Pettersson conquers Sweden, then the world?
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’d 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 Swedish league in points in both the regular season and 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 quick-strike 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 last 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 is more of a checking line. He’s not that guy.”
Despite all his success, Pettersson isn’t being named as a lock to be on Sweden’s world championship team. The national team’s coach, Rikard Grönborg has suggested he’s in a battle for a job with 19-year-old Lias Andersson.
Sweden was widely criticized for not bringing Pettersson to the Olympics. It seems unthinkable that Pettersson could get snubbed again, but Gradin did point out things can be much more complicated in Sweden than you’d 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.”