VANCOUVER — One year after reaching Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs, the Vancouver Canucks begin their summer a month earlier.
After a season filled with injuries, drama, turmoil and a 19-point drop in the Western Conference standings, questions loom as the team heads into the off-season.
Most pressing: Can forward Elias Pettersson find a way to return to his all-star form? And what does the future hold for coach Rick Tocchet?
In the first of an eight-year contract that made him the fifth-highest paid player in the NHL, Pettersson finished with just 45 points in 64 games.
“Early in the season, maybe I had the mindset that ‘Yes, I signed the big contract and now I have to do more, instead of just being me,’” he said during Friday’s season-ending media conference. “And then when the points didn’t come, I tend to overthink.”
Coach Rick Tocchet felt that Pettersson’s conditioning wasn’t where it needed to be at the beginning of the year.
“If you want to be a great player, you have to prepare — almost an obsessive type of preparation,” he said. “I think (Pettersson) got behind the 8 ball early. Then the expectations come and then there's a little bit struggle with the team, and he could never gain traction.”
Pettersson revealed that an abdominal injury caused him to miss the last 12 games of the regular season, but said he’s fit to take on a full training regimen right away. He’s planning to stay in Vancouver to do some “extra work” before he flies home to Sweden for the rest of the summer.
“Strength doesn’t come easily to me,” he said. “Obviously I was dealing with a knee injury last off-season. It was hard to truly train at 100 per cent last summer. I’m going to take advantage of this extra month of training and look forward to coming in ready for next season.”
Pettersson also acknowledged that the rift that eventually led to J.T. Miller’s January trade to the New York Rangers was a factor in the Canucks’ disappointing season.
“It definitely was something that neither of us could prepare for, the way it blew up. That was the focal point, not if we won or lost,” he said. “Maybe we weren’t the best of friends, but we respected each other as teammates.”
Lamenting the circumstances that led to losing a key player like Miller, Tocchet emphasized that the organization tried everything before ultimately making the trade.
“Did it get uncomfortable? Yeah,” he said. “It just didn't work out. I know everybody’s looking for a bad guy. I don't know if there's a bad guy in this thing. It just didn't work out, and at that point it had to be resolved.”
Asked if he felt the Canucks can win with Pettersson as a centrepiece, Tocchet gave him a vote of confidence while adding that he’d like to see the alternate captain take on a bigger leadership role.
As for Tocchet’s own future, that remains unclear. The Canucks hold an option on the coach’s services for next season and general manager Patrik Allvin has said that he’d like to lock in an extension to keep the 2024 Jack Adams winner in the fold.
“Of course you want to be back,” Tocchet said. “Right now for me, there’s a process that I have to go through with (team president Jim Rutherford) and Patrik, and that’s really where it’s at.”
Tocchet said if he does return, there will be tweaks to his coaching staff.
Management is scheduled to address the media on Monday.
SIGNING SEASON
The Canucks have a few players soon to enter free agency. Forwards Brock Boeser and Pius Suter were both 25-goal scorers in 2024-25 and will be free agents come July 1.
Goaltender Thatcher Demko, the 2024 Vezina Trophy finalist, stated he would like to remain a Canuck for the long term. He is eligible to sign an extension on July 1 with next season being the last of a five-year deal he signed in 2021.
Vancouver captain Quinn Hughes is two years away from free agency, but his long-term status with the team is already a major talking point.
“I think that everyone that’s here just wants to be a part of a winning team,” Hughes said. “I don’t think anyone’s too concerned about making me happy. Just being a successful organization — I think that’s the main goal for everyone here. I definitely feel we can do that.”
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PLANS
Conor Garland said Friday that he will be joining Team USA for his third world championship in May, in Sweden and Denmark. Lankinen said he won’t be playing for Finland.
After serving as an assistant to Jon Cooper at the 4 Nations Face-off, Tocchet has elected not to coach Team Canada.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 18, 2025.
Carol Schram, The Canadian Press
