RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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With the Vancouver Canucks going through a transition period, it might not be the craziest idea to make a surprising choice for team captain. Getty
The Vancouver Canucks have spent much of the offseason looking like a team trying to find a new identity.
The club lost much of it when Quinn Hughes departed . And with t he roster getting younger, t he organization is essentially accumulating assets. That situation means Canucks fans could be staring at a much longer rebuild than they realize.
And yet, there’s one rather important player who hasn’t gone anywhere.
Elias Pettersson. Yes, that’s right.
For all the speculation surrounding his future in Vancouver, there has been no indication that the Canucks have actually approached Pettersson about waiving his no-movement clause . That’s an important distinction.
A lot of the conversation has centered on what Vancouver could do with Pettersson.
But what if the organization doesn’t actually want to trade him?
Pettersson is one of the longest-tenured players on the roster and one of its most experienced. If the Canucks genuinely believe he’s going to remain part of the organization through this rebuild, perhaps they should give him a different responsibility.
Perhaps he should be the next captain.
If Pettersson Is Staying, the Organization should Give Him a Bigger Role
There’s no question Pettersson has struggled to live up to expectations in recent seasons. That’s precisely why this idea is a little unconventional.
The Canucks don’t necessarily need Pettersson to become the 100-point superstar he once appeared destined to be. If that version of him returns, fantastic. But perhaps his most important contribution to this team won’t come from scoring 100 points.
It could come from leadership.
Pettersson has been through almost everything with the Canucks. He’s experienced the highs, the lows, the playoff disappointment and the pressure that comes with being one of the organization’s highest-paid players.
That’s valuable experience for a rebuilding team.
If Vancouver isn’t actually trying to move him, why not lean into that? Giving Pettersson the captaincy wouldn’t magically solve his production problems. It wouldn’t make the Canucks contenders overnight. But it would give him an opportunity to contribute in a way that doesn’t involve carrying the offense every night.
And perhaps that would be good for everyone.
Instead of constantly wondering whether Pettersson is going to rediscover his old form, Vancouver could ask him to become one of the players responsible for helping establish the culture of the next Canucks team, even if Pettersson has become the poster child for everything that went wrong before the rebuild.
What to read next:
Canucks Will Need to Retain This Much to Trade Pettersson
The Canucks Need Some Stability During This Rebuild
The Canucks are going to have plenty of uncertainty over the next few years.
That’s what happens during a rebuild. The last thing Vancouver needs is to simply drift aimlessly through that process. That’s why having some semblance of stability could be incredibly important.
Pettersson can provide that.
He’s familiar with the organization, the city and the expectations that come with playing for the Canucks. More importantly, he has a long-term contract and, based on everything know n , hasn’t been asked to waive the protection that gives him control over his future.
If the organization views him as part of the rebuild, it should act like it.
Making Pettersson captain would send a pretty clear message. The Canucks aren’t simply waiting for their next generation of stars to arrive. They’re asking the players who have already been through the difficult years to help build the foundation around them.
Maybe Pettersson isn’t the captain everyone expected.
But if Vancouver is stuck with him, and apparently, it isn’t actually trying to get unstuck, why not give him a chance to become something more important than just another player on the roster?
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