Welcome to this edition of THN's Vancouver Canucks 2024-25 Report Card. This recurring 2025 off-season series features a deep dive into how each Canucks player performed last year. Today's article will focus on defenceman Marcus Pettersson, who finished the season with 11 points in 31 games.
Trading for Pettersson was one of the more savvy moves Vancouver made this past season. The 29-year-old became a leader on and off the ice while making the Canucks a more difficult team to play against late in the year. Signed to a six-year extension shortly after being acquired, Pettersson's $5.5 million AAV is already looking like a steal compared to some of the contracts that were handed out this off-season.
Once Pettersson arrived, he was used as a shutdown defender. The former Pittsburgh Penguins defender recorded 61 blocks and was on the ice for just four goals against in 74 minutes of shorthanded time. Pettersson was also able to develop some chemistry with Filip Hronek, which allowed Vancouver to balance out their defensive group.
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Bringing in Pettersson also had an impact on the locker room thanks to his leadership qualities. In fact, Rick Tocchet revealed that he received messages from Sidney Crosby detailing how much of a leader Pettersson is. Considering the issues that arose in the first half of the season, acquiring a player like Pettersson, who can step up as a leader, was a significant moment for the organization.
As for Pettersson's analytics, they show just how valuable he was on the blue line. During his time with the Canucks, the left-shot defender posted a Five-On-Five Expected Goals For Percentage of 50.32, while his Wins Above Replacement of 1.6 ranked tied for fourth on the team. Ultimately, Pettersson was able to acclimate well to Vancouver's system and demonstrated that he can be impactful while averaging over 21 minutes per night.
The best way to describe Pettersson's 31 games with the Canucks was impressive. He helped strengthen the defence and was a key part of Vancouver's penalty kill, which was one of the best in the league during the second half of the year. As for a letter grade, Pettersson receives an A- for his performance during the 2024-25 season.
Player Review Series Articles:
Linus Karlsson
Kevin Lankinen
Thatcher Demko
Jake DeBrusk
Filip Hronek
Brock Boeser
Tyler Myers
Conor Garland
Elias Pettersson (F)
Quinn Hughes
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