Vancouver Canucks veteran Brock Boeser is optimistic longtime teammate Elias Pettersson will enter the 2026-27 campaign with a clear mind after years of off-ice drama surrounded the former star forward.
"Seems like he's in a great headspace," Boeser said, per The Canadian Press. "Way better than the last few years."
Pettersson and former Canuck J.T. Miller were involved in a public feud that derailed Vancouver's 2024-25 season and culminated in the latter being dealt to the New York Rangers. Pettersson's also faced intense scrutiny for a significant drop in production, and has been persistently mentioned in trade rumors.
"It's obviously been a rough couple of years," Boeser said.
With a new front office and head coach in place, Boeser believes Pettersson is in a strong position to succeed.
"It's just a fresh start," Boeser said. "He really needs to take advantage of it ... try and put everything aside and just focus on what he can do."
Pettersson signed an eight-year extension with a $11.6-million cap hit in 2024. Since the deal came into effect, he's registered 96 points in 138 games and is a minus-40. He produced 102 and 89 points in 2022-23 and 2023-24, respectively.
The Canucks were the worst team in the NHL last season with a 25-49-8 record.
