Quote:
Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache
Johnny has skills. If “the book is out on him”, why isn’t the book “out” on guys like Patrick Kane and Mitch Marner? Is Johnny just too stupid to think of things on his own?
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Johnny has showed very little ability to adapt his game.
Kane works hard to be the best. Johnny? Seems like he doesn't.
I'm not gonna call him stupid but its pretty clear that Gaudreau is no Kane and I don't think any amount of coaching is going to change that. It's on the player to keep improving as his career goes on and Gaudreau isn't showing us that this year. As much as you want it to be coaching I think the blame lies squarely on Gaudreau's shoulders on this one.
Frankly based on the way Johnny plays I wonder if he even listens to the coaches. They aren't telling him to buttonhook at the blue line and give the puck up. They aren't telling him to bail out on every puck battle.
The coach doesn't have a controller where he can move the players around. Once the players hit the ice their play is it up to them.
Sorry but blaming Ward for Gaudreau's off year is scapegoating IMO.
All that said I'd be ecstatic to get a coaching upgrade. I just don't think it'll affect Gaudreau's poor play at all. Ward and Peters have not been coaching Johnny to play careless with puck, pass the puck into the opposition's skates and shy away from every puck battle in every area of the ice. That's not a coaching issue, that's a Johnny issue.