Price is Right: Canucks' Pettersson has taken the next step towards superstar status

Elias Pettersson has his signature season.

We’ll collectively knock on wood here, to ensure it continues, but even if it did end today, the passing of the 70-point plateau and smashing of the point-per-game average is good enough to proclaim this year as his arrival season on the next level of stardom in the NHL. And doing it all, in a season of drama and upheaval as well.

DOIN' WHAT HE DOES BEST! pic.twitter.com/JQ0ZfFXd60

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 24, 2023

Still, whatever you want to label him now is up to you, but it should be noted, he’s not at the top level yet, even though he’s close.

Not at the top you say? No. That’s a spot reserved for a precious few. A precious few that are able to make a habit of these seasons, not just cresting once. See J.T. Miller. And not even the very reasonable prediction of more to come gets you there. Bottom line matters. For instance, does that precious few even include a guy like Auston Matthews?

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Which sounds like blasphemy, because like Pettersson, Matthews certainly has the skills to be there. But Matthews has had more than 80 points once in his career. Once. And 100-point players are back in the NHL. That’s a thing again. And Matthews has been above 80 once. Games played has been a big reason there for the Leafs star, but facts are facts over his seven seasons of hockey.

Connor McDavid is the gold standard obviously: eight seasons, six over 100 points. But it’s more than just a group of one. Heck, his teammate in Edmonton, Leon Draisaitl has been above 80 for the past five seasons, including three over 100.

Nikita Kucherov has been above 80 in five of the past six seasons, twice above 100, including that 128-point campaign.

And with a nice finish, Artemi Panarin should be above 90 for the third time in four seasons.

Not to mention, there’s the old guard who continue to get it done, like Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Patrick Kane.

We saw potential for Pettersson to be an NHL star player even in Sweden, and he made it happen with his Calder season. But for a variety of reasons, some beyond his control, climbing that next rung has been more difficult for the past three seasons. Now in his fifth year, he has a hand on that rung. Should be fun to see him ascend.