Elias Pettersson had one of the best years a high-end NHL prospect could have, winning multiple awards in the Swedish Elite League (SEL).

The fifth overall draft pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft was crowned the league’s top offensive player, its top rookie and its playoff MVP.

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All told, it was a legendary season, and his work has left Canucks fans salivating while they imagine Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat flying down the ice, leading Vancouver’s forward group for years to come.

It’s just not known if that’ll be this coming year or not.

After his sensational season in Sweden, Pettersson was selected to represent Sweden at the World Championships. He and fellow Canuck Anders Nilsson won gold medals for their country in Copenhagen, Denmark.

And while Pettersson started the tournament off strong, chipping in three points in five games and looking dangerous on many of his shifts, his time in Denmark came to an unfortunate end. 

The phenom cracked his thumb, forcing him out of the championship, as he watched from the sidelines (and his hospital bed, as he’s already undergone successful surgery) as his countrymen brought home gold.

Did the injury derail his plans for next year? It seems unlikely, but it’s a remote possibility.

While some insiders were reporting that Pettersson was ready to sign with the Canucks following the Worlds, that hasn’t come to fruition yet.

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There was no concrete plan for Pettersson this coming year, but team president Trevor Linden and general manager Jim Benning have been singing the prospect’s praises and the team has been vigorously tweeting about his successes for most of the year. They’ve also been buying ad space on billboards and in digital form to promote him.

So yeah, the odds he plays for the Canucks this year are pretty high.

It’s often said that the best way to ruin a prospect is to ruin him by rushing him to the bigs too early. But considering that the AHL, the league directly below the NHL, is about the same level of play as the SEL, there would be little to no benefit in stuffing him down in Utica.

So, it’s the NHL or another season in the SEL for Pettersson. And let’s face it, there’s not a ton left for the youngster to accomplish in Sweden. He’ll sign with the Canucks in the coming days and it’ll be the right call.