Time for Canucks to try Elias Pettersson with different linemates

We have already established by now that superstar forward Elias Pettersson has not had a very good start to the 2024-25 season for the Vancouver Canucks. Even though frustrations have seemingly come to a head in the Canucks' 6-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Pettersson is far from the only problem on the team right now.

For example, it would be easy to point a finger at backup goalie Arturs Silovs, who has allowed 15 goals on 74 shots this season and has the NHL's worst save percentage at .797%. With any player, context is important.

No, Pettersson certainly did not play well against the Devils, and he went viral on Twitter for a brutal power play shot attempt that should have resulted in a much more dangerous play. At the end of the day, the reality is that Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Kiefer Sherwood, Pius Suter, and Conor Garland were the only Canucks to register multiple shots on goal in the embarrassing 6-0 loss to New Jersey. Seriously! It was just the five of them.

Unless you want to count Garland, who has generally been a third-liner throughout his NHL career and only recently started playing with Pettersson, the Swedish center was the only top-six forward to produce multiple shots on goal. Sniper wingers Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser failed to register even one, while J.T. Miller managed only one himself.

Pettersson is a star player and he is on a mammoth eight-year, $92.8 million contract, but there is something clearly going on with him, whether it be mental or physical. In that context, it is not fair for the Canucks to have to depend on him to entirely to create any semblance of offense. Hockey is a team sport.

Canucks alternatives

The impending return of Dakota Joshua might help the Canucks balance things, but so far, we know that Danton Heinen, Nils Hoglander, and DeBrusk have all started on and been moved off of Pettersson's left wing.

Arshdeep Bains was given an opportunity on Wednesday but finished with just 11:39 of ice time, a minus-2 plus-minus rating, and zero shots on goal. He is not exactly the guy who has the requisite skillset to give a player like Pettersson a kick in the pants offensively.

While the left wing will likely remain a mystery, the Canucks have better options than Garland if they want to find a spark offensively. Daniel Sprong has always been a net-positive offensive player, and offseason addition Sherwood has had a nice start to his debut season in Vancouver.

The cap space situation makes things tricky, but top forward prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki could make for an interesting option if the Canucks want to try a true sniper. Or, perhaps if Aatu Raty returns from the Abbotsford Canucks, Pius Suter could move back to the wing. Head coach Rick Tocchet should be looking to experiment with Pettersson's linemates early and often until something finally clicks.