Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson admits he's ready for a much-needed summer reset after a gruelling season that was filled with drama, inconsistent play, and a nagging injury.
"It will be nice to get a break from everything," Pettersson said Thursday, per TSN's Farhan Lalji. "It's been a very noisy season in terms of the contract and how shit I've been the last few months."
Pettersson confirmed that he had been dealing with a knee injury since January. The ailment will not require surgery, though.
It's unclear exactly when Pettersson sustained the injury. He struggled down the stretch, and there's a noticeable discrepancy in his production before and after the All-Star break.
| Stat | Before break | After break |
|---|---|---|
| GP | 49 | 33 |
| G | 27 | 7 |
| A | 37 | 18 |
| P/GP | 1.31 | 0.76 |
Pettersson's struggles continued into the postseason, where he only managed one goal and five assists in 13 games prior to Vancouver's second-round exit at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers. His six points were the seventh most on the team.
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet called out Pettersson after Game 4 of Round 2, noting that the star Swede was among the team's passengers.
Pettersson signed an eight-year, $92.8-million extension in March. His $11.6-million cap hit makes him the Canucks' highest-paid player.
