You echo what most fans tell me at the game and talk in the beer league dressing rooms. Bolded gives Canucks fans Bure flashbacks (not nearly the same skill but playing like they don't want to be here is concerning).
You just want Pettersson to commit to the team and Tocchet's coaching philosophy. All of this can easily be avoided for the Canucks if Pettersson would just commit more to the team and system. Fans would be won over by a passionate compete level and accept the mistakes. Miller would get off his back (probably already has) and the team could compete with most in the West.
yep this is the whole issue and where it stems from. Nothing likely would have ever happened if he just stepped up and was one of the best players and showed he's all in said he wanted to be a Canuck and assumed leadership. He's fine defensively and in the system
Instead I've watched and listened to Pettersson play possum to management and his teammates about wanting to go forward with them for over a year using phrases like a "i want to play for a winner" rejecting talks and commitment for a long term contract. Even after JR and PA made every move to make him happy and be a centre piece of the team and get it done he kept stringing it along to the point of trade threats and was guarded with media
So they get it done everyone is excited relieved and then "knee tendinitis" that started in January hurting his play as well as expectations and since he has
69-16-33-49 +4
And ok sure he played them for his contract that's just business and he has had injury issues of some sort but it doesn't look good when you play worse as the ink dries the stakes go up and end the year with excuses. Then come in this year and play like someone who spent the summer at the beach and require extra work to get up to speed.
I mean why would Miller ride his ass anymore if he's better than him? Pettersson could just tell him to worry about his own play? Certainly Tocchet wouldn't be making comments about maturity preparation video games and going to the net or the Allvin interview using similar context and even more about off ice work prep and dealing with expectations.
From a purely asset based stand point i would move Miller. Older by almost 6yrs and his reputed "over the top" personality that is being bantered but if i'm having to move Miller because he's "hot headed" (buddies now with Boeser who used to be buddies with Pettersson? is he really that bad then?) where does that leave the situation?
I've watched Hughes unwilling to pass to Pettersson on the PP? If the best option is gone in Miller what is left? Trade the guy who took a discount for a guy who took the team to the wall for his bag and then sucked when the very team he was using "want to win" as his threat goes on to disappear?
Make no mistake i don't care if he threw one hit. If Kucherov Point Kane etc can win cups it's irrelevant. Just produce be tough and hard to stop ..that's the best thing he can do. He's not built to be a hammer
Trade Miller then a happy Pettersson but for how long? Seems this immaturity has had ground swell for some time now. I've heard going back to the Horvat days that there were issues with cliques line mate requests and buy in. Horvat was considered a dead beat captain because he said nothing to hold people accountable the team was a loser and then no one listened to him at all eventually. Travis Green, Bruce Boudreau on and on we go. What next Tocchet and Miller scapegoats for being too 'hard" I mean why push anyone in a team sport that seems to need a little right?
Is he being the better teammate by playing through it. Walking out on media. Leading the forwards or team in scoring? How will he fare getting the McDavid MacKinnon Eichel match ups or who will we blame when Miller is gone and he cant get the PP going a key faceoff win and we lack top end physical presence to help him out?
Pettersson could have made most of it go away but nah i don't like him is a reason too. Forget Demko Hughes Boeser the A on the jersey and the young Swedes he's supposed to be a role model for. He'll play better when they get rid of Miller is the belief?
