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Not much is working with Elias Pettersson these days. With just one goal and four points in 10 playoff games, that’s obvious.
The 25-year-old hasn’t looked right for a while now, and he has to take responsibility for that.
But his linemates are also less than ideal.
Pettersson, who the Canucks signed to a $92.8 million contract extension in March, is effectively playing on the team’s third line right now.
And that’s where he’ll start Game 5 on Thursday. Rick Tocchet confirmed as much when asked by Daily Hive today about throwing a different look at the Edmonton Oilers.
“The Lindholm line’s been good most of the series. The Miller line’s been good. I’m not sure breaking those guys up is the right thing to do. If that’s what you guys are looking for, I’d say no,” Tocchet said at this morning’s press conference at Rogers Arena. “But saying that, yeah we do need to get some more offence, and we gotta get some more from certain people. I’m not sure about shuffling lines right now is the right thing to do… You gotta be careful when you start mix and matching… I don’t think drastic changes are something to do.”
So drastic changes are off the table, but subtle ones seem inevitable. Tocchet seems very open to making some lineup changes, bringing up the likes of Vasily Podkolzin and Arshdeep Bains unprompted.
“Everybody’s in play. We have a couple guys that could come in,” he said.
“With Petey, all fairness to him, I’m not sure he’s getting, sometimes, the help he needs. But saying that, I think he still can drive play a little bit better… move his feet and be more dynamic. He’s got the skill set.”
“Do we need Mikheyev and these guys (to play better)? Yeah, of course, I said it last night. Proof’s in the pudding. That’s why maybe Podzy’s in play, Bains, who knows?”
Defenceman Carson Soucy will return after serving his one-game suspension, likely moving Noah Juulsen back to the press box. On forward, there are many more moving parts.
Phil Di Giuseppe, who has missed two games due to “personal reasons,” could return to the lineup. So could Nils Höglander, who was a healthy scratch for the last two games in Edmonton.
Tocchet was asked about Jonathan Lekkerimäki, a raw rookie with loads of offensive talent, but it seems unlikely that he will make his NHL debut.
So who comes out? Linus Karlsson and Nils Åman seem like good bets, but perhaps Sam Lafferty could be a possibility as well.
When asked what he’s looking for in a winger for Pettersson, Tocchet seems like he’s looking for quickness and assertiveness.
“Guys gotta be on the forecheck, winning pucks. That’s the guy you’re looking for,” the Canucks head coach explained. “Sometimes it’s a committee, sometimes it’s switching guys in and out to help that line have some identity.”
Höglander, who scored 24 goals during the regular season, seems like a natural choice to rejoin his friend. It could be time for Mikheyev, who has been mired in a terrible slump, to be demoted to the fourth line.
If Tocchet is looking for someone with forechecking ability, maybe Di Giuseppe or Podkolzin will get a look.
Pettersson facing a mental challenge
Pettersson spoke to the media today.
He was short with most of his answers, clearly frustrated by the lack of success he’s having right now.
He insists that he’s trying.
“I know I can be better,” Pettersson said. “I’m trying out there. Maybe not going the best way right now, but yeah, I’m trying, I want to win.”
When asked about having more offensively talented wingers to play with, he agreed it could help, but ultimately, he knows that he has to be better no matter who he’s playing with.
“Maybe it could help, but also at the end of the day, I can only focus on what I can do. Obviously I want to be better. I want to be a difference-maker. It hasn’t gone the way I want it to be, at the end of the day, I can’t dwell on it too much. We have a game tomorrow. I’m going to try to do my best. That’s where my head’s at.”
The 25-year-old agreed that this was “probably” the biggest mental challenge of his career, but he’s trying his best not to dwell on it.
“I want to play my best hockey every game. Just going through a little adversity.”