Player Discussion #40 Elias Pettersson, Pt. VI
- Thread starter Zombotron
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I'd like to see a line of Eriksson - Petterson - Virtanen at some point. You get a nice mix. Maybe replace Eriksson with Goldobin if he's still around, or even Dahlen if he makes waves in pre-season and management moves 5 ish contracts 
Wo Yorfat
dumb person
- Nov 7, 2016
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Thanks for posting. Lots of smarts shown in there to go w the shot and puck skills. Super excited to see how he develops. We might be a very fun team to watch in a yr or two.
Hmm...
3. It doesn’t matter what position he plays, he’ll be just as effective
4. He will play beginning of season on W and then switch to C
petrishriekandgo
Why not us?
I'd like to see a line of Eriksson - Petterson - Virtanen at some point. You get a nice mix. Maybe replace Eriksson with Goldobin if he's still around, or even Dahlen if he makes waves in pre-season and management moves 5 ish contracts
Love Virtanen with Pettersson, have been trumpeting Jake on 'the Aliens' line all summer. Think the eventual line will be Dahlen - Pettersson - Virtanen.
The all winger line. I really don’t see much hope of Pettersson being a C in the NHL, at least in the first year or two.
This I don't understand. I mean, he's probably got lots to work on as a centre, but why not make it work. NHL level coaching will do wonders for his faceoffs, defensive positioning, etc. He's got the speed, he's got the vision and IQ, I don't see why his skillset is only winger worthy.
Jack Burton
Pro Tank Since 13
This is a line I'd like to see as well... Point and shoot player in Virtanen, Dahlen working the boards and Pettersson feeding them both when the opportunity is there.
Defensively, Pettersson & Dahlen should be able to cover for Jake but if it doesn't work then try Boeser on the RW.
Options anybody?
Shareefruck
Registered User
Much like with the Sedins last season, I think that Virtanen and Pettersson are stylistically terrible fits together, but given the crappy options he has on the 2nd line, it's probably better than the alternative.
Jack Burton
Pro Tank Since 13
Virtanen with the Sedins was stupid.
Virtanen does not have the brain power to work with 2 of the most cerebral players to ever play the game.
If you think Pettersson & Dahlen are cerebral then you would be wrong.
There is no Sedinery with these players...they complement each other and that's it.
With the style of Pettersson & Dahlen...they could definitely use a power winger like Virtanen.
Disappointed EP40
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- Jan 13, 2015
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Virtanen will bring the other guys down unless he can improve his puck retrieving skills a’la Burrows.
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Disappointed EP40
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- Jan 13, 2015
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I found the problem with this assessment:
1) “power winger”. He’s a bottom 6 grinder at this point. Hope he can turn it into more but let’s not pretend he’s a 20+ goal scorer, 40+ pt “power winger”.
2) Petterson is certainly a cerebral player. He’s got a ton of skill, but he is very much also using his brain significantly to produce. (He’s certainly not using his muscle.)
3) Virtanen could learn a better game from playing with Petterson and I’d expect some pts off the rush, and Virtanen to do better with him. But overall, I’d expect Virtanen to bring them down not able to keep up to Petterson’s plays.
And why can't he? I don't understand why people think players' skillsets and/or brains are so stagnant. Give him a roll like this and see what he does. And I would also add that Virtanen played with the Sedins when they looked like they could barely skate at the start of last year. He even scored a couple if I remember correctly.
Petterson - Virtanen could work. Or it might not. I would like to see it given a chance.
Again I would do, if he shows he can succeed at this level, Virtanen, Gaudette, Pettersson. Gaudette has shown in College he thrives playing with players like Pettersson. Why not give him that opportunity. He can, and should play a gritty game, and with Jake should open space for Elias.
Most exciting season in a long time . The team has basically been the Sedins and the rest since 2007. Even if we lose it will be entertaining.
I loved that team starting in 2007... to me once they hit 2009 they were legit. It was in 2013 it was time to move on. This year is year 1 of the Horvat, Boeser, Pettersson era. With what is in the pipes I couldn't be more excited.
At the end of last season, Virtanen was definitely playing like a top 6 power winger. He creates so much space by driving to the net that Pettersson and Dahlen could benefit from it. The only thing holding back his production was his shot accuracy and hands, which he is working on this season. I expect a much better statistical season for Virtanen next season.
