Let’s face it. Elias Pettersson changed everything for the Vancouver Canucks. He arguably sped up the rebuild by a few years, and brought both fans and his teammates to their feet numerous times throughout his rookie season.
After being taken at fifth overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft in Chicago, Pettersson had an outstanding D+1 year with the Vaxjo Lakers of the Swedish Hockey League. He was named League MVP, Playoff MVP, Rookie of the year, and Best Forward. He also rewrote the SHL history books, passing Kent Nilsson for the most points ever by a junior-aged player in the SHL.