Yahoo Sports Article - Elias Pettersson on being NHL MVP

[grandmaster]

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/ca.sports.yahoo.com/amphtml/news/elias-pettersson-might-leagues-mvp-thats-beside-point-202426007.html

 

Interesting read on EP. This is not talked about enough around the league. As far as I know, MVP goes to the most valuable player to that team and he sure fits the bill so far. I copied and pasted the article below:

 

How’s this for a stat: When Canucks super-rookie Elias Pettersson is on the ice this season, his team is plus-32.

 

When he’s off the ice, it’s minus-46.

And that’s just about all you need to know about Pettersson’s MVP case this season. No one expected the Canucks to be any good, but here they are in the thick of the Pacific race halfway through the season. And they’d probably be a lot better off if he hadn’t missed eight-plus games due to injury, because the nights he missed saw the team go 3-5-0—  including the game in Montreal last week, in which he only played nine minutes before he was injured — and get outscored more than 2-to-1 (25-12).

 

And technically, Canucks opponents went 5-0-3in those games because in all three of those wins, Vancouver failed to win in regulation.

Yes, of course one has to keep in mind that Pettersson’s shooting 28 percent and that isn’t sustainable. And one has to keep in mind that he’s already missed almost 10 percent of the full season’s schedule, so that might factor in as well.

And granted, the Canucks’ underlyings stink, especially since Pettersson’s 57.8 percent CF (????) suggests they won’t keep winning as they have: only enough to keep them juuuuuust on the outside looking in, but Anaheim is collapsing right now.

 

He’s a transformative talent, sure, but Pettersson is also the kind of player who’s the future of the NHL. He’s fast and a guy who accelerates to near-McDavid speeds in the blink of an eye, but can change speeds at will to keep opponents unbalanced. He’s big-but-not-too-big, though as many non-serious pundits have noted, not so much that he’s an NHL-ready weight yet. His skill is insane, off the charts of what you’d expect, and only 18 months out from his draft date, he’s No. 1 with a bullet in a redraft. Perhaps most important, he thinks the game in ways other guys don’t and, frankly, can’t.

 

In this week’s 31 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman also makes the case for Pettersson to enter the MVP conversation (not forcefully enough, I would argue), but later quotes Troy Stecher marvelling at a goal Pettersson made out of nothing because he just sees and understands the game on a different level.

The problem with Pettersson, in his critics’ minds, is that he is perhaps not respectful enough. Would he have eaten a ura nage in October had he not humiliated Mike Matheson by being too skilled? Would he not have avoided the Russian leg sweep by Jesperi Koktaniemi had he not been tangled up with the Habs rookie as they approached the end boards before overpowering him and skating away?

 

Don Cherry, in a moment of pure, distilled Don Cherryness, said that Pettersson’s most recent injury, which caused him to miss two and a half games so far, was on Pettersson, not the guy who hooked him and took him down a mile from the puck. Because Pettersson was asking for trouble or whatever nonsense Cherry was saying.

To me, a person who wasn’t in third grade at the outbreak of World War II, the moments leading up to that takedown looked an awful lot like the kind of hockey play — two guys jockeying for position near a loose puck — that Cherry would normally praise. But Pettersson, a Swede who simply doesn’t “play the right way” (that is, the way the game was played before the invention of cable internet), somehow went looking for trouble on that play and got it.

 

Todd Bertuzzi, who really ought to avoid talking about this kind of thing, also said the Canucks needed someone to Protect little Elias from the brainless thugs of the league like…. Matheson and Koktaniemi? It worked out great for McDavid last Sunday, right? Bertuzzi, just before he said he likes that players like Tom Wilson are still in the league, acknowledged Pettersson should get credit for “going to the dirty areas,” so that was a nice concession.

The lead-in to Friedman’s Pettersson nuggets was that his quality of play, and that of McDavid, might cause voters to rethink the way they vote on awards. Maybe a touch optimistic this year, given the state of the PHWA’s voting bloc, but probably headed in that direction.

 

The real thing people will have to rethink in the era of Pettersson and McDavid and Miro Heiskanen and Nathan MacKinnon and all the other U-22 talent now flooding the league and making it faster, more skilled, and more entertaining than it’s been in decades is: Everything.

The NHL as you knew it even from five years ago isn’t dead, but it’s dying and it’s doing so way more quickly than you think. How Pettersson slipped to No. 5 in the draft is unthinkable, and that draft was in June 2017, right? How much will change about the way we evaluate — and value — talent in the next five years?

 

Sidney Crosby, the best player of his generation, is the kind of guy that could have succeeded in any era because of his build and the way he plays the game. Joe Thornton and the Sedins are or were in much the same vein. They were ideally suited to the style in the early cap era and continued to evolve even as they slowed down because they were just that smart and the game was never so far past them that they became obsolete.

