Can Elias Pettersson become a regular on the Canucks’ defence corps in 2025-2026?

“I’m going to stick up every time for my teammates,” Pettersson told CanucksArmy after his first home game. “If that happens again, I’m going to be there again.”

He carried that bully mentality over to the 2024-2025 campaign, where he started the year in Abbotsford. Pettersson brought stability to the Abby Canucks’ blueline, earning important top-pair and penalty killing minutes. Along with his defensive play, Pettersson’s one goal and 13 points in 38 games earned him a promotion to the NHL.

At the time, Pettersson was just given the promotion for impressive play down in the AHL. However, he made a lasting impression that the coaching staff couldn’t overlook. In fact, his standout play was enough that the Canucks were able to make Carson Soucy expendable, shipping him off to the New York Rangers at the NHL Trade Deadline.

Pettersson suited up in 28 games, tallying one goal and three points, racking up 17 penalty minutes and 39 hits while averaging 12:49 minutes of ice time. Canucks brass were so impressed that they were not willing to risk Pettersson getting injured during the AHL playoffs that they did not send him down at the AHL roster deadline on March 14.

That move just goes to show the level of belief the organization has in Pettersson and how they want him to be an integral piece of the Vancouver’s blueline next season.

With that in mind, Pettersson’s spot on the 2025-2026 Canucks roster seems secure. However, what should be his expectations going into his first full NHL season?

Meeting expectations: Work in the bottom-pairing rotation, play 60 games.

Heading into the 2025-2026 season, the Canucks’ backend is the strength of their team for the first time in a long time. Their top four of Quinn Hughes, Filip Hronek, Marcus Pettersson and Tyler Myers are secure, but there is a bit of a log-jam for the bottom pair.

The Canucks have Derek Forbort, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Victor Mancini, Tom Willander and Pettersson fighting for two spots on the bottom pair.
Veteran defenceman Forbort will certainly be in the rotation, and with his experience last season, Pettersson seems to have the inside track on landing another spot. That leaves NHL tweener Joseph and likely Mancini vying for the seventh defenceman spot. Willander will get there one day, but given how the Canucks have developed their prospects in recent years, he will likely start in Abbotsford.

Pettersson will likely earn the nod on opening night, but how often will he be rotated out of the lineup for said seventh defenceman? Him hitting the 60-game mark seems appropriate. With just 28 NHL games under his belt, it wouldn’t make much sense to play the 21-year-old defenceman fewer than that mark, as sitting in the press box for too many games would hinder his development.

Even if Pettersson doesn’t take a step forward, if he can just play at the level he played last season, Canucks fans should see the Swede play at least double the amount he played last season.

Above expectations: Work himself out of the rotation, play a 80 games while earning penalty killing time.

This may be a stretch, considering the Canucks are likely to play with a rotation, but there is a path for Pettersson to play himself out of the rotation.

We briefly mentioned it earlier, but what good does it do for Pettersson’s development for him to watch the game from the press box? Sure, sometimes it’s a good tactic for struggling veteran defencemen to watch the game for one night and then return. But for a young defenceman? Not so much.

One area in which Pettersson should strive to earn a permanent spot in the lineup would be on the penalty kill. As it currently stands, Hronek, M. Pettersson, Myers and Forbort will likely be the four defencemen over the boards on the penalty kill. But who will fill in for Forbort when it’s his turn to sit?

That’s where Pettersson could show his worth for an every-night spot.

Last season, the Swedish defenceman averaged just 17 seconds of penalty killing time. Pettersson is best categorized as a defensive defenceman, so this shouldn’t be a struggle for him to earn PK time eventually. But for him to start working in during his first full year in the NHL would just be another tick to his already impressive early resume.

Below expectations: Struggle at the NHL level, lose his rotation spot and serve as the seventh defenceman, or return to the AHL.

After what Canucks fans saw last year, this would be a massive collapse. Although he had no NHL experience last season, Pettersson rarely looked like he didn’t belong at this level. He would have to heavily decline from his play last season for this to happen. But remember, he is still just 21 years old and a former third-round pick. Stranger things have happened.

For him to become the seventh defenceman might not have anything to do with Pettersson’s play. Instead, it would have to be elevated play from Joseph or Mancini that could push Pettersson down.

Outside of a 75-game season in 2022-2023, Joseph has been an NHL tweener since he joined the league in 2020. He spent last season playing 23 games with the St. Louis Blues and 24 with the Pittsburgh Penguins. With more NHL experience, it wouldn’t be a complete shock to see Joseph start the season. However, the fact that the Canucks did not want to risk Pettersson’s health during a Calder Cup run should show the team’s desire to give Pettersson every chance he has at maintaining a permanent spot.

On the other hand, Mancini might be a bigger worry for Pettersson. He has less NHL experience than Joseph, but he has made the most of it when he’s been given the opportunity. Before the trade to Vancouver, Mancini tallied one goal and five points in 15 games with the New York Rangers, and added another goal and three points in 16 games with the Canucks. He’s shown he can produce offence at this level, not to mention he plays the right side, which is the spot the Canucks are looking to fill.

Sure, Forbort and Pettersson could play their off-side, but if Pettersson does not impress in camp, Mancini could steal that inside track as a right-shot defenceman. Thus making Pettersson serve as the seventh defenceman, or, even worse, dropping him back to the AHL.

Based on the Canucks’ actions last season, they want Pettersson to be on the team. However, it isn’t a guarantee that he will make it with the level of competition he has surrounding him. We don’t believe that this will happen, but if he struggles, those other defencemen will be eager to pounce if that opportunity arises.

What do you think, Canucks fans? What are you expecting from the defenceman Elias Pettersson for 2025-2026?