Canucks select Elias Pettersson in third round

The Vancouver Canucks already have an Elias Pettersson but this is getting out of hand, now there are two of them! (As Nute Gunray from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace famously said)

With the 80th overall pick in the third round the Canucks took Elias Pettersson who is a left-handed defenceman who plays for the Örebro HK organization in Sweden. Pettersson is 6’2″ and 185 pounds.

Cue the memes.

He was ranked as high as 57 by EliteProspects and as low as 106 by ThePuckAuthority.

With the Örebro HK under 20 team last season he scored 10 goals and managed eight assists for 18 points in 37 games. Pettersson also played 17 games with the Örebro HK first team and managed one assist.

Pettersson also represented Sweden at the recent Under-18  World Hockey Championships. He went pointless in six games at the tournament and he and Sweden won the gold medal. Pettersson was teammates at the tournament with Canucks first round pick Jonathan Lekkerimäki.

Here is how Hade Kalakeche of Dobber Prospects described Pettersson.

“Fluid-skating two-way blue-liner with size and a solid shot. Needs to work on his playmaking and using his body more efficiently, but projects as a second- to third-pair defenceman.”

Pettersson’s favourite player? Pettersson. The one that currently plays for the Canucks not himself.

“We are sitting here and we can see the Canucks are picking soon,” said Pettersson’s agent Joakim Persson to CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal. “This is Elias’s favourite team, it’s a dream come true for him. He can not believe Vancouver selected him, he is so excited.”

The two Petterssons have not met…yet. But the two will meet at Canucks training camp sometime in the future for sure.

In case you are wondering, Pettersson the first has reacted to the pick.

You have to wonder what will go on Pettersson the second’s jersey if he makes the team. E.Pettersson won’t work. Will they go with Pettersson 2? What about Pettersson² ? Maybe Pettersson the defenceman will wear 80 since 40 x 2 is 80.

Let us know your thoughts on the Canucks drafting another Pettersson in the comments below, in the Facebook comments or on Twitter!