I often say that if McDavid were put in a time machine and sent back to the mid-’80s, he would score about 400 points in a season, but that’s only if some coked-up Patrick Division psycho didn’t two-hand him in the neck behind some 17-point game on a Tuesday night in February.

 

And because the officials — on the ice and at the league office — in this sport refuse to protect star players from these kinds of attacks, maybe the Cherrys and Bertuzzis of the world are right. If people, even the ones whose opinions smart people started ignoring a long time ago, are talking earnestly about how these guys still don’t get the sport, they’re probably right.

At least, they’re right about the sport as it was. But Pettersson, McDavid, and all the other high-skill, high-speed guys who follow in their footsteps are likely to remake the sport to suit their needs.

 

Ryan Lambert is a Yahoo! Sports hockey columnist. His email is here and his Twitter is here.

All stats via Corsica unless otherwise noted.

[Goat James]

Ryan is a great writer and a great follow on Twitter! 

[PrinceGeorgeGoon]

This article hit a vein with me not just because I'm a Canucks fan and a alterboy in the church of Pettersson, but because I've played sports my whole life. 

Plays like Matheson or even Kotkaniemi have never been in my book. It always bugged me when guys would chirp too much and get burned. Chirp away if that's your game and that's what elevates you (never really made anyone better).

The dirty stuff , nah, I'm not into sports to cheat. 

I'm not that into watching it.

 

Post 2011 I dont want to see my super hardworking, kind humble star player repeatedly punched in the face or jabbed in the groin. That's not on the rat or Tim Thomas that was on the Canucks.

 

As much as Cherrys or Bertuzzis comments can irritate, as much as the 650 radio panel hates Matheson getting two games if that's how the world is, we live in it. It's the job of the G.M to build a team for today, it's the job of the coach to structure the team and point the way and it's up to the leadership on the ice to do it all. 

 

If Benning and Green dont support, supporting Petey... because there will always be the pests... then it isn't the pest, dirty play or the league (dept of player safety) that is to blame. Responsibility falls on the Canucks. Respect is earned and it's not about being big or being the best its about not standing for certain behaviour. 

 

Even a pussycat sends a strong message that it doesn't want you to mess with its belly. Players need to think twice before they try to tickle our bellies.

[IBatch]

52 minutes ago, PrinceGeorgeGoon said:

This article hit a vein with me not just because I'm a Canucks fan and a alterboy in the church of Pettersson, but because I've played sports my whole life. 

Plays like Matheson or even Kotkaniemi have never been in my book. It always bugged me when guys would chirp too much and get burned. Chirp away if that's your game and that's what elevates you (never really made anyone better).

The dirty stuff , nah, I'm not into sports to cheat. 

I'm not that into watching it.

 

Post 2011 I dont want to see my super hardworking, kind humble star player repeatedly punched in the face or jabbed in the groin. That's not on the rat or Tim Thomas that was on the Canucks.

 

As much as Cherrys or Bertuzzis comments can irritate, as much as the 650 radio panel hates Matheson getting two games if that's how the world is, we live in it. It's the job of the G.M to build a team for today, it's the job of the coach to structure the team and point the way and it's up to the leadership on the ice to do it all. 

 

If Benning and Green dont support, supporting Petey... because there will always be the pests... then it isn't the pest, dirty play or the league (dept of player safety) that is to blame. Responsibility falls on the Canucks. Respect is earned and it's not about being big or being the best its about not standing for certain behaviour. 

 

Even a pussycat sends a strong message that it doesn't want you to mess with its belly. Players need to think twice before they try to tickle our bellies.

Personally the code is in question to a certain extent, like it’s not being perceived well.  I get taking the high road which TG did with his comments, but to me it’s a lossed opportunity to also announce to the league that they take protecting their superstar (and players in general) seriously and if a line is crossed (again because it definitely was with Mathesson) there will be a response.  What’s the point in signing these vets if they don’t help the younger players play the game the right way, following the code and protecting EP.   Beagle has been the only one that really seems to give a rats ass out of the three so far.

[Down by the River]

I have all the time in the world for media members that call out Don Cherry.

[HerrDrFunk]

If you look at how the Canucks play with Pettersson in the line-up versus without, he should definitely be in the Hart conversation. He won’t win it, but he should get some votes.

[JM_]

I don't think he's a "Tom Wilson" but I'd like to see what Zack MacEwan looks like up here sooner than later. He seems to have the potential for a gritty line mate for EP and Boeser, if anyone does in our system right now. 

[EmilyM]

In the truest sense of the phrase "most valuable player", he should definitely be in the conversation. In the historical Hart definition of "most valuable player", he won't. But he should.

[ruilin96]

With Pettersson, the Canucks have a shot at making the playoffs. Without Pettersson, this team is a heavy favourite for finishing last in the league.

[Baer.]

30 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

I don't think he's a "Tom Wilson" but I'd like to see what Zack MacEwan looks like up here sooner than later. He seems to have the potential for a gritty line mate for EP and Boeser, if anyone does in our system right now. 

