Updates On Vancouver Canucks Forwards Elias Pettersson And Nils Höglander
Apr 16, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (40) and forward Nils Hoglander (21) celebrate Hoglander’s goal against the Calgary Flames in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn ImagesOn March 12, 2025, in a game against the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks forwards Elias Pettersson and Nils Höglander were put on a line together. Paired alongside Jake DeBrusk, they put up a team-high corsi-for percentage of 50% on 5-on-5. In this effort, Pettersson tallied a goal and an assist, while Höglander notched one helper on Pettersson’s goal. During that six-game stretch in the middle of March, the two forwards put up a combined 14 points and a 1.95 xGF. Eight of those points came from Pettersson, who racked up that total in five straight games. Prior to then, Pettersson had collected eight points from January 21 to March 11 — a span of 19 games.
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Pettersson and Höglander’s stretch of success came to a screeching halt on March 22, in a game against the New York Rangers, when neither forward was spotted on the ice to start the third period.
“I mean, it sucks. Feels like we had a pretty good run there, couple games and a couple weeks,” Höglander said of both him and Pettersson missing time. “It sucks, but can’t really do anything about it. Just focus to get back as fast as possible.”
Vancouver was in the midst of a tight race for the final Western Conference playoff spot by the time both forwards were deemed unfit to play. The game prior, the Canucks narrowly lost 4–3 to the St. Louis Blues, leaving them only one point away from taking the final wild card spot while still having a game in hand. Despite heading into the third period tied, Vancouver ultimately succumbed to Igor Shesterkin and the Rangers, losing valuable ground in the playoff race and suffering a 5–3 defeat.
Soon after, the Canucks announced that both Pettersson and Höglander would be sent back to Vancouver despite the team only being halfway through their road trip. While Pettersson has still not been spotted at practice, Höglander has rejoined the team and hopes to play during this weekend’s stretch of back-to-back games against the Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights.
“These couple of last games are important, so you want to be in the mix and try to help the team. So you got to work hard to come back,” the forward said.
Höglander also elaborated on his injury, stating that it was “just a normal battle,” and that it was “nothing crazy.”
As it stands, Vancouver’s playoff chances are at 1.6%, according to MoneyPuck.com. A possible addition of Höglander in the next few games will give the lineup a much-needed boost, especially given the fact that Pettersson and Filip Chytil are still unavailable. Vancouver is also currently missing Tyler Myers (day-to-day), while forward Nils Åman sustained an injury during Friday’s practice and will be evaluated later on.
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