Draft Retrospective: Elias Pettersson from top prospect to top Canuck

Elias Pettersson’s ascension to top prospect status was special.

As an 18-year-old, he set the new scoring record in the HockeyAllsvenskan among draft-eligible skaters, logging 41 points in just 43 games. No draft eligible player had ever cracked 35 points in the league. 

What came next was even more impressive, and could go down as the greatest draft-plus-one seasons in European professional hockey circuits.

Moving from Timrå to Växjö Lakers, Pettersson dominated the SHL as a 19-year-old, topping the entire league in points with 24 goals and 56 points in 44 games. No one came close to his staggering 1.27 points-per-game pace, and there was a 15-point gap between him and the next-most productive player on his team.

Pettersson’s list of accomplishments from that season is lengthy. He was named