According to Sportsnet’s John Shannon, Vancouver Canucks star rookie centre Elias Pettersson will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the lower-body injury he suffered on Thursday.
Canucks being cautious with Elias Pettersson. The young star will have an MRI in Toronto today.
— John Shannon (@JSportsnet) January 4, 2019
Elias Pettersson Injured
Pettersson was injured after being tied up with Montreal Canadiens centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi during Thursday’s game. It looked like Pettersson’s leg was tangled up with Kotkaniemi. Pettersson didn’t return to the game after the hit and needed help getting off the ice.
In his rookie season with the Canucks, Pettersson has scored 22 goals and 20 assists for 42 points to go along with six minutes in penalties in 37 games. His possession numbers were 51.1 percent Corsi-For and a relative Corsi of +4.9. The Vancouver Canucks originally drafted Pettersson in the first round, fifth overall in the 2017 NHL draft.
What This Means for the Future
This could be a huge loss for the Canucks as Pettersson is one of their most solid players overall. He has a huge knack for putting up goals and currently leads the team in that category. Bo Horvat who centred the top line for the rest of the game will most likely see an increased role during any time that Pettersson might miss.
Not only is Pettersson leading the Canucks offensively but he leads all rookies in all offensive categories. Pettersson is the only Canuck in the All-Star Game at this time. Pettersson had recorded five points in five games coming into the contest with Montreal.
The Canucks currently sit one point out of the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference, behind the Anaheim Ducks.
VANCOUVER, BC – OCTOBER 3: Elias Pettersson #40 of the Vancouver Canucks skates with the puck in NHL action against the Calgary Flames during his first game in the NHL on October, 3, 2018 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
