Elias Pettersson | #40 | C

[Ghost-M]

15 hours ago, nzan said:

So after four games he's already looking like he's on a trajectory to be dominant in this league?!

Hard not to be a little over-excited right now.

Lets not get to carried away, this is arguably the best (or one of the best) leagues outside of the nhl, nylander put up 20 points in 21 games in the sel, backstrom put up 40 points in 45 games, and those are some of the best numbers put up recently by anyone for a  D+1 season, so dominant (depending on your definition) might be tough this season for any player.  Of course 40 points in 45 games like nicholas backstrom to me for a 18-19 year old would be dominant, but others might not consider those totals as impressive, it just needs a proper perspective. 

Edited September 4, 2017 by Ghost-M

[Putgolzin]

2 hours ago, Ghost-M said:

Lets not get to carried away, this is arguably the best (or one of the best) leagues outside of the nhl, nylander put up 20 points in 21 games in the sel, backstrom put up 40 points in 45 games, and those are some of the best numbers put up recently by anyone for a  D+1 season, so dominant (depending on your definition) might be tough this season for any player.  Of course 40 points in 45 games like nicholas backstrom to me for a 18-19 year old would be dominant, but others might not consider those totals as impressive, it just needs a proper perspective. 

that's the exact perspective i'm talking about.

if a guy like nylander is showing ppg in the sel at D+1 and two years later we're seeing that carry over to some degree into the NHL...if we have a player that could potentially be on the same trajectory as Nylander, consider me carried away.

[wildcam]

On June 23, 2017 at 4:38 PM, -Vintage Canuck- said:

C/LW   |   6'2"   |   165 lbs
 

Shoots | Left

Born | 1998-11-12

Draft | 2017 Round 1 #5 Overall by Vancouver Canucks

 

Scouting report:

 

Highlights:

 

 

Thanks for the update, so excited with some of the great prospects we have now..

[N4ZZY]

i'm pretty pumped for Pettersson to be honest. he's soooo smart both with and without the puck. by the time he's 20, he will be contributing on the Canucks. 

[ice orca]

2 hours ago, N4ZZY said:

i'm pretty pumped for Pettersson to be honest. he's soooo smart both with and without the puck. by the time he's 20, he will be contributing on the Canucks. 

In a year?

[spook007]

19 hours ago, Rob_Zepp said:

BTW - think his thread should be subtitled "RW/LW/C" as he is currently on RW and looking solid.   Who knows, maybe he stays there.   That off-wing shot of his is pretty impressive for a guy who weighs same as Guddy's right leg.

Hahahaha...

[Boudrias]

On 9/3/2017 at 5:40 AM, Eastcoast meets Westcoast said:

I like the kids Jam.  He has a quality to him that Horvat had, that Boeser showed signs of.  The ability to be a go to player as the competition increases.  OJ does have that as well.  It seem to be big factor in JB's drafting.  EP has the makings of becoming a player that Vancouver has never had.  I am seeing why Linden said neither to drafting Patrick or Nico at number one.  In many ways, I think JB got his guy at 5.  

I am assuming that Gradin had much to do with this draft pick. If Linden was truthful about wanting him all along then Gradin had to have been very sold. 

[stawns]

1 hour ago, Boudrias said:

I am assuming that Gradin had much to do with this draft pick. If Linden was truthful about wanting him all along then Gradin had to have been very sold. 

I wish we knew who the Canucks would have picked 1st overall.  I suspect it would have been the same pick no matter where they picked.

[Alflives]

Just now, stawns said:

I wish we knew who the Canucks would have picked 1st overall.  I suspect it would have been the same pick no matter where they picked.

I think you're right.  I remember reading (here?) that many scouts believed Pettersson the most skilled guy in the draft, who would be selected first, if he wasn't so thin.

[Derp...]

1 hour ago, Boudrias said:

I am assuming that Gradin had much to do with this draft pick. If Linden was truthful about wanting him all along then Gradin had to have been very sold. 

Apparently Judd Bracket was tooting the horn on Elias Pettersson all season. I remember hearing that during post draft interviews. 

