Canucks’ Elias Pettersson has become that rare diligent, dedicated, deadly five-tool player

A five-tool player in Major League Baseball is extremely rare.

The combination of hitting, hitting for power, running, fielding and throwing are attributes of elite athletes, who can take their games to another level and maintain a level of production consistency.

A five-tool player in the National Hockey League is just as rare.

The combination of skating, shooting, playmaking, scoring and defensive diligence is seldom found in a league where scoring is soaring with 6.4 combined goals by teams per game — the highest since 1995-96. 

Piling up points often comes with neglecting the tough stuff. It’s back-pressure pursuit and blocking shots that separates the good from the great.