Idk if that's the case tbh, I think the knock was more finish and beef with Tocchet. I think the other factor there is that the Canucks just kind of managed assets poorly and traded for or signed a bunch of guys that pushed him out of a spot (Mikheyev, Joshua, Garland, Sutter, Blueger).
Say what you will about the NHL's real time stats, but Podkolzin has lead the Canucks in Hits for, hits taken, and blocked shots per 60 are among the highest on the Canucks for his entire tenure - doesn't speak to a lack of willingness to go to hard areas.
His bed with Tocchet is strange to me, he does kind of seem like a Tocchet guy, so... That's a red flag to me. But we'll see how she goes.