The 4 Nations Face-Off starts Wednesday, February 12, when Canada takes on Sweden. The game will feature two Canucks as Pettersson will take on Tocchet, who is an assistant coach for Team Canada. Puck drop is scheduled for 5 pm PT and can viewed on Sportsnet.

It was shaping up as the great escape for Elias Pettersson. With his NHL point production plummeting, his once dominant multi-layered game in the doldrums and his confidence at an all-time low, joining his Swedish countrymen in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament this week was going to be the elixir for the Vancouver Canucks centre.

Are the Vancouver Canucks on the verge of trading away yet another star forward in season? Where there’s smoke there’s fire is how the old saying goes and, although no one can spot a fire just yet, there does appear to be an ever increasing amount of smoke around Vancouver Canucks star forward Elias Pettersson.