Elias Pettersson Struggles Early in Season

Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks is facing significant scrutiny for his underwhelming performance this season, having only four points in ten games, which has raised concerns about his ability to meet the expectations of his $92.8 million contract. Bruce Boudreau, the former Canucks coach, highlighted Pettersson's struggles with both physical and mental aspects of play, suggesting he needs to be approached differently than other players. Current head coach Rick Tocchet has been experimenting with different line combinations, promoting Pius Suter to play alongside Pettersson in hopes of sparking his performance. Former NHL coach Doug MacLean criticized Pettersson's competitiveness, comparing him unfavorably to teammate Quinn Hughes, and expressed disappointment in his failure to dominate games despite his talent. Paul Bissonnette also weighed in, suggesting that Pettersson needs to adopt a tougher mentality to elevate his game and perform at an elite level. The Canucks, while starting the season with a solid record of 5-2-3, are still searching for consistency and offensive contributions from their star player.