Canucks call up the other Elias Pettersson for the first time
Let the confusion begin for the Vancouver Canucks play-by-play announcers as the team is calling up defenceman Elias Pettersson from the AHL.
This comes after defenceman Derek Forbort was put on the IR retroactively from November 2 after suffering from a knee injury.
Irfaan Gaffar was the first to report the transactions.
Canucks called up D Elias Pettersson. Derek Forbort on IR.
— Irfaan Gaffar (@irfgaffar) November 17, 2024
Pettersson is a former third-round pick of the Canucks back in 2022 and is playing in his second season in the AHL this year. Though he shares a first and last name with a current NHL superstar also playing in Vancouver, there is no relation between the two Swedes.
The 20-year-old Pettersson, for one, plays defence and has just four assists in 15 games with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks this season. While Forbort has been out of the lineup for quite some time, it seems like Vancouver may be dissatisfied with the play of some of their depth defencemen.
Noah Juulsen and Erik Brannstrom made up the team’s third pair during Saturday night’s 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Vincent Desharnais, who signed with the Canucks over the summer from the Edmonton Oilers, is also dealing with an injury and this may be related to that as well.
It continues a recent trend from Canucks management, who is putting more faith in their younger players. The team called up top prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki last week, who scored his first NHL goal against the New York Islanders on Thursday night.
While Pettersson may not be the most offensive player from the blue line, he does possess an intimidating frame. He is only 20, but he stands six-foot-three and 209lbs. Easing him into a bottom-pair role may be the best path for him if the Canucks do wind up playing him.
How they will handle the jerseys for both Elias Pettersson’s is yet to be known.