Vancouver Canucks star center Elias Pettersson is hungry for a season to be happy about.

After a 2024-25 season that was a disappointment for everyone connected to the Canucks, Pettersson has come out of the gates swinging and making it clear he’s intent on putting in a far better performance next season. He’s more than capable of reaching that goal for the Canucks.

Pettersson recently told Peter Ekholm on NHL.com he’s put on muscle and is looking for revenge following last season’s underwhelming results, including his 15-goal, 45-point showing in 64 games.

"I know what I'm capable of," Pettersson told Ekholm last Wednesday in Sweden. "Actually, I haven't thought about it, but for myself, it's revenge. I'm not happy with last season."

The 26-year-old was embroiled in a feud with now-former Canucks star center J.T. Miller, and he dealt with two injuries in the past year. 

Pettersson’s drop in production is part of why Vancouver missed out on Stanley Cup playoff action. But if Pettersson is ready to reverse last season’s regression, the expectations for him in 2025-26 should thrill Canucks fans.

It’s still fair to hold Pettersson to the standard he set in his peak seasons thus far, most notably, his 39-goal, 102-point performance in the 2022-23 campaign. Even a slight dip to the 34-goal, 89-point effort he got in 2023-24 would greatly help Vancouver’s playoff hopes next year, and it isn’t unreasonable to ask him to get there.

After all, Pettersson is an elite force when he takes advantage of his hard shot.

He consistently ranks near the top of the NHL in the number of shots that go between 70 and 100 miles per hour, and he can not only score a bunch of goals in high-danger areas but at mid-range as well, according to NHL Edge. 

His 109 shots last season were far fewer than the 207 and 257 he had in the two previous campaigns, and it’s clear that improving his strength and recovering from his injuries should help him increase his shooting again.

Pettersson’s hunger to have an excellent season could rub off on his teammates as well.

To that end, Pettersson spoke specifically about one of the Canucks’ most notable off-season moves – the trade acquisition of former Edmonton Oilers right winger Evander Kane.

The rugged game Kane plays may not directly affect Pettersson if the two new teammates don’t play on the same line next year, but if Kane can produce a decent amount of goals, the pressure on Pettersson will subside. And that should lead to a better all-around showing from Pettersson.

"I was very happy when I saw that trade," Pettersson said. "It's a player that we need, a player who plays with grit and still can score goals."

But let’s focus on Pettersson specifically. Perhaps skeptics are right, and Pettersson’s play of late is more indicative of who he’s going to be in the long run. That would be crushing for the Canucks, who are set to pay Pettersson $11.6 million for the next seven seasons.

But with his fresh start next year, Pettersson has no excuses about showing who he really is. He’s going to be key to Team Sweden’s chances at the 2026 Olympic Games, and he’s got a new head coach in Adam Foote to form a new partnership with in Vancouver. Many people are pushing their chips behind him, and he knows it.

NHL Summer Splash Rankings: No. 7, Vancouver CanucksThe Hockey News’ NHL summer splash rankings enter the homestretch with the Vancouver Canucks in seventh place.

Pettersson is going to be front and center as the Canucks try to get back into the playoffs. He has a terrific opportunity to get the revenge he wants, because if he doesn’t get it, Vancouver may miss out on the post-season for the second consecutive season, and the spotlight on him would be somehow brighter than it already is.

But that’s a way off. For now, there’s still reason to believe Pettersson can answer the bell and have a bounce-back year for Vancouver. The Canucks are betting on him, and the way he responds could change the face and direction of the franchise.

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Matt Grzelcyk is arguably the NHL’s best UFA defenseman still available for the taking. 

It would be shocking if the Charlestown, Mass., native remained unsigned when the 2025-26 NHL season begins.

Grzelcyk quietly put together the best offensive season of his career in 2024-25. Although he scored just one goal, he set new career highs with 39 assists and 40 points in 82 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins. With numbers like these, he could be a solid addition for a team that is looking for more offense from the point.

Grzelcyk could generate interest because he is also a proven NHL defenseman with plenty of experience. This includes the playoffs, as he played in 66 post-season games during his eight-year stint with the Boston Bruins.

Let’s go over three NHL teams that could make sense as landing spots for Grzelcyk. 

Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche have already added to their defense this off-season after losing Ryan Lindgren in free agency. They signed Brent Burns to a one-year contract back in July to play a depth role on the right side. His projected defense partner, Sam Malinkski, also shoots right, so Colorado could use another left-shot option for the third pair.

If the Avalanche signed Grzelcyk to a short-term deal, he could fit very nicely on their bottom pairing with either Burns, Malinski or Josh Manson. If the Avalanche use him as a seventh defenseman, he could come into the lineup over shutdown D-man Keaton Middleton when they need an extra bit of offensive punch. He also has experience playing in a more significant role, averaging 20:37 in ice time last season, so he would give the Avalanche another player who could move up the lineup when injuries arise.

The Avalanche currently have a bit over $2 million of cap space to work with, so they could afford to bring in Grzelcyk if he is open to taking a bit of a pay cut from the $2.75 million he earned previously. With it being this late into the summer, it is certainly fair to wonder if he would be willing to do that to play for a contender like the Avalanche. 

Chicago Blackhawks 

The Chicago Blackhawks have plenty of promising young defensemen on their roster, such as Sam Rinzel, Artyom Levshunov and Kevin Korchinski. That said, they could benefit by adding another veteran blueliner to help mentor their youngsters while moving the needle on the ice. Signing Grzelcyk would provide them with just that, the way 35-year-old TJ Brodie couldn’t quite accomplish as one of Chicago’s veteran blueliners last season.

Grzelcyk could fit on the second pairing and power play if signed. However, even if Grzelcyk served as a mentor in a bottom-pairing role, he still would give Chicago’s blueline a needed boost. If the Blackhawks trade 32-year-old pending UFA Connor Murphy during the season, their next-oldest D-man would be Alex Vlasic, who’s 24.

The Blackhawks could easily afford to sign Grzelcyk, too, as they have over $18 million of cap space to work with. They could be an intriguing team to watch for the veteran defenseman.

Three Potential NHL Landing Spots For UFA Jack RoslovicJack Roslovic is arguably the NHL’s best UFA still looking for his next contract. 

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames could also make sense as a suitor for Grzelcyk, especially if they trade Rasmus Andersson and move the right-handed MacKenzie Weegar to the right side full-time.

Calgary scored the fourth-fewest goals in the NHL last season, and they ranked 20th in the percentage of points coming from defensemen, at 24.3 percent. The Flames’ blueliners also combined for only 107 assists, which ranked 26th in the NHL. Grzelcyk seems like an easy choice to improve those numbers.

If the Flames signed Grzelcyk, he could at least be a nice upgrade over Jake Bean on their third pairing. However, depending on who ends up making the Flames’ opening night roster, Grzelcyk could also be a potential fit on their second pairing and power play if signed.

While the Flames still have to re-sign restricted free agent (RFA) Connor Zary, they have over $15 million in cap space. They could easily afford to bring in Grzelcyk if they wish.

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The Hockey News’ NHL summer splash rankings inch closer to the top with the Philadelphia Flyers in sixth place.

In these rankings, we’re looking at each team’s additions, departures, hirings and firings this summer. We’ve already looked at teams that got worse or stayed about the same, and we’re well in the group of squads that improved.

Remember, these summer splash rankings are strictly focused on the off-season development (or lack thereof) of teams. The Flyers are still in the early days of a full rebuild, but GM Daniel Briere is going about things the right way, and he’s made some changes that should make the Flyers a tougher team to play against, even if it’s unlikely they’ll make the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Additions

Trevor Zegras (C), Christian Dvorak (C), Dan Vladar (G), Noah Juulsen (D), Dennis Gilbert (D), Rick Tocchet (coach)

The Breakdown: The Flyers are still committed to their young stars, but Briere went out and spent to just about the salary cap ceiling to make his team better down the middle. 

First, Briere traded to acquire center Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks for center Ryan Poehling and two draft picks. 

Then, he came out of nowhere on the free-agent market to give former Montreal Canadiens center Christian Dvorak a one-year, $5.4-million contract. Dvorak put up only 33 points last season and has a career high of 38, but at 29 years old and a strong 55.8 faceoff win percentage, he’s a nice stopgap. That cap hit on a Cup contender would potentially be an eyesore, but bringing him onto a rebuilding squad could be worth paying a little more.

The Flyers also tried to address their suspect goaltending with the signing of veteran Dan Vladar. But Vladar has bounced to his third NHL team because he hasn’t had a save percentage as high or higher than .899 in the past three seasons. He may work out well in Philadelphia, but that’s not guaranteed. 

