Player Discussion Elias Pettersson - A Forward Who Scores

[Hodgy]

Look, you started this argument with me 6 months ago over my statement that I would be surprised if he wasn't injured. You repeatedly argued, over and over again with me, about this statement.

Our initial argument regarding Pettersson started because I took exception to you dismissing criticism of Pettersson's play as being based on hockey card stats. The injury part flowed from that I as I recall it.

But in any event, my position has been pretty clear, and I have repeatedly stated it for you. The record is clearly there and you can search the post history if you'd like. As I've said a million times, my position is that on a balance of probabilities I think that an injury is not the predominate or primary reason for Pettersson's play. I've never been super equivocal on this whole thing because its pretty obvious that no one really knows what is causing Pettersson's poor play, but I find the whole thing fascinating because there is lots of evidence that may or may not be relevant in assessing what is causing Pettersson's poor play. And a lot of my posts have been discussing and weighing this evidence.

But I've never unequivocally stated that there wasn't an injury or that there couldn't be an injury. In fact I am on the record recognizing that he could be have been injured before he confirmed he actually was injured. And even in my initial post to you where I doubted he was injured I started that post with "I don't know" which was intended to communicate my uncertainty.

Either I am to believe that you actually agreed with me the entire time that you were arguing with me that yes, he was injured last year and yes, it effected his play to some unknown degree, and you just wanted to endlessly argue with me about it anyways and couldn't bring yourself to point out that you actually agreed with what I was saying, or you changed your opinion and are denying that you did.

This is an oversimplification of the issue and lacks nuance. Yes, you initially suggested that he may be injured, and yes, I expressed doubt initially that that may be the case. You were obviously correct that he was injured, but again, I've always recognized that he might have been injured, my point or analysis has generally been around the degree to which any injury may be causing Pettersson's poor play.

Given that you literally started this argument over me saying I thought he was injured, continued again and again on that topic despite me repeatedly and extremely clearly outlining my position that an injury last year was only one factor, unranked in order of significance and not the only reason for his play, and that you also said you found it unbelievable that I would think he was injured in the face of your Boudreau quote, I think you've changed your opinion.

You are again misunderstanding my Boudreau comment despite me already communicating to you this misunderstanding. The "unbelievable" part was disregarding Boudreau's evidence, and not that I thought it unbelievable that Pettersson could be injured.

Frankly, if that's not the case it's so much worse. The idea that you actually also thought he was injured the whole time and it was some amount of a factor in his slump, and just decided to start argument after argument with me over my opinion that he was injured is nauseating and so much worse than the alternative, and definitely not going to continue anymore.

The mere fact of whether he was injured has never been the crux of this argument. Again, you are oversimplifying this.

I am not sure why we have been arguing this long about this. I don't think its as simple as you are making it out to me, and I'm certainly not foolish enough to blame it solely on you.

 

[beachcomber]

Most of the first 10 games looked exactly the same to me.

There were a couple games early on the road where he showed a pulse but other than that it was pretty much all terrible. I actually thought the 2 or 3 games immediately before the LA game were some of his absolute worst. I counted 3 times in the Anaheim game alone where he was favoured to win a puck race and just pulled up and quit skating and conceded possession. Then suddenly in the next game he was hustling those out. It was like a switch flicked.

If it is all between his ears at this point then I think they should seriously think about moving him. I would venture to guess they already have had internal discussions about that. He just comes off as a headcase and I don't think he's a player that will move the needle in the playoffs. I'd love to be wrong but there is just something that has been really amiss with him since last January. He has had nothing but excellent coaching which includes the Sedins at his side since day one and he still is in some kind of funk. Are there issues in the dressing room which have become intractable at this point?

 

[RooBicks]

If it is all between his ears at this point then I think they should seriously think about moving him. I would venture to guess they already have had internal discussions about that. He just comes off as a headcase and I don't think he's a player that will move the needle in the playoffs. I'd love to be wrong but there is just something that has been really amiss with him since last January. He has had nothing but excellent coaching which includes the Sedins at his side since day one and he still is in some kind of funk.

Looked great last night, a bright spot among some real ugliness. Weird time to be jumping on this wagon. We'll see.