Interested Teams Won’t Love Hearing Analyst’s Elias Pettersson Comparison

It’s been a rough go for Elias Pettersson over the past few years. Ever since signing a monster deal to stay in Vancouver long-term, it’s fallen off the rails. From rifts with teammates to losing confidence and, in turn, his production plummeting, it’s been somewhat of a nightmare for a guy once seen as a superstar center.

While his 2025-26 season has shown some improvement—especially defensively—it’s still a far cry from the 102-point (39 goals, 64 assists) campaign he had in 2022-23. Even so, teams around the league remain interested in acquiring Pettersson, though one analyst warns they may need to temper expectations.

---

In a recent appearance on the Donnie and Dhali show, Craig Button made a sobering comparison, likening Pettersson to Jonathan Huberdeau and suggesting he may never return to his peak form.

Button said:

“EP40 will find his game when EP40 decides to find his game, whenever that game is… I’ll be straightforward with you—he might be the Vancouver Canucks’ Jonathan Huberdeau. His best days may be behind him. Huberdeau is never going to get back to 115 points. I don’t think EP40 is ever going to get back to being a dominant center. So you’ve got to accept: can he be a good second-line center? Can he be a 70-point player for us? That’s the reality we have to live with.”

The 27-year-old Pettersson is having another underwhelming offensive season, with 34 points produced (13 goals, 21 assists) across 49 games played. He’s in year two of the eight-year, $92.8 million extension signed with the Canucks in 2024.

Can Elias Pettersson Rediscover His Form Elsewhere?

It’s the question everyone is asking when it comes to Pettersson: Can a fresh start outside Vancouver unlock the potential we know he has and have seen?

Pettersson hasn’t all of a sudden lost his abilities and is still in the prime of his career, so it’s reasonable to think that in the right situation, he could return to at the very least being a point-per-game player.

Detroit, Buffalo, Carolina, Minnesota, and Utah stand out as five ideal landing spots—places where he wouldn’t be the sole focal point and could play alongside other high-end talent. Not to mention all five markets also come with far less pressure and scrutiny than Vancouver, one of hockey’s most intense environments.

While his drop off over the last few years is eerily similar to Huberdeau’s, Pettersson’s peak felt more dominant, and at five years younger, it’s easy to see why teams are willing to bank on him bouncing back with a change of scenery.

Next: Oilers Linked Again to 20-Plus Goal Man in Latest Insider Predictions