Canucks need to make Pettersson captain, and soon

Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

There are two compelling reasons why the Vancouver Canucks need to name Elias Pettersson their new captain next week when the club returns from its bye.

One, to entice him to re-sign as early as this summer.

Two, to let J.T. Miller know who’s boss.

I have long argued that the Canucks need to empower Pettersson, and with past-captain Bo Horvat now in New York after Monday’s trade, it’s time for a transferring of the ‘C.’

General manager Patrik Allvin said the organization will discuss the vacant captaincy in the upcoming days and suspects they’ll make a decision in short order. That might be a punting of the file until next season, much like the 2018-19 season when Vancouver went without a captain following the retirement of Henrik Sedin, choosing instead to go with three alternate captains.

That would be a mistake this time around.

Miller is bound to step into any power vacuum created by the club. He walks and talks like an alpha, and with Horvat no longer there to temper the emotional forward, I suspect he will be a growing voice in the dressing room and seize the opportunity to be ‘The Man.’

Given that Miller himself admits to sometimes getting too worked up, the Canucks can’t let him establish the new culture. It has to come from Pettersson and defenceman Quinn Hughes, who is signed through the 2026-27 season.

Under questioning Monday, Allvin sounded convinced that Pettersson and Hughes can step into leadership roles.

“Pettersson and Quinn Hughes have shown that they are capable of being leaders of this team,” Allvin said. “We’ll sit down as a staff and talk about it over the next couple of days.”

Pettersson is a restricted free agent after next season, but is eligible to sign an extension this summer. He’s had a first-hand look at how the Canucks asked Horvat to be their voice, leader, shield and spokesman, only to pass him over for Miller and Andrei Kuzmenko when it came time for paydays.

The Canucks can’t repeat the mistakes they made in not prioritizing their captain, but first they can’t miss this opportunity to turn the room over to Pettersson and let him know that the Canucks are his team. Failure to do so now could be perceived as a slight, it sends the wrong message to the franchise player.

Pettersson will be 25 later this year, and what he lacks in outspokenness he makes up for in other ways. As Allvin said, he’s more concerned about leadership by example on the ice than whether his new captain is the best communicator with fans and media.

Besides, Henrik Sedin was also a quiet sort and he grew into the role adeptly. Pettersson can do the same.

Let’s hope the Canucks agree.

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