VANCOUVER 鈥� 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.
鈥淓arly in the season, maybe I had the mindset that 鈥榊es, I signed the big contract and now I have to do more, instead of just being me,鈥欌�� he said during Friday鈥檚 season-ending media conference. 鈥淎nd then when the points didn鈥檛 come, I tend to overthink.鈥�
Coach Rick Tocchet felt that Pettersson鈥檚 conditioning wasn鈥檛 where it needed to be at the beginning of the year.
鈥淚f you want to be a great player, you have to prepare 鈥� almost an obsessive type of preparation,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 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.鈥�
Pettersson revealed that an abdominal injury caused him to miss the last 12 games of the regular season, but said he鈥檚 fit to take on a full training regimen right away. He鈥檚 planning to stay in Vancouver to do some 鈥渆xtra work鈥� before he flies home to Sweden for the rest of the summer.
鈥淪trength doesn鈥檛 come easily to me,鈥� he said. 鈥淥bviously I was dealing with a knee injury last off-season. It was hard to truly train at 100 per cent last summer. I鈥檓 going to take advantage of this extra month of training and look forward to coming in ready for next season.鈥�
Pettersson also acknowledged that the rift that eventually led to J.T. Miller鈥檚 January trade to the New York Rangers was a factor in the Canucks鈥� disappointing season.
鈥淚t 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,鈥� he said. 鈥淢aybe we weren鈥檛 the best of friends, but we respected each other as teammates.鈥�
Lamenting the circumstances that led to losing a key player like Miller, Tocchet emphasized that the organization tried everything before ultimately making the trade.
鈥淒id it get uncomfortable? Yeah,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t just didn't work out. I know everybody鈥檚 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.鈥�
Asked if he felt the Canucks can win with Pettersson as a centrepiece, Tocchet gave him a vote of confidence while adding that he鈥檇 like to see the alternate captain take on a bigger leadership role.
As for Tocchet鈥檚 own future, that remains unclear. The Canucks hold an option on the coach鈥檚 services for next season and general manager Patrik Allvin has said that he鈥檇 like to lock in an extension to keep the 2024 Jack Adams winner in the fold.
鈥淥f course you want to be back,鈥� Tocchet said. 鈥淩ight now for me, there鈥檚 a process that I have to go through with (team president Jim Rutherford) and Patrik, and that鈥檚 really where it鈥檚 at.鈥�
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.
鈥淚 think that everyone that鈥檚 here just wants to be a part of a winning team,鈥� Hughes said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think anyone鈥檚 too concerned about making me happy. Just being a successful organization 鈥� I think that鈥檚 the main goal for everyone here. I definitely feel we can do that.鈥�
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鈥檛 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
