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Vancouver Canucks GM says Pettersson needs to "mature"

Rob Williams
Rob Williams
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Dec 31 2024, 3:09 am
Vancouver Canucks GM says Pettersson needs to "mature"
Bob Frid/Imagn Images

Patrik Allvin isn’t happy with his team. That much is clear after the Vancouver Canucks GM’s recent interview with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre.

That’s no surprise, given the Canucks are a regulation loss away from falling below the playoff bar in the Western Conference.

But for the usually cagey Allvin to vocalize it as bluntly as he did does seem notable. He has earned a reputation with saying a lot without revealing much in nearly three years as general manager of the Canucks.

Allvin was critical of many of his star players in the interview, which is worth reading in full, but he seemed to save his sharpest critiques for Pettersson.

While Allvin did say that he believes in Pettersson, he also referenced the 26-year-old star centre’s $92.8 million contract, his preparation, his maturity, his ability to deal with pressure, and his willingness to “face the music” when things don’t go well.

And when asked point-blank about the possibility of trading Pettersson, Allvin did not quash the suggestion.

“It comes back to expectations and preparation, how you prepare yourself. I don’t believe that he was aware of just how hard it was going to be. Just because you achieve one thing to get a long-term extension… life just gets harder. You haven’t really accomplished anything. You’re not even halfway there (to winning a Stanley Cup). And then obviously the mental part comes in there, too, and suddenly you feel the pressure,” Allvin said.

There has been a lot of noise surrounding the quiet Swedish centre in 2024. He struggled down the stretch and in the playoffs last season, and started slow this year. Pettersson suffered through tendonitis in his knee, which Rick Tocchet seemed to downplay at the season-ending press conference after Vancouver was eliminated in the playoffs. And then there’s the rocky relationship that’s been rumoured with J.T. Miller.

Pettersson has 28 points in 34 games this season, but he hasn’t played at the top of his game for 11 months.

Miller has a no-movement clause, making him in theory tough to trade. Pettersson will have a no-movement clause also, but it doesn’t kick in until this summer.

“We want to build a team that sets us up for long-term success,” Allvin said before referencing having Miller, Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Thatcher Demko, Filip Hronek, and Jake DeBrusk under contract.

“Petey has shown up to this point that he is an extremely talented, quality player that could and should be a No. 1 centre. I believe in him. I believe that he’s capable. (But) he needs to mature and understand that there are certain expectations and it does not get easier. And you need to face the music when things don’t go well.

“Is it (a trade) possible? I guess I would say anything is possible.”

That should give sports radio shows plenty to talk about over the next 24 hours.

Is Allvin seriously considering moving Pettersson, or was this a calculated move by the GM to give his underachieving team a kick in the rear end following their most embarrassing loss of the season?

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