Elias Pettersson is a defensive defenseman with strong skating ability, making him a nightmare to attack in one-on-one situations. He has a high level IQ, great physical attributes, and solid mobility that allow him to maintain high-end gap control and angle opponents away from the center lanes to keep them to the perimeter. He uses his body to his advantage, boxing players out and driving them into the boards to separate them from the puck. He is the perfect player to have out on the ice in a close game because you know he’s going to do his best to shut down the opponents. He’s an adequate distributor, making quality passes when he has time and space to hit his teammates in stride, and has no issues waiting out his opponents to allow a lane to present itself. His puck skills will be the biggest concern for NHL scouts, as they are average at best. While he didn’t have any glaring issues at the men’s level in Sweden, if he doesn’t develop them, the NHL competition will eat him alive. His offensive impact at the next level may be negligible, but his defensive impacts and ability to frustrate the opposition by shutting down their best players will be a big selling point to whoever drafts him. He can be a multi-situational player, playing tough five-on-five minutes against the opposition’s top players and playing a big role on the penalty kill. His style of game isn’t flashy and may be tough for some to appreciate because he won’t be a regular on the scoresheet, but he the type of defender you need on your team so the offensive-minded players can do their thing without the fear of wondering if they’ve got backup. He will be a low ceiling player, but he’s a safe bet to make the NHL in some capacity.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide