The 2025–26 season has been a bit of a weird one for the Vancouver Canucks. Injuries forced multiple players into roles they probably didn’t expect themselves to be in at the start of the year, while a couple of big trades resulted in Vancouver’s D-core getting shaken up a bit mid-season. One of the players most impacted by these changes is Canucks defenceman Elias Pettersson. While the defender was one of a couple expected to push for a full-time roster spot at the start of the season, changes throughout the year resulted in him being sent down to the AHL for a couple of stints. He spoke a bit about the changes that have occurred this season after Vancouver’s practice on Saturday. “I think it’s been a little up and down since I came back from Abbotsford,” Pettersson told The Hockey News on Saturday. “This time I feel like I’m getting more and more into my game and feeling better and better.” Pettersson stunned many last January when he made his NHL debut against the Washington Capitals and played himself into a full-time roster spot, knocking veteran Carson Soucy out of the rotation and giving the Canucks the freedom to trade him. This was Pettersson’s first full season of playing hockey in North America, and already, it’d seemed as though he was ready to make the jump to the NHL. With more experience under his belt heading into the 2025–26 season, the defenceman made note of one particular thing he’s approached differently compared to the 2024–25 season. “I say mindset all the time, just trying to get better every day. It’s a lot to learn.” One player who has found himself in a similar situation to where Pettersson was in 2024–25 is Tom Willander, who made his NHL debut in October and has since stuck in Vancouver’s lineup. Both defencemen have seen the positives and negatives to a full-NHL season as young players throughout 2025–26. “I think it’s good, [I] think we’re both learning every day and trying to get into the league in a good way,” Pettersson explained. “We’ve got really good sources here with the older guys to coach us, so I think it’s just really good for us.” Jan 21, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson (25) skates prior to the start of a game against the Washington Capitals at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/cb072476-bf1b-4477-9cc9-106eb73b5c59.jpeg] Jan 21, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson (25) skates prior to the start of a game against the Washington Capitals at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images The ‘older guys’ in question could refer to a few different players around the locker room. From veterans like Marcus Pettersson to younger players who have more NHL experience like Nils Höglander, there’s been no shortage of guys for Pettersson to lean on throughout his first couple of seasons in the NHL. “It’s always good to have the older guys around you. They help a lot,” he said, particularly of some of the Swedes on the team. “It’s always nice to have those guys around you [to] talk the same language, do something outside the rink. It’s always nice to have those guys around.” With the Olympic break nearing, there’s always the chance that younger players like Pettersson could end up being sent back down to Abbotsford in order to get some games in while the league pauses for nearly a month. Once the NHL starts back up again, the Canucks will be in a situation that will force them to consider what direction they want to take the franchise in. For Pettersson, the next couple of months will be used to help retain a steady pace of play. “Just trying to be more steady out there, keep getting better every day.” Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwr-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks]. 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