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“I’m working on it and it’s not a big deal,” shrugged Pettersson.

That has become his early calling card. He’s not a quote machine and prefers to let his play do the talking. But it’s fair to wonder if he can thrive offensively and not be a defensive liability.

“You’ve got to be a little bit quicker,” said Canucks coach Travis Green. “I find in Europe, you’re a little more passive in keeping them (opposition) on the outside because the ice is so big. Smart players adapt. It’s going to be an adjustment for him (at centre), but it’s best to do it now than in three weeks.”

There’s seldom a sure thing in any draft, but the Canucks were so high on Pettersson that they passed on centres Cody Glass (No. 6, Vegas), Casey Mittelstadt (No. 8, Buffalo), Michael Rasmussen (No. 9, Detroit) and Gabriel Valardi (No. 11, Los Angeles).

“If he was there at No. 5, we were going to draft him,” said Benning. “We knew he has a special skill set and felt with the wingers we had in our system, a playmaker was a need. He had the vision and with his release from the half wall — he could really rip it — it was the (draft) separation.”

Still, Benning pondered a swap of first-round picks with Buffalo (eighth overall) and Vegas to add an additional later pick. The Golden Knights liked Glass, but weren’t sure what the Canucks were going to do. And with the New York Rangers getting the seventh selection, picking eighth didn’t ensure Benning would land Pettersson. Either did the sixth pick, because Vegas could have had a change of heart.

“I didn’t want to risk not getting Elias and didn’t want to draft too far down — that’s where you get in trouble,” recalled Benning. “My philosophy was you just take him.”

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