But suddenly, a Philadelphia team that had many glaring holes can now consistently be challenging to play. They’re like the San Jose Sharks, whose moves don’t turn them into a playoff team but do add up to be roster improvements that support the developing core.

Otherwise, Philly’s biggest acquisition is longtime coach Rick Tocchet as their new bench boss. Tocchet’s departure from the Vancouver Canucks was beneficial to him, as he had his pick of the many coaching job openings this summer. 

Tocchet ultimately went to where he starred as a player decades ago, and his motivational skills will help just about every Flyers player. Briere got his man behind the bench, and we don’t expect losing will ever sit well with Tocchet, whose job now is to shepherd Philadelphia’s youngsters past the finish line and make them into true difference-makers.

Departures

Ryan Poehling (C), Jakob Pelletier (LW), Givani Smith (RW), Olle Lycksell (RW), Calvin Petersen (G), Brad Shaw (interim coach) 

The Breakdown: The Flyers’ departures didn’t move the needle much, with center Poehling and winger Pelletier being the most notable players to head elsewhere. 

There’s a home for Poehling now in Anaheim, and Pelletier left via free agency to sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning. But let’s be honest – Poehling and Pelletier are fringe players right now. Poehling’s 31 points last season were OK, but Zegras and Dvorak should easily exceed that production. Pelletier recorded 19 points in 49 games between the Calgary Flames and Flyers last season, and he has a chance to get his development back on track in Tampa Bay, but he’s just a depth piece for now. Philadelphia shouldn’t rue the day it let these two players go.

Meanwhile, interim coach Brad Shaw was thanked for his service and sent on his way once it was clear Tocchet was the Flyers’ target. Shaw coached nine games for Philadelphia at the end of last season after John Tortorella imploded near the end of the year. Shaw is the type of hockey lifer who latched on as the New Jersey Devils’ assistant coach. He may eventually get a longer run as a head coach, but Tocchet’s availability made it a fait accompli that Shaw would be let go.

How John Tortorella Protected Matvei Michkov in Flyers Debut, Rookie SeasonJohn Tortorella may not be the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers anymore, but in his short time coaching rookies Matvei Michkov and Jett Luchanko, the polarizing bench boss left his mark.

The Bottom Line

Briere spoke earlier this summer about how hard it was to acquire a center of value. But then he went out and plugged that hole with Zegras – a young player with something to prove – and Dvorak, who can try to prove his value before he becomes a UFA again. That’s a lot of motivation for both centers to improve next year. If they do, Briere and the rest of Flyers management will be ecstatic. 

But even in a Metropolitan Division that is relatively open in terms of a battle for fourth and fifth place, the Flyers are in for a difficult battle to rise through the standings. The Metro has more parity than other divisions, but the wild-card battle with the Atlantic Division clubs will be very challenging. 

If they don’t take that next competitive step and advance into the playoffs, patience will still be a virtue in Philadelphia. 

This Flyers team isn’t built to win now. Management assembled the squad with an eye on a year or two from now. 

While we’re giving Philly its flowers by ranking the Flyers this high in our NHL summer splash rankings, we don’t want to encourage Flyers fans to expect big things this year. There’s still a road ahead – and potentially, a rocky road – to being a consistent playoff team, let alone a true Cup front-runner. 

But the Flyers’ summertime moves have put them on the rise more than expected by adding Tocchet and Zegras. That’s why they’re this high.

Summer Splash Rankings

6. Philadelphia Flyers

7. Vancouver Canucks

8. San Jose Sharks

9. Utah Mammoth

10. New York Rangers

11. Detroit Red Wings

12. New Jersey Devils

13. St. Louis Blues

14. Pittsburgh Penguins

15. Colorado Avalanche

16. Ottawa Senators

17. Boston Bruins

18. Edmonton Oilers

19. Minnesota Wild

20. Seattle Kraken

21. Columbus Blue Jackets

22. Washington Capitals

23. Nashville Predators

24. New York Islanders

25. Tampa Bay Lightning

26. Toronto Maple Leafs

27. Dallas Stars

28. Calgary Flames

29. Los Angeles Kings

30. Winnipeg Jets

31. Chicago Blackhawks

32. Buffalo Sabres

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