Elias Pettersson is a special talent. It’s a blessing having him on the Canucks. Not only because of his offensive capabilities but also his 200-foot game is impressive for someone who is only 21 years old. At this rate, it feels like the sky is the limit, but that brings me to this topic. Will Pettersson be a top 5 player in Canucks history? To have such a bold statement be presented we have to do some digging. So let’s get right into it with some of the players who are already considered to be the greatest Canucks of all-time that Pettersson could be joining with.
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Trevor Linden
When fans think of all the great Canucks players to have played for this franchise, Trevor Linden is one that is almost always at or near the top of people lists. Everything Linden has done for the franchise on and off the ice is remarkable. Playing with such intensity and being a true leader in every sense of the word when he had that Canucks uniform on. Even though he wasn’t around for long in the management side of things, Linden was still very helpful in trying to reshape the roster to where it is today. And when looking at his point totals, they’re nothing to slouch about. 1,140 games are 3rd all-time and his 733 points rank 4th all-time in franchise history in scoring.
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Pavel Bure
When it comes to pure entertainment and overall excitement, Pavel Bure is number one without a doubt. The Russian Rocket was one of the best goal scorers in the dead puck era and nearly carried the 1994 Canucks team to a Stanley Cup Championship. Bure’s also the only player in Canucks history to have scored 60 goals in a season and he did it in the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons. And his 254 goals are 5th all-time in Canucks history in just 428 games. Even though his departure from the franchise wasn’t pleasant, there’s no denying his impact on the Canucks franchise.
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Henrik and Daniel Sedin
There’s no debate here. Henrik and Daniel Sedin are the two greatest Canucks of all-time. Both are 1st and 2nd in games played (Henrik, 1330, Daniel,1306), points (Henrik, 1070, Daniel, 1041) and assists (Henrik, 830, Daniel, 648). Daniel Sedin is also the all-time leader in goals with 393. Henrik and Daniel are also the only Canucks players to ever win the Art Ross Trophy for most points in the regular season. On top of that, Henrik Sedin is the only Canucks player to ever win the Hart Memorial Trophy for the league MVP in the 2009-10 season. And off the ice, they’re arguably the two best Canucks when it came to charity work in Vancouver. They even have our charity foundation called the Sedin Family Foundation. They also donated $1.5 million to BC Children’s Hospital earlier this year back in March.
So with all that being said, could Pettersson make the top five? Potentially. If we’re talking points at least. Currently, Pettersson sits at 67th all-time. Just five points behind Dale Talon. But Pettersson’s legacy will be even greater if he is ever able to make as much of an impact in the city of Vancouver as much as the players about him have.