Incredible skill, remarkable will and inner belief add up to a winning combination for Canucks’ rookie Elias Pettersson
Rookie sensation Pettersson intrigued the Canucks from the moment they first saw him rule the ice in Sweden
There were reservations.
There always are moments of reflection — and even last-minute offers to consider — before an NHL club approaches the draftfloor podium to announce a Top 5 selection that will either become a solution, a problem, a foundation piece — or in the rare occurrence, a generational talent.
The Vancouver Canucks were sold on Elias Pettersson with the fifth pick in the 2017 draft because of the player, the person and where the game had been trending already.
The popular narrative that a slight Swedish forward could stumble over North American transition hurdles of a gruelling schedule, smaller ice surface, culture shock and even a language barrier, were trumped by the understanding of how the game has evolved on a global level.
Concern about how the 6-2 Pettersson would transition from 165 pounds on draft day to his current 176 pounds — and become the Calder Trophy front-runner with a team-leading 45 points (23 goals, 22 assists) in 40 games to earn an All-Star Game appearance in San Jose at age 20 — were eased by early reads on his incredible skill, remarkable will and inner belief.
Transition? What transition?
“He didn’t have to change because the game is changing,” said Thomas Gradin, the Canucks’ associate chief amateur scout. “He’s playing the same way he did in Sweden and he signifies the generation that is coming and has a sense that he’s exceptional.
“And sometimes, where you’re excellent at certain things in the game, you might also be excellent with your brain on and off the ice. He played with men for three years before he came here, so he’s used to playing with us and hearing what we have to say.
“In Sweden, he heard comments like: ‘Hey, kid. Back of the (team) bus.’ He has been taught that (respect) and it’s a disadvantage for Canadian guys who grow up because they play with the same age group. With (young) Europeans, a majority are playing against men age-wise.”
Knowing your place in a professional pecking order at age 17 is one thing. Knowing you have the tools to take over a game, or the diligence to be responsible defensively, has produced an amazing threezone awareness that didn’t happen overnight.
When Pettersson became a fixture on the Canucks’ radar during his draft year with 41 points (19-22) in 44 games for Timrå IK of the second-division Hockey Allsvenskan, it already was evident he played and thought about the game on a different level.
And when he moved up last season to the Swedish Hockey League with Våxjö Lakers HC as a winger — he only played nine games at centre — he was dominant. He was regular-season and playoff MVP with 56 points (24-32) in 44 games and 19 (10-9) in 13 post-season games to lead the Lakers to the league title.
The Canucks could have gone the traditional route in 2017. They could have selected Canadian Hockey League centres Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks or Gabriel Vilardi of the Windsor Spitfires — they went sixth to the Vegas Golden Knights and 11th to the Los Angeles Kings, respectively — but there was always something intriguing about Pettersson that placed him atop the wish list.
Gradin, who would compile 550 points (197-353) in eight seasons with the Canucks from 1978-87, had more than a passing interest in his countryman.
Gradin and Pettersson are separated in age by 42 years, but just 120 kilometres from where they were born — Gradin in Sollefteå and Pettersson in Sundsvall.
Gradin scouted Pettersson on several occasions during the forward’s draft year, but also ventured on his own more than a dozen times to see the whiz kid.
“His skill with the puck and eye-hand co-ordination are excellent,” added Gradin. “So as long as the puck is close to him, things happen. And when he controls the puck, he controls the play.
“Daniel and Henrik Sedin were two guys controlling the play — Elias can do it on his own.”
Europeans often are involved in several sports growing up, while those immersed in a hockey-crazed Canadian culture can have a one-sport focus as young as six and burn out in their teens. Several sporting interests not only kept Pettersson engaged, they helped develop elitelevel flexibility, anticipation and co-ordination.
“You put Elias on the soccer field and it’s: ‘Holy smokes, he’s pretty good there, too,’” Gradin added. “He’s an athletic type of person and it’s significant for him here (NHL) because he reads the play ahead of time. That’s what makes him special.”
Canucks general manager Jim Benning first saw Pettersson at the 2017 world junior championship. And even though he had only one assist in six games (Sweden placed fourth), Benning couldn’t take his eyes off him.
“Every time he touched the puck, he made something happen,” recalled Benning. “That’s the first thing that jumped out at me — his ability and vision to see where everybody was. And with the accurate release on his shot, he didn’t take much time and could rip it.”
It was the same story when chief amateur scout Ron Delorme and director of amateur scouting Judd Brackett saw Pettersson do his thing. It got to the point where Delorme was adamant the slick Swede had to be on top of the club’s draft board.
“Ronnie saw him early and was a loud voice for him right from the start — even before any of us saw him,” recalled Benning. “He was in my office and said: ‘We’ve really got to watch this guy.’ He loved his skill and hockey sense.”
Collectively, the Canucks had as many as 90 scouting views on Pettersson in his draft year because he was a late bloomer and didn’t have a growth spurt until he was 17.
“Everybody really liked him, but the things we worried about were his size and strength — and if he was going to have the frame to add the size and strength needed in the NHL,” Benning admitted.
The GM also wondered if he could hit the daily double on opening night of the draft. Could he get a quality centre by swapping first-round picks and adding a second- or third-rounder by changing places?
The Vegas Golden Knights suggested swapping No. 5 and No. 6 picks to ensure they landed Glass, because the Canucks also had a level of interest.
The Golden Knights also dangled a second-round pick to move up one spot because they owned three second-rounders.
But they backed off when the buzz was that the Canucks were going to select Pettersson.
In theory, the Canucks could have picked Pettersson sixth overall and had another second-round pick, but the Golden Knights also could have changed their minds and snagged Pettersson.
“We talked to three or four teams about moving down, but as we were doing it and going through the process, I made the decision that we didn’t want to risk losing him,” Benning said.
When Pettersson spoke that night, he sounded a lot like he does today.
“I don’t like to talk about myself, but I like to be one step ahead of my opponents if I’m forechecking or in a 50-50 situation,” Pettersson said. “I always like to have a plan to win the situation. I create a lot of scoring chances for myself and my teammates and I like to pass the puck more than shoot it.
“I play with a lot of instincts and I like how Nicklas Bäckström (Washington Capitals) plays. He makes his teammates better and creates chances for himself, but I’ve got a lot to learn to get to the next level.”
All that led to this NHL season where rivals can’t help but heap praise on the Canucks for having the draftday foresight to pick Pettersson.
“It’s amazing how Vancouver stepped up because you didn’t know how it was going to go because of his size,” a Pacific Division scout said.
“I saw him a couple of years before the draft and he was special — he had four or five points.
“It’s the package and the competitiveness and his body language — he wants to be a difference-maker at all times. And that’s what you’re looking for.”