[JamesB]

7 hours ago, N4ZZY said:

i'm pretty pumped for Pettersson to be honest. he's soooo smart both with and without the puck. by the time he's 20, he will be contributing on the Canucks. 

 

1 hour ago, stawns said:

I wish we knew who the Canucks would have picked 1st overall.  I suspect it would have been the same pick no matter where they picked.

Possibly the Canucks had Pettersson at #1, but I think Makar is more likely given their often-stated and very reasonable desire to get a legit #1 offensive defenceman.

And, while I like Pettersson a lot, it is hard to see rating him ahead of Hischier at the draft.

 

Back to Pettersson. I admit I did not know a lot about him before the draft. I was hoping and expecting the Canucks would pick Glass. I was disappointed when they took Pettersson but I have come around 180 degrees and am now very happy with Pettersson.

 

At first I thought it was the reverse of 2014, when the Canucks took Virtanen. I wanted the Canucks to take the skilled Euro (Nylander) but the Canucks went for the tough Canadian instead. The argument was that Virtanen was hoped and expected to become the elusive top six "power forward", but that he would at least by a good third liner -- with speed, physical play, and good secondary scoring. Nylander (and Ehlers) were higher risk. Maybe they would become good top six scorers but, if not, it is hard to see them in the bottom six and they might never be more than good AHL players. As things turned out, the Canucks got burned as both Nylander and Ehlers look like first liners in the NHL and Virtanen has a ways to go before making the NHL as a 4th liner -- going into his draft+4 season.

 

This time I thought we might get burned in the opposite direction, picking the high-risk high-skill but soft Euro over the safer and more complete Canadian player in Glass.

 

But from what we have seen of Pettersson since the draft, he looks great and I agree he has a shot to be best player from the draft. In my personal re-draft he goes to #2 (after Hischier). 

 

I remember concerns he was not that great in the World Juniors last year and that, moving up to the SHL, he might be a third liner and we not generate as much scoring. Instead, the coach of the Swedish world junior team rated Pettersson as the most skilled player on the team and he is playing on the first line (and scoring) for a very good SHL team.

 

Looks like a great pick. If it was due to Gradin he deserves a lot of credit (again).

[stawns]

1 hour ago, JamesB said:

 

Possibly the Canucks had Pettersson at #1, but I think Makar is more likely given their often-stated and very reasonable desire to get a legit #1 offensive defenceman.

And, while I like Pettersson a lot, it is hard to see rating him ahead of Hischier at the draft.

 

Back to Pettersson. I admit I did not know a lot about him before the draft. I was hoping and expecting the Canucks would pick Glass. I was disappointed when they took Pettersson but I have come around 180 degrees and am now very happy with Pettersson.

 

At first I thought it was the reverse of 2014, when the Canucks took Virtanen. I wanted the Canucks to take the skilled Euro (Nylander) but the Canucks went for the tough Canadian instead. The argument was that Virtanen was hoped and expected to become the elusive top six "power forward", but that he would at least by a good third liner -- with speed, physical play, and good secondary scoring. Nylander (and Ehlers) were higher risk. Maybe they would become good top six scorers but, if not, it is hard to see them in the bottom six and they might never be more than good AHL players. As things turned out, the Canucks got burned as both Nylander and Ehlers look like first liners in the NHL and Virtanen has a ways to go before making the NHL as a 4th liner -- going into his draft+4 season.

 

This time I thought we might get burned in the opposite direction, picking the high-risk high-skill but soft Euro over the safer and more complete Canadian player in Glass.

 

But from what we have seen of Pettersson since the draft, he looks great and I agree he has a shot to be best player from the draft. In my personal re-draft he goes to #2 (after Hischier). 

 

I remember concerns he was not that great in the World Juniors last year and that, moving up to the SHL, he might be a third liner and we not generate as much scoring. Instead, the coach of the Swedish world junior team rated Pettersson as the most skilled player on the team and he is playing on the first line (and scoring) for a very good SHL team.

 

Looks like a great pick. If it was due to Gradin he deserves a lot of credit (again).

I honestly don't think and hope they didn't have Makar in the top 5.  IMO he's got, by far, the highest bust potential of the top picks.

