready for an increased role, that should help the production of Pettersson or Horvat, depending on which line Canucks head coach Travis Green assigns him to.
Next. The Canucks and Flames rivalry should be red-hot. dark
The Canucks hope to make the leap and contend for a Stanley Cup in 2020-21. As long as Pettersson and Horvat continue to dominate at their usual levels, the Canucks will be in good hands next season.