Vancouver Canucks' Elias Pettersson gives grim update on his health for remainder of season
It’s been a trying season for Elias Pettersson.
This time, it doesn’t have much to do with his play on the ice.
Even though his production is nowhere near the superstar level he used to be at, his underlying metrics have been stellar.
And apparently, he’s been tilting the ice in the Vancouver Canucks favour even though he isn’t 100 per cent.
Pettersson chatted with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre earlier this week, where he gave an update on his health.
The 27-year-old missed eight games in December with an upper-body injury before returning to the Canucks lineup after Christmas.
āItās going to be a nagging injury for a while, probably the rest of the season,” Pettersson told MacIntyre. “But I can play with it. In some situations, thereās some pain, but I can push through it.ā
So not only are the Canucks toiling near the bottom of the NHL standings, but their highest-paid forward, and arguably still their most effective one, won’t be playing at 100 per cent for the foreseeable future.
And unlike most NHLers, Pettersson won’t be resting during the Olympics, as he’s one of six players in the Canucks organization who’ve been tasked with representing his country during the Olympics.
Not only has Pettersson had to deal with injuries, but he also watched the Canucks trade away captain Quinn Hughes, someone he basically grew up with in Vancouver.
“Itās tough to lose him,” Pettersson told media following the trade.ā”[He’s] a friend for a long time for me, but itās a business at the end of the day.”
The toughest thing the Sundsvall, Sweden, native has had to deal with was that his wife, Katelyn, suffered a miscarriage late in 2025. Pettersson and his wife were expecting their first child in July.
Through all of that, Pettersson has still been one of the Canucks best players, even if it’s far below the superstar standard he set earlier in his career.
After a rough first showing against the San Jose Sharks during his return on Dec. 27, Pettersson has three goals and four points in his last five games.