But if the two Swedes continue to display the chemistry that helped them combine for six goals and nine points in two wins against the Winnipeg Jets prospects over the weekend, it might be hard to keep Dahlen out of the lineup too.
"It's a little bit of a head start, these two games," said Dahlen, who finished with three goals (including the game-winner) and two assists in a 6-4 victory on Sunday.
As impressive as Dahlen and Pettersson looked together at the Young Stars Classic, and as good as they were combining for 85 points on the same line for Timra IK in the Sweden's second-tier Allsvenskan league in 2016-17, they were also solid apart last season.
Pettersson, 19, led the Swedish Hockey League with 56 points (24 goals, 32 assists) in 44 games, passed Kent Nilsson for the most points by a junior-age player and was named MVP in the regular season and playoffs after leading Vaxjo to the SHL championship.
But he seemed even more impressed with the season Dahlen had with Timra IK.
The 20-year-old had 44 points (23 goals, 21 assists) in 44 games in the regular season, and 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 10 playoff games to help his team earn a promotion back to the SHL. Dahlen finished as the top forward and league MVP.
"It's easy to talk about my season more because I broke some records, but I didn't take a team up," Pettersson said. "His season was impressive, to stay in Timra and help them move up."
Dahlen said he had lots of offers to move up to the SHL on his own during the season, including the chance to play with Pettersson, who tried to talk him into making the jump.
"It meant a lot more to me to go up with Timra then it would have to play in the top league, and I grew as a leader and a human and also as a player a lot, took a lot of responsibility," Dahlen said. "I think I gained a lot more than if I would have gone to the top league."
Last season didn't start nearly as well for Dahlen, who was picked in the second round (No. 42) of the 2016 NHL Draft by the Ottawa Senators and acquired by Vancouver for forward Alexandre Burrows at the 2017 NHL Trade Deadline. Dahlen was diagnosed with mononucleosis on the eve of the Young Stars Classic that forced him to miss a month. He struggled mentally and physically when he returned and joined Utica of the American Hockey League.
Dahlen asked to go home, and the Canucks granted his request. When he returned to Utica after leading Timra IK back to the SHL, coach Trent Cull saw a different player.
"We didn't know the real Jonathan to that point," Cull said. "When he came back his body had changed, and he had confidence and he impressed us."
Dahlen had one goal and one assist in two AHL games late in the season, and one assist in four playoff games. He's leaned on his dad, Ulf Dahlen, who played 966 NHL games over 14 seasons, for help with the transition.
"You have to play a lot faster when you are here," Dahlen said.
Like Pettersson (6-foot-2, 161 pounds), Dahlen (5-11, 176) isn't worried about size.
"We both have I think like over 160, 170 games against men," Dahlen said. "Now it's a smaller rink and faster, bigger D, so of course we are going to get caught more than we do in Sweden, where we have a lot more space. But that's just part of the game. It's just a fun test."
