Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
Burke recently commented that Gaudreau is a good kid who wants to win and be a difference-maker, but he still let's his frustration get the better of him. Said he was surprised that after this long in the league, Gaudreau, in his words "hadn't learned to become a pro."
I think Gaudreau cares a lot and desperately wants to win. But he thinks he can do that by just trying harder at the things he's always done. He hasn't seemed to recognize that in order to become a winner, you often have to adapt and change what you've always done (diet, fitness, adapting to how teams play you, play away from the puck, mastering your emotions). It's concerning that in his sixth season in the league, Gaudreau hasn't starting figuring this stuff out.
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I think that's probably a pretty accurate take. The one thing I'd say in his defence is that doubling down on what he's already done well has generally worked - it's not like he's been banging his head against the wall and failing.
This is only the second time in his career where he hasn't significantly improved his production year-over-year, and the first time where he might not have room to. So I'm hesitant to judge him too harshly for that right now, but the next few years will be a massive test of his commitment to winning, to see if he can figure those other things out.