Canucks’ 3 Up, 3 Down: Pettersson, Podkolzin, Joshua & More

These developments could make it difficult to find three positives for this edition of Canucks’ 3 Up, 3 Down, but I will endeavour to find some. Let’s dive in.

Plus One: Elias Pettersson Signs 8-Year Extension

The drama is over. Elias Pettersson has finally signed a long-term extension that will keep him in Canucks colours until 2031-32. After a rumour from Elliotte Friedman hit the news waves on Feb. 29 that the front office was discussing a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes, things got moving on the contract front pretty quickly as a deal was signed on March 2. Pettersson apparently wanted to wait until the offseason, but according to Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic, the rumoured trade and a face-to-face meeting changed his mind on the timing and he decided to sign now rather than later (from ‘How the Elias Pettersson deal got done: A trade offer, a face-to-face meeting and a change of heart,’ The Athletic, 3/2/24).

Pettersson’s next contract carries a massive $11.6 million average annual value (AAV) cap hit, with a full no-movement clause (NMC) that kicks in after the 2024-25 season. He will be the highest-paid player on the Canucks’ roster, $3.6 million more than JT Miller, who is signed for the next six seasons at $8 million AAV. As of right now, Miller’s contract looks like a bargain considering the season he’s putting together in the first year of the deal. He is on pace for 109 points and has already matched his point total from last season.

The Canucks are hoping that Pettersson will hit even higher heights in the coming seasons. He is coming off a career-high 102 points in 2022-23 and is on pace for 99 points this season. If he can sustain that type of production and lead the franchise to multiple playoff runs and a Stanley Cup or two, that money will be worth it. But if he doesn’t and starts to struggle, he will hear it from the media and the fans. Knowing his elite skillset and what he’s done so far in the NHL, I bet he will hit those heights and then some.

Minus One: Canucks Missing Dakota Joshua’s Presence in the Lineup

Joshua can’t return soon enough. While he’s only one man, and the Canucks’ struggles can’t be totally blamed on his absence, it’s no coincidence that their troubles began when he got injured on Feb. 13 against the Blackhawks. Without him, the third line has been dismantled and Conor Garland and Teddy Blueger haven’t looked like the same impact players they were when he was aligned with them. His physicality, intense forechecking and chemistry with Garland have been missed, along with his presence on the penalty kill.

Joshua is still recovering from the hand injury he suffered in that aforementioned game, and will hopefully rejoin his linemates in short order. The Canucks are struggling without their identity line and have arguably looked like a different squad since he exited a few weeks ago. Here’s hoping it’s not another Tanner Pearson situation and we see Joshua back well before the playoffs – where they will need that trio and his truculence the most.

Plus Two: Vasily Podkolzin Returns to the NHL

It took a while, but Vasily Podkolzin is back in the NHL. Allvin announced late on Saturday (March 2) that he was recalled from the Abbotsford Canucks and would join the team on their upcoming three-game road trip, which starts tonight in Anaheim. He has been in the American Hockey League (AHL) all season and will hopefully add some secondary offence that has waned since Joshua got hurt.

Before his recall, Podkolzin was thriving in the AHL with a career-high 15 goals and 28 points in 44 games. He was also developing a lethal presence on the power play with a previously unseen one-timer that could help boost the Canucks’ horrible man advantage right now (more on that later). He has already shown he can play in the NHL with 18 goals and 33 points in 118 games, but now he has to show some consistency and convince head coach Rick Tocchet that his AHL days are over and that he deserves to be in the show from now on. He will get a great opportunity early on as he’s set to reunite with Miller and Boeser, a duo he played with during the preseason.

Minus Two: Power Play Continues To Struggle

The Canucks’ struggles on the power play have been well-documented. Since the beginning of February, they are 6/40 (15 percent) and have looked out of sorts with their entries, volume of shots and decision-making once they set up – if they do at all. Tocchet and his staff have even broken up the first unit and distributed the talent across two groups, with no success.

At this point, I’m not sure what will fix the power play. The coaching staff has preached simplicity and a more direct approach, but I haven’t seen it yet watching the games. Maybe a new face in Podkolzin can change their fortunes. Fans can only hope, as the power play needs to get going before the playoffs. With penalties in short supply, they will have to score when they get the opportunity or risk teams taking liberties knowing that they will be able to kill it off. We don’t want to see a repeat of 2011 when the Boston Bruins didn’t care when they took penalties.

Plus Three: Arshdeep Bains Didn’t Look Out of Place in the NHL

Arshdeep Bains was returned to the AHL on Friday (March 1) after a relatively successful five games in the NHL. He didn’t record any points and sat in the penalty box for six minutes, but also didn’t look out of place playing alongside and against NHL talent. His forechecking and hockey IQ were on display as well as his playmaking at times, which should bode well for his future with the Canucks. He even got some praise from Tocchet.

“I’m a big fan, I like him a lot. I think there’s another level. And that’s when playing in the NHL…I know guys enjoy playing with him. I’ve had a couple of players come up to me individually and say, hey, don’t be afraid to throw him on my line. So I think that’s the ultimate compliment for that kid…But he’s also doing the little things. And that I love really good in the forecheck and handle the puck and he’s not scared. He gets inside.”

It remains to be seen when Bains will return to the NHL, but until then, he will continue to develop his game in Abbotsford and hopefully become a fixture in the bottom six in the next couple of seasons.

Minus Three: Elias Lindholm Has Struggled Since the Trade

Lindholm began his stint with the Canucks with a bang scoring two goals in his debut against his former team, the Carolina Hurricanes. He then went on a four-game slump before potting another two against the Detroit Red Wings on Feb. 15. Now he’s mired in another drought and only has one assist over his last seven games. He is also a minus-5.

Lindholm has been ferried throughout the lineup from wing on Pettersson’s line to centering his own third line with Garland and Bains. He has yet to find that perfect set of linemates to complement his game, and is starting to look like the disjointed forward that struggled in Calgary without Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. While he’s been amazing in the faceoff dot with a 57.1 percent efficiency rate and has helped the penalty kill, the Canucks did not spend all of those assets for a guy that produces like a fourth-liner. He needs to get going to justify that or he will end up being as bad of a rental as Derek Roy was back in 2013.

What’s Next For the Canucks?

The Canucks will be in Anaheim tonight to take on the Ducks in the first of a three-game road trip that will take them through Los Angeles and Las Vegas. They will then put their roots down in Vancouver for a massive nine-game homestand that could help solidify their spot at the top of the Western Conference. Hopefully, that’s the tonic they need to turn things around and put this slump behind them.