Had he remained as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, Rick Tocchet`s plan included a summer visit to Sweden to spend time with Elias Pettersson. The goal was to strengthen their rapport and outline expectations for the upcoming season.
Tocchet`s recent decision to leave prevented a scenario where the team might have been forced to choose between the coach and the player whose fitness level and underwhelming performance were significant factors contributing to the team`s struggles.
Nevertheless, Tocchet had expressed a willingness to work with Pettersson. Although the private nature of the center makes his thoughts difficult to gauge, there`s a belief that Pettersson maintained respect for the coach and is determined to perform better next year.
While Pettersson wasn`t the direct cause of Tocchet`s departure, the dissatisfaction the coaching staff felt towards the Canucks` highest-paid player means the expectation for Pettersson to arrive prepared and perform under a new coach next season will not lessen.
It wasn`t just J.T. Miller; other players on the team were also disappointed with Pettersson. He faces the task of earning back considerable trust if he intends to complete his eight-year, $92.8 million contract in Vancouver. As General Manager Patrik Allvin indicated at his season-ending press conference two weeks prior, “I would be, I guess, stupid not to keep my options open,” suggesting that a trade involving Pettersson before July 1 remains a possibility. This outcome is neither probable nor the team`s preferred direction, but then again, neither was a trade involving Miller expected.
Similarly, Tocchet`s choice to leave was also unexpected.
Tristan Blackwood