Rick Tocchet and Elias Pettersson will be on opposite sides during the 4 Nations, and the Canucks coach wants his player to let loose and soak everything in. Elias Pettersson's first year of his eight-year contract <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/vancouver-canucks/former-vancouver-canuck-bashes-elias-pettersson-for-not-stepping-up-in-the-aftermath-of-the-jt-miller-trade' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>is not going according to plan,</a> for himself or for the Vancouver Canucks. <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/vancouver-canucks/canucks-elias-pettersson-reveals-all-his-true-feelings-now-that-jt-miller-is-gone' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Aside from whatever controversy there's been off-ice</a> over JT Miller, the most disappointing aspect has been Pettersson's subpar play. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/Sportsnet650/status/1888040075730288765'> </a></blockquote></div> Since signing his <a href='https://puckpedia.com/player/elias-pettersson' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>eight-year, $11.6 million annual average value</a> contract extension ahead of last season's trading deadline, Pettersson's subpar play in late 2023-24 carried over to this season. In 49 games, he's tallied just 11 goals and 23 assists. <h3>This is one of Pettersson's worst seasons of his career</h3> He's heading towards a career-low of 53 points, his lowest season total (with the caveat of the shortened season in 2021 excepted). If his estimated total of 17 goals is actualized, it would be the first time in four years that he won't hit 30. Something is definitely amiss here. While Pettersson already admitted that he was dealing with knee tendinitis in his season finale a year ago, many believe his subpar play is more than just a product of something happening in his body and <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/vancouver-canucks/elias-pettersson-suffering-from-mental-and-psychological-problems-per-nhl-analyst' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>also has a mental component to it.</a> As <a href='https://www.nhl.com/canucks/player/elias-pettersson-8480012' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Pettersson</a> heads to the 4 Nations Face-Off, in which he's going to be wearing Sweden gear to take on Rick Tocchet's Team Canada on Thursday, his coach has one message: enjoy it. «I just want him to have fun. I know it's a serious tournament - I mean, everybody wants to win, it's serious - [but] I just want him to go represent his country and go have fun with his countrymen. Like, just have fun. Try stuff, and yeah, everyone wants to win this tournament, but what is it? Three, four games? «I just want him to go out there and have some fun. And come back and hopefully hanging out with his buddies at that tournament will rejuvenize his whole demeanour. «Like today I don't know, he had some fun. He's got to understand that pressure is fun sometimes.» - Rick Tocchet <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/imacSportsnet/status/1889120245748576720'> </a></blockquote></div> His opportunity to start to do just that is Wednesday, when Sweden plays Canada.