Player Discussion Elias Pettersson Talk | Also Chiropractors, the Medical Staff, and You

[Bertuzzzi44]

delete

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

Shouldn’t have traded Kuz

They couldn't afford his cap hit anymore.

What do you guys think about the theory that Rick Tocchett’s system hinders Elias Pettersson? When Bruce was behind the bench, Petey thrived offensively and had confidence. He looks like a different player since last January.

There's merit to that theory.

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

What scares me right now is that he is really a perennial 75-85 point player that had an outlier 100 point season, and he got paid under the assumption that he would develop further into the 110-120 point range.

Make no mistake, even at 75 points he is a solid player. But that would rightfully put him in the $8.5-9 million per range, and right now he's making 35-40% more than that. Wasted space. You pair that with the OEL buyout for the next few years, and that's a top 6 forward and top 4 defenceman we can't afford to add.

Worst scenario is that he never even regains his PPG form due to injury, and now we have a boat anchor contract that will put the nail in the coffin for many seasons to come.

Not just about the points, what’s more concerning is his 5-on-5 play, big difference in 85 points from O’Rielly/Kopitar/Stone/Barkov vs 85 points from Marner/Petey/Nylander/Drouin

 

[Ernie]

What do you guys think about the theory that Rick Tocchett’s system hinders Elias Pettersson? When Bruce was behind the bench, Petey thrived offensively and had confidence. He looks like a different player since last January.

There are probably a few factors but the eye test says he's got a serious confidence problem right now with the puck on his stick. He's been involved in the play but won't shoot the puck and fumbles his chances very often. He needs to get his mojo back. There are a handful of point blank chances he's had where he's atypically missed the net - the discourse would be much different right now if he had potted those 2-3 goals.

I wouldn't be surprised if the system has limited him some, but he also seems to have gotten a serious case of the yips that have gone to his head. He's not getting points on the powerplay either but from what I've noticed Miller is the guy who keeps turning over pucks, and DeBrusk hasn't really gelled either.

Aside from big goal in game 1 (which the goalie should have had), Miller has been pretty crap so far as well, but isn't getting much attention.

 

[Ernie]

Is there something about being Swedish that brings out the absolute dumbest takes on players?

I remember the Sedins before 2011 were a great litmus test for hockey intelligence. We had a fairly large minority of posters going on and on calling them the sisters, saying they don't care, famously suggesting we let them walk so we can sign Cammalleri and Gaborik in 2009, etc etc.

Pettersson has been struggling, he's clearly really hard on himself, his game is based on precision and instincts, and when he gets down on himself his body language can sag. These are all true.

Here's another thing that is true. There are 15 (FIFTEEN) active players in the NHL who are above a point per game for their entire career and one of them is our 25 year old (none of them are younger than he is) center who will likely win a selke or two in his career.

Is he perfect? No, he's still figuring things out. Christ, he's had a better career than Datsyuk had had by this age and it's not particularly close. Do you guys think that maybe, just maybe, we could remember he's human and let him work his way through the wobbles?

He's an absolute superstar who is struggling, but he'll figure it out and likely go on to be the best forward we have had in our franchise history. And there is a plurality who won't enjoy much of this gift and then, if he magically wins the Hart and we win the cup or whatever you 'need' him to do to justify his contract, there will be mass amnesia about the dumb takes.

Just as there were about the 'trade him' takes about him in 2021 just before he blew up into a hundred point two-way beast, or about Hughes in 2021, etc etc.

Can we just acknowledge he's struggling without the histrionics about how he clearly doesn't give a shit, or will be bought out, or blah blah blah.

And I want to reiterate to the guy whose whole schtick is shit talking Petey and said he'll be bought out by 2028. Want to bet $500.00? I'm happy to bet a couple grand if you like, not because I'm a gambler (I'm not), but because free money is free money.

If you're not willing to take that bet, then you clearly don't believe your own rhetoric so maybe chill out a bit.

There's always a whipping boy. If you'd asked people around here whether they thought Boeser could pot 40 goals last season, they'd have run you off the forum.

As you mentioned, Hughes has taken his turn, Miller has taken his turn, virtually every player has taken their turn as a whipping boy. It's fine to point out and discuss when a player is off his game, but the vitriol is ridiculous, particularly when people start declaring that these professional athletes are somehow bad people.

 

[MS]

It's far more likely a player of Pettersson's caliber and career so far, bounces back then falls off completely.

No argument, and I've said this a bunch of times.

But the question is when? Next week? Past the mid-point of the season with us 5 points out of the playoffs? Next year after he's been the main contributor to blowing another year of our (small) window?

Only after he's traded to a new team/new city?

I think the bolded is absolutely out to lunch.

He's throwing a few hits but he has been absolutely allergic to cutting into the hard areas of the ice where he might take contact, when he has the time/space/opportunity to make a play.

That play in the first period of the last game where he had a half-step on the defender ... and then skated into the corner and took a nothing shot from the goal line has been the norm for a long time now. He's been a pure perimeter player and you can't be a superstar or generate superstar results when you're a pure perimeter player. You need to cut to the middle on the rush, need to go to the paint for dirty points in contained situations.

 

[TruGr1t]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1846943377142829552

 

[Ernie]

What scares me right now is that he is really a perennial 75-85 point player that had an outlier 100 point season, and he got paid under the assumption that he would develop further into the 110-120 point range.

Make no mistake, even at 75 points he is a solid player. But that would rightfully put him in the $8.5-9 million per range, and right now he's making 35-40% more than that. Wasted space. You pair that with the OEL buyout for the next few years, and that's a top 6 forward and top 4 defenceman we can't afford to add.

He didn't get Draisatl money. 100 points is the new point per game with the level of increased scoring we've seen so he should be expected to get near to that.

 

[MS]

There's merit to that theory.

Pettersson scored 110 points in his first 82 games under Rick Tocchet. Literally the most productive 82-game segment of his career.

I don't buy the notion that Tocchet somehow caused him to turn into a 40-point pumpkin after he'd been excelling under him for over a year already.

 

[Peen]

The other thing here is that people seem to be coddling this player.

We all know what Petey looks like when he's going. He's flying in transition and getting past players with ease. So much rush offense. He's moving like crazy on the PP w/ confidence to attack.

I don't think it's worth being like "he's back" "he was marginally better" "he's shown some life getting in on the forecheck" "he's defending well" (He always does)

It's a different worry. Like EP / Miller have both not been driving anything these first few games but one of them just missed pre-season and Hansen just had a hit two weeks ago talking about how that impacts a player. And Miller wasn't a problem playing through shit in the playoffs. He's going to get back into form pretty quickly.

Still don't think there's much point deliberating about all this, especially if there's some sensitivity involved. I said he needed to hit the ground running to avoid the discourse, but I really don't think it's worth getting into until 20-25 games into the season.