Ex-Vancouver Canucks coach Boudreau gives big vote of confidence to Pettersson
There’s no one in the NHL facing more pressure than Elias Pettersson this season.
Former Vancouver Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau agrees with that notion, but he also believes that his former pupil will revert to being a star for the Vancouver Canucks.
“He loves and wants the pressure,” Boudreau said in an interview with Jay Onrait on TSN.
Pettersson said as much immediately following the J.T. Miller trade last season. However, in the aftermath, he was largely invisible for an entire month following the deal, which included a subpar performance at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The 26-year-old did bounce back in March before injuries ended his season.
“The first day I met him in practice, he said he wanted to be the guy,” Boudreau explained. “He wanted to go against [Connor] McDavid. He wants to feel so important.”
“I think that’s sometimes what he was missing. He didn’t feel important. But if they make him feel like he’s the guy, he’s the straw that stirs the stick, I think he’ll really come through.”
“The more you showed him how important he was to you, the better he performed. I think if Adam [Foote] does that, I think he’ll really come through for them because I think he’s a great player.”
Pettersson did find another gear after Boudreau took over the Canucks. In the 99 games that Pettersson played for Boudreau, he scored 47 goals and registered 110 points. The 1.1 points-per-game he posted under Boudreau is the best mark he’s achieved under any of his head coaches.
- Under Travis Green: 165 points in 190 games played (0.87 points-per-game)
- Under Rick Tocchet: 182 points in 182 games played (1 point-per-game)
Prior to Boudreau taking over, Pettersson had never crested the point-per-game mark and only had a career-high of 66 points in a single season.
Pettersson also started killing penalties under Boudreau, and tied for the league lead with seven shorthanded goals during a two-season stretch (2021-22 and 2022-23).
“I remember he said, ‘I want to kill penalties’ because he wasn’t doing it a lot, and I’m like, I’m taking over a last place club, so ‘okay, you can kill penalties,’ and he did great.
One thing Boudreau wasn’t convinced about was whether Pettersson’s added weight in the offseason would help.
“I don’t know if the 13 pounds is good or bad,” Boudreau said.
“He’s not the greatest skater in the world. But if it’s good weight, he’s going to be stronger in the corner, stronger on the puck, and he’s still going to have his brain, which is great.”