Today Sweden, tomorrow the world
But Canucks need playmaking centre who can bring out the best in uber prospect Pettersson
Elias Pettersson is taking the world by storm. OK, not quite the “world” yet. It remains to be seen if he’ll be in a prominent role and allowed to do his thing at this spring’s World Hockey Championship. You would think Sweden’s Boy Wonder, who just brought the country’s top league to bended knee, would be a slam dunk. But Team Sweden can get political. We’ll get to that later.
What should be celebrated this week is Pettersson’s record-breaking, king-making turn in which he led the SHL in points in both the regular season and the playoffs. To do that at age 19 is special, historic and it did feel like he shocked everyone. Not quite.
While many were surprised at Pettersson’s efficient dominance, Canucks Swedish scout Thomas Gradin wasn’t among them. Did he really tell people in the Vancouver organization one year ago that Pettersson could lead Sweden’s elite league in points as a teen.
“Yes,” Gradin said without hesitation. “I don’t think it’s surprising. That’s the kind of player he is. Whatever we thought he can do, he’s done.”
Wait, was it obvious when the Canucks drafted him he could do something like this?
“I would say so,” Gradin said. “But you never know for sure. Everything we do, you have to take a chance. Think about taking Daniel and Henrik Sedin Nos. 2 and 3 in the draft. They were slow. They’re still slow. They were slow for 18 years.”
It’s an interesting comparison, and not because Pettersson is slow. He’s not. He’s wickedly quick, in both decision-making and his movements, especially the way he dangles and the release of his shot.
If the Sedins were about the slow build and squeezing the life out of opponents, Pettersson is the quickstrike alternative, the king cobra to their boa constrictor.
What Pettersson doesn’t have is size, and because of that, some aren’t sure how quickly his game will translate in the NHL. But that didn’t stop Gradin from pitching the idea that Pettersson was ready to play in the NHL this past season, which turned out to be the Sedins’ finale.
“When it comes to the intelligence of the game, he could have easily played with Danny and Henrik Sedin. All three think the game that way,” he said. “But if you brought him here to play on the fourth line, no way. They wouldn’t think the game the way he thinks the game, if you have a line that’s more of a checking line. He’s not that guy.”
And that’s where things get really interesting. Because, outside of about 10 games, Pettersson had all his success playing right wing this year. If you think he starts in the fall with the Canucks, that’s probably where he’s playing. If you haven’t noticed, the Canucks have a fairly significant hole at centre behind Bo Horvat, who would likely have Brock Boeser on his right side. Suddenly, a centre who can bring the most out of a player like Pettersson seems pretty important.
Gradin isn’t worried about Pettersson’s size.
“I think he fits into the new generation of the game,” he said. “That’s not Daniel and Henrik. The game is quick, versatile and has lots of movement. If you’re looking at the game today, it’s not that old-style, so-called Canadian game. The new generation of players who are coming are not like that. The new generation of player has a lot of creativeness in the mind. They are quick, fast and very creative. I don’t know how to say it in English, but I think the word is spontaneous, or instinctual.”
Despite all his success, and the fact that he was named the best player in the SHL playoffs, Pettersson isn’t a lock to be on Sweden’s world championship team. In an interview with Rick Dhaliwal, who is with Sportsnet 650 and News 1130, national team coach Rikard Grönborg suggested Pettersson is in a battle for a job with another 19-year-old. That would be Lias Andersson, who was the New York Rangers’ first-round pick in 2017.
“(Pettersson) will play two of three games this weekend and we’ll take if from there,” Grönborg told Dhaliwal. “I am really anxious to see what Elias can do. We’re still waiting for NHL players, as well.”
Anxious to see what he can do? He just spent six months carving up Sweden’s best league. What more can he do?
Sweden was widely criticized for not bringing Pettersson to the Olympics. It seems unthinkable that Pettersson could get snubbed again, so it’s likely just coach speak.
But Gradin did point out things can be much more complicated in Sweden than you would think.
“What happens sometimes, the guys who are drafted and are belonging to other situations, the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation is not always promoting those guys,” Gradin said. “Because the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation wants the Swedish players to stay home and play.”