If the Canucks Believe in Pettersson, They Have a Funny Way of Showing It
Pettersson needs confidence. The Canucks aren't providing it.
Elias Pettersson’s feud with J.T. Miller has been covered to death. It’s something I take partial responsibility for, considering I published at least a dozen stories on the subject last season.
Unfortunately for those tired of hearing about the drama, this is yet another article about it. The incident is a key aspect of Pettersson’s decline and is worth dissecting. Fortunately, I’m not going to try and rehash the past yet again, but instead will look to the future.
The details of everything that happened between Miller and Pettersson haven’t been officially confirmed, and they may never be. Frankly, they don’t matter a ton for the Canucks as a hockey club. The dust has settled, and the team must now deal with what’s left.
Pettersson shoulders an immense amount of responsibility going forward. The Canucks’ short-term fortunes rest largely in his hands and if he doesn’t rebound to all-star form, it’s quite possible it leads to Quinn Hughes leaving and this era coming to an abrupt and disappointing end.
With that in mind, it’s logical the Canucks would do anything to help Pettersson get his swagger back before next season. It makes sense that management would support him in all facets and help build back his confidence.
But that’s not what’s happened so far. Instead, management took an intriguing approach in their end-of-season media availabilities, and it feels misguided.
What’s with the harsh tone?
If you just read the end-of-season quotes from management, you might think Miller was still on the team and Pettersson got traded.
While it’s expected Canucks staff would stay professional and not slander Miller after his departure, the messaging in press conferences has been overwhelmingly glowing of the now-New York Ranger.
That’s not newsworthy in a vacuum, but it does raise eyebrows when Pettersson didn’t get the same treatment.
Considering the two players had differences that extended away from the ice, the full-throated defence of Miller’s play style and character doesn’t seem ideal for getting the most from Pettersson.
Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford started his end-of-season monologue by discussing the “unfortunate incident” at length. When asked for more details on the season-defining spat, Rutherford praised Miller’s character but didn’t offer Pettersson the same compliments.
“I do think, in a lot of ways, J.T. tried hard to help fix the situation,” said the 76-year-old in his response.
“It wasn’t just about trading [Miller], all options were on the table. I have the utmost respect for J.T. as a person and a player. I wish him well.”
He didn’t mention Pettersson by name in that answer, instead focusing solely on Miller. When asked about the Swedish star in a different question later, he was honest about his frustrations.
“He’s going to have to buy into being a complete player. He’s going to have to buy into working hard,” said Rutherford about Pettersson.
Rutherford wasn’t the only Canucks executive to laud Miller or be critical of Pettersson when speaking to reporters.
“When you move away from a player [like] J.T. Miller, probably one of the better shutdown forwards in the league and hard to play against, as Jim said, you don’t replace him,” said GM Patrik Allvin.
Allvin also opted not to shut down the trade rumours surrounding Pettersson, instead saying he’d like to keep his options open. The quote caused a mini-frenzy in Vancouver with several local media outlets running articles on it, which only increased the spotlight on Pettersson.
Former head coach Rick Tocchet continued along similar lines at his final press conference.
“I’m a J.T. Miller fan,” said Tocchet before adding “and Petey.”
He would go on to say things like, “Would I not want J.T. Miller in my lineup? 100%” and “I think [Pettersson will] tell you that his preparation has to get better. There's no secret, if you want to be a great player, you have to prepare, almost to that obsessive type of preparation…He's got to practice better.”
There were positive comments about Pettersson (including Allvin saying they believe he’s “more than capable” of returning to form) and nothing wrong with any of the specific quotes, but this overall messaging doesn’t feel like the ideal approach to get the best from Pettersson, who seems to be more sensitive.
Even if management feels Pettersson was the driving force behind the feud spiralling out of control, he’s the one still on the team. You need this player to bounce back, and thus, your feelings about the situation don’t matter.
Understandably, management is frustrated with Pettersson, and perhaps they feel this messaging is the best way to motivate him for next year. But of all the ways to address what happened last year, this doesn’t seem like the right one.
Adam Foote’s fresh perspective
Adam Foote deserves some credit. Since taking over as the new head coach, he’s approached the situation with a different outlook. Foote has been very positive when speaking about Pettersson and the two seemingly have a good relationship.
Pettersson flew back to Vancouver to meet with Foote this summer. The two had dinner together and went golfing with teammates Hughes and Thatcher Demko.
“We’re going to turn the page on what happened the last few years with, you know the relationship he had, I’m not going to talk about it, with Miller and things like that,” said Foote about Pettersson on Sportsnet 650’s Halford & Brough earlier this month.
“I think he needs to feel that support…I want to keep it simple with him and just [communicate] what he needs to bring and help him figure that out…I'm just there to support him, communicate with him. He’ll know the non-negotiables.”
It’s an encouraging message and a different tone than what’s been coming from Canucks brass recently. It’s a positive first step to getting Pettersson back on track, a task that will be one of Foote’s main priorities over the next 12 months.
Few players throughout NHL history have started their careers like Pettersson, reaching such incredible heights before dropping off so drastically with no clear explanation. There’s no blueprint to fix this relatively unique situation. But for a player who, at his best, oozes confidence but has struggled to find that swagger, the approach taken by management in the media seems strange.
At the end of the day, what management does or doesn’t say should have little effect on Pettersson’s play next season. There are other factors which are much more important, and by all accounts, he’s having a strong summer, working to get in shape for training camp.
I hope the club made the right decision in keeping him. He's going to have a lot of pressure on his shoulders next season.
Great Job Noah!