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 season 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' stature, you have to take your chances.

The Vancouver Canucks haven't been doing so well since last year.

This season, Quinn Hughes' name was raised as a possible trade candidate, making him available.

Last year, the Canucks traded J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers due to a misunderstanding between the latter and Elias Pettersson. However, we understand that Miller wasn't necessarily 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 not unheard of for a teammate to dislike Pettersson's off-season effort.

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Because of this, 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 didn'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, statistically speaking, it's a little less bad than last year for the Swede, who's producing at a rate of 0.79 points per game, but he's still falling short of 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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