Elias Pettersson is one of the most talented forwards in the NHL. He is also one of the most frustrating fantasy assets in the game right now and until Vancouver solves a structural problem that has nothing to do with Pettersson himself.
Here is the core of the issue, and it is worth understanding clearly before you decide where to draft him.
The Shot Problem
In 2022–23, the season Pettersson posted 102 points, he registered 257 shots on goal. Last season he had 132. The year before that, 109. That is not a player who has forgotten how to shoot. That is a player who is not getting the puck in positions where shooting is possible.
The reason matters: Pettersson is a finisher, not a play driver. He is at his best when someone else is carrying the puck into the offensive zone, creating pressure, and getting him the puck in dangerous areas where he can do what he does…shoot and score. When he had that in 2022–23, he scored 39 goals and produced 102 points. When he does not have it, the shots disappear, the goals disappear, and the points disappear.
Vancouver does not currently have a legitimate play driver on their roster. Quinn Hughes was traded to Minnesota and J.T. was traded to New York. The Canucks finished 25–49–8, one of the worst records in the Western Conference. The team that surrounds Pettersson is not built to get him the puck…and as of now, that has not changed enough to move the needle.
What 2026–27 Looks Like
Pettersson is locked in on an eight-year, $92.8 million contract, he is not going anywhere. He will lead this team in points again this season. But when you put up 59 points and lead your team in scoring, it’s concerning. The opportunity score is as high as it gets simply because he is the undisputed No. 1 option on a rebuilding team that will run everything through him. But opportunity without execution support has a ceiling. His shooting percentage last season was a career-low 11.4% so a bit of a bounce back is reasonable to expect…it can’t get worse…can it?. That should help the goal total modestly. What does not help is a supporting cast that still lacks the play-driving forward who unlocks his best hockey. But hockey is hockey and some players just can’t do it all themselves…and that’s where petey is at right now. Don’t get me wrong. I like Petey. I’ve been an advocate for keeping him…he’s a good player. Pre NHL draft, i was salivating at the possibility of a Stenberg / Petey combo in Vanvouver. I thought Stenberg could be the play driver he needed to reestablish himself as a top snipe in the league. But now here we are again.
The Fantasy Projection
Projection Tier: 60–69 PTS
Floor: 50 PTS
Expected: 58 PTS
Ceiling: 65 PTS
Fantasy Risk Rating: High
Opportunity: 5 / 5
Trend: Stable
The high risk rating is the honest assessment of a player whose production is heavily dependent on circumstances that are not yet in place. Draft him knowing what you are getting : a talented, high-usage centre on a bad team, capable of 65 points if things break right and liable to disappoint if they do not. In the middle rounds of a standard fantasy draft, he is a calculated gamble worth taking. In the early rounds, he is not.
— The Add List +