Prospect Update: Lucas Pettersson

By Thomas Harrington

Drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, forward Lucas Pettersson played in the J20 Nationell, the HockeyAllsvenskan, and the SHL this past season.

In the J20Nationell, Pettersson played in eight games for MoDo Hockey J20 and scored four goals and eight points. In the HockeyAllsvenskan, he played in 26 games for Ostersunds IK and scored nine goals and 19 points. Despite playing in so few games for Ostersunds, Pettersson finished third in goals and tied for fourth in points on the team. In the SHL, he played for 29 games for MoDo Hockey and recorded one assist. Pettersson rarely spent long in any of those leagues, as he was constantly moved from one team to the next. In the SHL, he was primarily used on the fourth line or as the team’s extra forward, while he was given a much more significant role in the HockeyAllsvenskan.

Pettersson is a smart, two-way center who plays well at both ends of the ice. He’s a good skater who can score, but doesn’t have game-breaking offensive abilities. Instead, he plays a more well-rounded game that could translate into him becoming a second or third line center in the NHL someday. Pettersson says he models his game after former Duck William Karlsson.

Pettersson will be playing for Brynas IF in the SHL next season. He’ll be joined by fellow Anaheim prospect Damian Clara and former Duck Jakob Silfverberg. He may also see some time in the HockeyAllsvenskan, but given he played more in the SHL this past season, I expect him to play most, if not all, of the season in the SHL.

I have a few expectations for Pettersson for this coming season. Over the past two seasons, he has played in 34 SHL games and recorded one assist. My first expectation for him will be to put up significantly more points than that. He doesn’t need to instantly become one of his team’s top offensive threats, but he does need to start showing some offensive production in one of the top leagues in the world. Second, for him to spend as little time as possible in the HockeyAllsvenskan. It’s great that he played in more games in the SHL last season, now he needs to play in significantly more games in the SHL. Finally, for him to represent Sweden at the World Junior Championships. He just missed the cut last year, and it would be great for Pettersson’s development to represent them this year.

Pettersson is still several years away from the NHL. He recently signed a two-year deal with Brynas and will play with them for at least one season, if not both. Pettersson will have the option to come to North America after this year, but I think it more likely he spends both years in the SHL and comes to North America in the 2027-2028 season. He should be with the Gulls that year, and if he plays well enough, could have a chance to make his NHL debut the following season.

Pettersson signed his entry-level deal with the Ducks in June. It won’t begin until he comes to North America and will run for three years. He’ll be a restricted free agent when it ends. Despite his low level of production in the SHL this past season, the Ducks seem very excited about Pettersson as a prospect. As long as he is given more of an opportunity with his new team, he should have a much stronger season and further develop his game. Assuming he can then translate that to the AHL and eventually NHL, it seems very likely that the Ducks will re-sign him when his entry-level deal expires.

The next prospect update will be on forward Ethan Procyszyn.

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September 7th, 2025