He also has a pretty good shot that he's developed over the years to add to his game. Reminds me of a Burrows type 

[JM_]

Just now, Baer. said:

He also has a pretty good shot that he's developed over the years to add to his game. Reminds me of a Burrows type 

thats kind of what I was thinking, he's a fair bit larger than Burr was too. The shot quality is off the charts already with EP and Boeser, to have a guy that can forecheck, force other lines to keep their heads up and also maybe chip in a little? sounds pretty good. I don't know if he's really up to all that but I don't see anyone else really in the depth chart that has the size of a Wilson-type player. 

[Baer.]

Just now, Jimmy McGill said:

thats kind of what I was thinking, he's a fair bit larger than Burr was too. The shot quality is off the charts already with EP and Boeser, to have a guy that can forecheck, force other lines to keep their heads up and also maybe chip in a little? sounds pretty good. I don't know if he's really up to all that but I don't see anyone else really in the depth chart that has the size of a Wilson-type player. 

I would say the biggest question mark would be his foot speed. Obviously not everybody can keep up with EP and Boes, but Burrows always knew where to be playing with the Sedins.

[JM_]

1 minute ago, Baer. said:

I would say the biggest question mark would be his foot speed. Obviously not everybody can keep up with EP and Boes, but Burrows always knew where to be playing with the Sedins.

I haven't watched any Utica games this year, not sure where he's at with that but it would be good to hear from the regular Comets watchers where he's at on that

[oldnews]

People should slow down with this stuff.  Period.

 

And starting an article with plus/minus drivel doesn't qualify a player as an MVP.

 

Pettersson is the team's best player - but he's also a rookie getting 67% ozone starts (with a 50.9% corsi). 

That 5 on 5 opportunity comes from somewhere - namely players like Sutter, Beagle, Motte, Granlund, Horvat, Roussel etc who are all in the 30%-40%  ozone start range - so that guys like Pettersson can perform in conditions to be successful.  It's a team game - as are plus/minus team statistics that occur in a context - and of course those harder minutes guys are going to relatively eat the minuses.

 

The idea that a rookie - who has also suffered a couple injuries this year - is an MVP candidate = pretty premature.

A player like Kucherov has 72 pts....with 57% ozone starts...

 

Mark Giordano has 44 pts (ppg defenseman) - with a +31, plays 25 minutes a night, 51.3% ozone starts (56.1% corsi), 4.0 on ice goals for per 60, 2.1 against.....there's your MVP imo.

 

Horvat could get a little more respect as well - here's a player that has 36 pts, 38.6% ozone starts (has been forced into shutdown duty for large parts of the season in the absences of Sutter and Beagle), Horvat has 600 faceoff wins (433 more than the next Canuck), he's 52.6% in the faceoff circle (EP is 41.9%) and in those much harder minutes has a corsi of 47.3%.   It's a team game - and it's debatable who the actual MVP of the Canucks has been, despite the highlight reel gazers assumption that scoring alone - or plus/minus - makes a player that team's most valuable.  You take Horvat out of this lineup and it aint pretty either.

[Gurn]

8 hours ago, grandmaster said:

How’s this for a stat: When Canucks super-rookie Elias Pettersson is on the ice this season, his team is plus-32.

 

When he’s off the ice, it’s minus-46.

Yeah, I know it is just plus minus...…… but that is just amazing, a little over half way into a season.

[oldnews]

2 hours ago, Down by the River said:

I have all the time in the world for media members that call out Don Cherry.

So would I, generally, but this writer manages to undermine himself by making this about "being in grade 3 at the outbreak of WW2".

 

That is just as ignorant as Don Cherry, assuming that his age somehow correlates with or essentially excuses his stupidity. 

 

Older people are not necessarily any less intelligent than anyone else - and in fact, having worked with a whole lot of seniors throughout my life, I can safely say that I would be greatly comforted if the present generations grow up to be anywhere near as intelligent as the vast majority of seniors are.

[khay]

+32 with him and -48 without him? Even strength only? 

 

If that is even strength only stat, that tells us that our team still sucks and proves that EP is singlehandedly carrying the team.

 

I was expecting our team to finish in the bottom 3 (29, 30, 31st). With EP, I don't think there is any chance we finish in the bottom 3 and hence, very little chance at winning Jack Hughes or Kappo Kakko.

 

[poetica]

Agreed. Especially the part about Don Cherry's comments.

[Baer.]

57 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

I haven't watched any Utica games this year, not sure where he's at with that but it would be good to hear from the regular Comets watchers where he's at on that

If you subscribe to their YouTube channel they post highlights and interviews from all their games.

[Boeserker]

NHL trying hard to overhype and capitalize on the unexpected success of Canucks youngsters. 

 

I say keep EP out of the lineup until he's 110% and until the NHL does something to protect the future stars of the league (ie: get rid of the instigator penalty)