Vancouver Canucks star Elias Pettersson had to face a new challenge this summer.
The NHL All-Star’s knee injury, which affected him throughout the second half of last season, forced Pettersson to alter his training schedule. He revealed after last year’s playoffs that he was dealing with knee tendinitis, and it still has not fully gone away.
“It was a little different, had to train around my knee injury but I feel great and [I’m] excited,” the centre said to media after the first day of Canucks training camp.
“I don’t know how exactly to explain it but it’s a nagging injury that doesn’t want to go away easily. We figured out a way to work around it.”
“It’s like a nagging injury that doesn’t want to go away,” says Elias Pettersson about his knee.
“We figured out a way to work around it.”
Says he’s not feeling pain right now. #Canucks
— Noah Strang (@noahstrang_) September 19, 2024
While it’s still a topic of discussion, the injury did not affect him today. The forward said he didn’t feel any pain during or after skating. However, taking some of the training camp sessions off is not outside the realm of possibilities.
“It’s not a big thing, the knee is fine,” he finished with.
Pettersson had two new linemates this morning as he skated with Jake DeBrusk and Jonathan Lekkerimäki. The trio looked impressive in rush drills, although it’s still just the first day of training camp.
The Canucks overhauled their roster on the wings, largely in part to get Pettersson better linemates. The big move was signing DeBrusk on July 1.
“I’m very happy with the signing,” said Pettersson about the team spending $38.5 million on DeBrusk.
“I think so far it’s been good stuff with Jake and just keep on building.”
Now that he has capable wingers, the focus will turn on Pettersson himself to deliver massive results. He’s leaving last year’s disappointments behind as he prepares for what most are expecting to be a big season for the Canucks.
“That’s in the past. I learned from it and I’m just excited for this season,” said the Swedish star.