I didn't watch Vaxjo, I wonder who EP's linemates would compare to on this team, or the ones he thrived with the most. Was it all skill or did he need a gritty/puck retrieval type player?
GetFocht
Indestructible
- Jun 11, 2013
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Super excited to see the new identity of the Canucks with Horvat, Boeser, Pettersson, Gaudette, Hughes, Juolevi, and Demko as the next core. The young core is stellar and has reinvigorated my interest in following the team closely again. The best part is they will just get more exciting to watch as each season passes with more younger players coming in the pipeline. It's a much different feeling from when Canucks were peaked with the old core and you can just feel the team will be regressing each year.
They can (and should) ape Tampa Bay's PP setup with the personnel they'll have now.
Horvat
Boeser Gagner Pettersson
Edler/Pouliot
Horvat is an obvious netfront choice. Boeser and EP can "rip the puck" from their off-wings. Gagner was excellent in the bumper spot two years ago in Columbus. Aaand we just gotta find someone to man the top.
Jack Burton
Pro Tank Since 13
(1) Virtanen NEEDS a premier center to get the most out of him.
Chemistry is all that Virtanen needs...so far we haven't seen it under his development. We find it and he'll be a 20 goal scorer....point and shoot son, the speed and shot is there.
(2) the muscles will grow.
Welcome to the big show....If Petterson can't handle the NHL after 8 games then send him to the minors...we can't F*** this prospect up and just gift him minutes and hope for the best PERIOD.
(3) You didn't watch much of Dahlen & Pettersson in Allsvenskan before Pettersson was drafted did you?
Shareefruck
Registered User
Virtanen's forechecking ability and physicality has usefulness on any line, and is preferable to the wingers that the Sedins would have otherwise played with, or the Sutter/Gagner types that Pettersson would otherwise play with. But it would not be anything close to an ideal fit, IMO.
Pettersson is absolutely a cerebral player-- his primary game involves controlling the puck, playing give and go and diligently finding holes to exploit and attack in the defense. He's a very east west player, whom Virtanen has not shown the hockey IQ, playmaking instincts, ability to get open/one-time the puck, or even net presence to optimize Pettersson's game-- Some areas in his game (he still has some tunnel-vision) would flat out end up being a boat anchor for his offense, IMO. It's like playing early career Hansen, Bernier, or David Booth with Naslund. It wouldn't be entirely useless, but doesn't totally work either (not as well as guys who can think the game a compatible way but contribute similarly like Pyatt, Higgins, or Cooke, anyways).
Virtanen is better utilized helping out players like Horvat, Gaudette, Sutter, and Gaunce (who actually complement his game offensively and bring the most out of him) than guys like Pettersson, IMO.
Virtanen is not a player who is helped all that much by having a twisty-turny playmaker/shooter who can get him the puck in prime scoring areas or finish off plays he creates. He's a player who is helped by the ability of others to wreak havoc around the net, be a load to handle along the boards, support rebounds, and can aggressively mount a second or third wave of direct attack (or allow him to do the same).
We may have to settle with giving Pettersson Virtanen for puck retrieval purposes, but ideally, it'd be a better to have a strong, Chris Higgins-esque high IQ puck distributor who can also retrieve pucks. Gaudette or Gaunce would even be better fits with Pettersson than Virtanen if we're strictly talking about stylistically, IMO.
Frankly, if the goal is complementary skillsets, I'd much rather keep them as far away from each other as possible (and Sutter far from Pettersson too) and instead try things like
Baertschi - Pettersson - Boeser
or Pettersson - Horvat - Boeser
or Eriksson - Horvat - Virtanen
or Gaunce - Gaudette - Virtanen
or Gaunce - Sutter - Virtanen
If Pettersson's immediately at a playing level that can justify it, I would argue that he should always be stapled to Boeser, because their games really seem like a match made in heaven that complements each other perfectly.
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Agree with other posters. This is shaping up as one of the more exciting seasons in recent history. Will the Canucks be any better in the standings? Probably not. But watching some these young players grow and mature throughout the season, and then having Quinn Hughes sign and make his debut in March, will keep me glued to the box. And it'll be fascinating to monitor the Utica Comets as well.
Shareefruck
Registered User
Anything can happen, but the thing that maximizes Pettersson's skillset most is Virtanen's greatest weakness. Why bank on that when he's already becoming super useful in ways that don't?
His puck retrieving skills are great, it's everything else that's a poor fit, IMO.
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