Pettersson says he played like 'shit' the last few months, confirms knee injury

Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson admits he's ready for a much-needed summer reset after a gruelling season that was filled with drama, inconsistent play, and a nagging injury.

"It will be nice to get a break from everything," Pettersson said Thursday, per TSN's Farhan Lalji. "It's been a very noisy season in terms of the contract and how shit I've been the last few months."

Pettersson confirmed that he had been dealing with a knee injury since January. The ailment will not require surgery, though.

It's unclear exactly when Pettersson sustained the injury. He struggled down the stretch, and there's a noticeable discrepancy in his production before and after the All-Star break.

Pettersson's struggles continued into the postseason, where he only managed one goal and five assists in 13 games prior to Vancouver's second-round exit at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers. His six points were the seventh most on the team.

Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet called out Pettersson after Game 4 of Round 2, noting that the star Swede was among the team's passengers.

Pettersson signed an eight-year, $92.8-million extension in March. His $11.6-million cap hit makes him the Canucks' highest-paid player.