[Diamonds]

9 minutes ago, stawns said:

I honestly don't think and hope they didn't have Makar in the top 5.  IMO he's got, by far, the highest bust potential of the top picks.

Makar also has the highest ceiling in my opinion. He could be the next Erik Karlsson or he might never play a game in the NHL. I agree with you though, too much risk to take top 5 for my liking. He's pretty much the definition of Boom or Bust.

 

I am however really liking Pettersson so far and it seems like he's already getting pretty comfortable with Vaxjo.

[JeremyCuddles]

3 hours ago, stawns said:

I wish we knew who the Canucks would have picked 1st overall.  I suspect it would have been the same pick no matter where they picked.

After learning more and more about Pettersson I honestly hope trading down was the plan if they got first overall. None of the guys drafted ahead of Pettersson are that much better than him, if at all. I personally feel he has the highest potential in the draft. It is a huge blessing he was so thin at the draft. 

[Dixon Ward]

3 hours ago, JamesB said:

 

I remember concerns he was not that great in the World Juniors last year and that, moving up to the SHL, he might be a third liner and we not generate as much scoring. Instead, the coach of the Swedish world junior team rated Pettersson as the most skilled player on the team and he is playing on the first line (and scoring) for a very good SHL team.

 

Looks like a great pick. If it was due to Gradin he deserves a lot of credit (again).

Where did you see that the coach of Sweden said this?  That would be interesting.

[JamesB]

55 minutes ago, Dixon Ward said:

Where did you see that the coach of Sweden said this?  That would be interesting.

Here is one source, although it is of form "A friend said that another friend said ..." . http://www.vancourier.com/pass-it-to-bulis/michael-dipietro-and-kole-lind-stymie-elias-pettersson-at-world-junior-summer-showcase-1.21633309

 

Here is the key line:

"The most encouraging sign might have come from the commentary rather than his play on the ice. Gord Miller said at one point, “Talking to [Sweden head coach] Tomas Montén yesterday, asking who the most skilled player on his team might be, without hesitation he said Pettersson."

[Dixon Ward]

8 minutes ago, JamesB said:

Here is one source, although it is of form "A friend said that another friend said ..." . http://www.vancourier.com/pass-it-to-bulis/michael-dipietro-and-kole-lind-stymie-elias-pettersson-at-world-junior-summer-showcase-1.21633309

 

Here is the key line:

"The most encouraging sign might have come from the commentary rather than his play on the ice. Gord Miller said at one point, “Talking to [Sweden head coach] Tomas Montén yesterday, asking who the most skilled player on his team might be, without hesitation he said Pettersson."

That's pretty cool, wasn't Dahlin on that team?  He can do things that not many Canucks since 1970 could do.  If he can translate that at the NHL level, it might be the steal of the draft.  He needs some pounds and a bit more speed.  

[JamesB]

18 minutes ago, Dixon Ward said:

That's pretty cool, wasn't Dahlin on that team?  He can do things that not many Canucks since 1970 could do.  If he can translate that at the NHL level, it might be the steal of the draft.  He needs some pounds and a bit more speed.  

Yes, Pettersson has quick hands, great hand-eye coordination, great vision, high hockey IQ and handles the puck very well, making his a good passer and a dangerous shooter with a quick shot. Those are things are hard to teach and hard to acquire is you don't have them.

 

Strength and, to a lesser extent, speed can be developed. And most guys do improve in those areas in the first few years after the draft (some more than others).

 

[N4ZZY]

20 hours ago, ice orca said:

In a year?

probably not in year's time. maybe two years time? might need a year in the AHL...but after that, I see him adapting fairly quickly with his high hockey IQ and his set of hands, and giftedness....won't take him long before he cracks the NHL roster. 

 

[48MPHSlapShot]

4 hours ago, N4ZZY said:

probably not in year's time. maybe two years time? might need a year in the AHL...but after that, I see him adapting fairly quickly with his high hockey IQ and his set of hands, and giftedness....won't take him long before he cracks the NHL roster. 

 

That is unless we sign a veteran to fill his spot when he's already NHL ready coughboesercough