reading that interview, i'd say that whatever else is going on, there is a dose of miscommunication, a dose of paranoia and a dose of negativity on the player's part, all playing into the mix. one thing that is hard to quantify is the clash of cultures in terms of the kind of "militaristic" upbeat outlook that pro athletes in north america adopt because it is infused in them from the time they are kids. tryamkin obviously doesn't speak in pro-sport 101 platitudes and seems to express levels of self doubt, uncertainty and distrust that no pro athlete in north america would express because they understand the expectations and the need to be relentlessly positive and optimistic.
so maybe he thinks it's all a little hokey and too much. and by returning home he gets a great shot at the olympics is the nhl guys don't come, he spends a year in the familiar, gets paid well, and maximizes his bargaining power to come back.
lost in all this is the canucks say they gave him a qualifying offer that was competitive for an rfa in his shoes. but he's not a normal rfa. he has options that make him a kind of ufa-hybrid.
