Vancouver Canucks' Elias Pettersson says he's gained more muscle this summer
Elias Pettersson sounds motivated to do better for the Vancouver Canucks next season.
The Swedish star is looking to avenge a disappointing 2024-25 season that saw his point totals drop from 89 in 2023-24 down to 45. To add to the frustration, Pettersson was also plagued with controversy involving a feud with ex-teammate J.T. Miller and the Canucks regressing to miss the playoffs.
Everything went wrong for Pettersson last season, but it sounds like he is using that frustration to turn things around this offseason. He spoke with NHL.com’s Peter Ekholm recently, where he revealed how his offseason training is going so far.
“I’ve been healthy and have been able to practice at full speed,” Pettersson told Ekholm. “Right now, I don’t have any injuries that keep me off workouts… I’ve put on some [muscle].
Pettersson didn’t have health on his side one year ago, when knee tendinitis affected his offseason workouts.
“It’s always about building your base strength to get quicker on the ice. To gain a few pounds, get stronger in general, that’s always the goal. But for me, it’s a bonus to gain a few pounds.”
Frustration with the 26-year-old’s performance started to come to a head last season. He is expected to be a leader on this Canucks team, but wound up finishing fifth on the team in points.
He told Ekholm that he will be entering the new season with a chip on his shoulder.
“I know what I’m capable of,” Pettersson said. “It’s revenge. I’m not happy with last season… I’m learning from what happened last year to be a more mature player going into [this season].
“I’m trying to lead by example. But I know that I can become a better leader in that aspect. I’m trying my best, but also trying to get better.”
From all accounts, it sounds like this summer has been going exactly as planned for Pettersson, but that won’t matter unless it translates to better results on the ice as well.