Elias Pettersson and the Vancouver Canucks are still waiting for the dazzling player who used to make this team must-watch hockey.
The dekes, the rushes, the pinpoint one-timers, none of that showed up much last season, and honestly, it hasn't shown up in a while.
Pettersson managed just 21 five-on-five points in 74 games, the lowest total of his career outside his injury-shortened 2021 season.
He still led Vancouver in overall scoring. But adjusted for ice time, players like Teddy Blueger, Max Sasson, and Drew O'Connor actually produced more per hour at five-on-five.
This is a player who once scored 40 goals and cracked 100 points before turning 25, a guy who took over playoff series as a 20-year-old.
NHL Edge data shows he's not skating as fast anymore, and his shot has lost real velocity over the past two and a half seasons.
New head coach Manny Malhotra has talked openly about wanting Pettersson to rediscover the joy in his game, whatever that ends up looking like on the ice.
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Marco Rossi turns 25 during the preseason, and his post-Olympic stretch last year hints at real star potential still buried in there.
Once fully healthy, Rossi posted 20 points in 25 games while running a Vancouver power play that converted on nearly a third of its chances down the stretch.
Linus Karlsson was Vancouver's most efficient five-on-five scorer last season, yet still logged the 14th-most ice time among forwards who played at least 25 games.
Getting him real minutes against top competition early this season is exactly the kind of decision a new coaching staff needs to get right.
Brendan Gallagher fell out of Montreal's lineup late last season, but the underlying numbers still show a player who can drive offense in a middle-six role.
Jake DeBrusk shot just 2.48 percent at five-on-five last season, one of the unluckiest marks in the league among regular forwards over the past five years.
That number is due for a serious correction, and if it comes, DeBrusk's trade value climbs right along with it.
Can Elias Pettersson rediscover his elite form this season?
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