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Sekeres and Price: Matt Sekeres on the disjointedness between management and coaches and between the leadership group of Bo Horvat and J.T. Miller.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
“Jim Rutherford and his front office are interested in acquiring good players. Either way, the ghost of Loui Eriksson is here to stay. This team needs architecture and not finger painting.
Jeff Patterson made a great point yesterday as we discussed Bruce Boudreau’s comments Tuesday, separating himself from his players. As Jeff said, management has been doing that since last year. Heck, president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford has even called the team, quote, the “Canucks” as opposed to we.
So when Boudreau tells reports to ask the players about their will to win, retorting, “you’re talking to the wrong guy, I want to win every game,” you know the divisions are deep. And all of this stems from above, chairman Franciso Aquillini. Hired Boudreau personally before hiring Rutherford. So you got managers who inherited a coach they don’t want. A coach who knows bloody hell that he isn’t supported by his superiors. Ass backwards. It’s the Canucks way.
But the disjointedness goes beyond the coach and management. As some of us tried to tell you last year, a leadership group with Bo Horvat & J.T. Miller was bound to fail. Not only are they two vastly different personalities, but you’ve got an alternate captain who wants to compete for authority and disciples with the established dressing room later.
Horvat at times has looked and sounded like a leader whose been undermined. Though there has been more than willing to bring fire and emotion in hopes of dragging teammates into his camp. Either leadership style can work of course.
Problem is Miller’s defensive play and self-awareness has been lacking this year, much like Horvat’s performance lacked in the early going last year. Both have had their bouts of diminished credibility, not that that’s stopped J.T.
And when Miller got the contract extension, well that didn’t help matters either. You could have thought management could see this coming. Not to mention what it could still do to Elias Pettersson’s desire to be here long-term.
The Canucks had another team meeting . They lead the league in team meetings. As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mused, the room as the air of just waiting for the shoe to drop. That all the stories and drama, most of them self-inflicted, have worn this group down emotionally.
It’s either made it difficult for them to play their best, or perhaps in some cases, they just don’t care anymore.”
** NHLRumors.com transcription