"Failed at every turn" - NHL insider gives no-holds-barred take on Elias Pettersson's form ahead of trade deadline

The Vancouver Canucks made the decision to trade J.T. Miller and hold onto Elias Pettersson. Their partnership devolved into a feud that was hampering both players, so the Canucks traded one in the hopes that it would revitalize the other.

So far, it hasn't done that yet. Pettersson has not bounced back, and Frank Seravalli took the opportunity to call him out as the trade deadline looms nearer with March 7 just 10 days away. If it wasn't Miller's fault, then it just might be time to start looking at Pettersson.

The NHL insider said:

"I think the biggest thing that has struck me is that it continues to be someone else's problem, like, take us back to blocker clean out day first, it was the knee tendonitis, and then to start this season, it was J.T. Miller. And then when J.T. Miller is not there, he gets back to performing at a level that he should."

Seravalli said now that Miller has gone to the New York Rangers, the question is whether or not Pettersson has enough help on his line:

"[Now it's] is he being deployed appropriately? And then finally, after we don't see a different Petterson and we don't see a different Petterson during 4 Nations, despite the pleas and promises from his Swedish teammates. All of a sudden, now it's the media's fault."

He went on to say that Pettersson needs to take accountability for himself:

"[He] is a truly high-paid NHL player that has failed at every turn under this contract to deliver. And that's the long and short of it."

Pettersson is signed to a $92.8 million deal with the Canucks, and Seravalli doesn't believe he's played up to that level.

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Canucks coach addresses Elias Pettersson's struggles

Elias Pettersson has not turned it around as of late for the Vancouver Canucks. His coach Rick Tocchet believes he might be waiting for something, acknowledging that his star player might have lost his confidence.

Elias Pettersson has struggled lately (Imagn)

He said that Pettersson has to just take the shots whenever he finds space, adding via Sportsnet:

“I’d rather him just rip a puck right now. He’s not moving his feet. I thought today, some shifts he was moving his feet and it looked like we had some glimpses. I don’t know if it’s a mental block right now, all year, but he’s got to move his feet.”

Pettersson himself said it was "annoying" having to deal with the media during this time as well.