Canucks' Elias Pettersson: Unlikely to play Friday

Pettersson (knee) is not expected to be in Friday's lineup versus the Sabres, according to Canucks coach Travis Green.

Just when it appeared that Pettersson would be greenlit to play in the next contest, Green suggests that the stud center will need more time to recover from an injury that's already kept him out of four games. This can't be an easy decision for the Canucks. The team is struggling for direction in the Pacific Division and faces long odds (30.9 percent) of securing a playoff berth, but on the other hand, the Canucks need to handle the situation with the utmost care since EP40 has become the face of the franchise as the owner of 42 points (22 goals, 20 assists) through 38 games.