Quinn Hughes was frustrated with Elias Pettersson’s work ethic

Michaël Petit
Quinn Hughes was frustrated with Elias Pettersson’s work ethic
Credit: Getty Images

The big news of the year was obviously the monstrous trade that sent Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild.

The return was astronomical, but when you have the chance to add a player of Hughes' caliber, you have to take your chances.

The Vancouver Canucks haven't been doing great since last year, and they led us to believe that Hughes would be available on the trade market this season.

Last year, the Canucks traded J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers because of a misunderstanding between the latter and Elias Pettersson. However, we understand that Miller was probably not the problem in Vancouver.

Indeed, Patrick Johnston, a journalist covering the Canucks, recently wrote an article about Pettersson and Hughes.

According to Johnston, Quinn Hughes was frustrated with the Swedish center's work ethic, and it's nothing new for a teammate to dislike Pettersson's off-season effort.

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The two former teammates drifted apart when they played together in Vancouver.

Now that Hughes is in Minnesota, he doesn't have to worry about Pettersson's bad ethics.

“Pettersson has been a frustration to his teammates in the past. He's a player whose off-season efforts don't match his natural talent.” – Patrick Johnston

It is indeed quite frustrating to see a teammate not take it all seriously. To be a good player in the NHL, you have to have a minimum work ethic and you also have to prepare accordingly, even during the summer.

By falling behind in his preparation, we're seeing a drop in form since his 102-point season three years ago. Going from 1.28 points per game, to 1.09, to 0.7, hurts your résumé and your coach's confidence in you.

As Johnston mentions in his text, when you're a leader on the team, your teammates have certain expectations of you in terms of the effort you give.

This season, the Swede's production isn't quite as bad as last year, with him producing at a rate of 0.79 points per game, but he's still below expectations.

Pettersson hasn't played in over two weeks due to injury, and the date of his return to action is uncertain. It shouldn't be too long, however, if Canucks head coach Adam Foote's comments are anything to go by.


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– A must-read.

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