I really don’t think if Pettersson is traded it is because of the coach or the system that is played.
I think it is because the franchise has seen a player disappear for stretches at a time—at the worst possible time.
It’s happened under different coaches too. Green and Tocchet. And it probably would’ve happened eventually under Boudreau too. And there’s a good chance it might happen again under a future coach.
A player’s ultimate potential is only worth as much as their consistency in deploying it. For Vancouver, I think they’ve nearly seen enough to know that they can’t count on him to perform when it matters.
Not too sure about coaching matters. Green and Tocchet have similar systems, it has to do with the game they played and roles they were given.
Bruce was much more savvy in coaching super star players.
For Tocchet playing with a super star or being the 3rd assistant to the head coach is different than being the top dog.
Bruce broke EP out of his "slump" but it does show that EP has a "type" he plays best for. Remember Crosby and McDavid more recently, got their choice of coach and the other fired. That isn't saying Petey is at that level but just that high level players like to play the game that got them into the league, as a high draft pick and a large contract.
All this Allvin speak of "grow up", "maturity" and such, were he and his other 3 GM's not aware when they pressured him to sign before the end of the season? They didn't now what was evidently well known by fans, media and players that visited for a few games knew, the rift?
IMO the maturity speak is covering their asses for making a big mistake in thinking they could OWN him once he was signed. Since that contract signing it has been used as a whip instead of a carrot. Before signing the way he was playing it was fear that he might decide to do what he had said for years, he wanted to play in the playoffs not just once or twice and he wanted to play for the cup. Once signed it became, "where are you going to go, your signed".
That contract is used in many conversations as a weapon against him.
Again, he was an RFA, they didn't have to give him that much money and he couldn't really hold out for that much unless he really wanted to be traded but then he wouldn't have signed or there would have been a Necas type contract.
Surely you remember the the talk around the signing, a threatened trade across the continent to play for a harsher task master, the deadline to sign. These were not EP's agent making demands so I don't put any blame on Pettersson for that contract, it's all on Allvin and the other 3 lemmings, er GMs'.
IMO if Boudreau had that defence they would have done even better than Tocchet, BB worked to make players better together, Tocchet wants plug and play players, you play this way or don't play, "you will perform and you will like it" as the super star has to dig a ditches by hand. Grunts and grinders, plug and play. Tocchet,"you don't teach in the NHL, that is what the AHL is for" that in its self says he can't teach or coach high skilled players and never has successfully.
I don't blame either JT Miller or EP for the current situation, their play is dictated by the coach, his time, deployment, instructions on system to play maybe even "I can't fire you but I can get your friends".
Both Miller and EP have paid in their dues here, the team isn't close to a cup and Miller's career is vanishing and the pressure for both to perform at career best levels goes up daily.
There is always a question of when is it too late?