Canucks GM calls out Pettersson, says, “he needs to mature”

Vancouver Canucks GM Patrik Allvin recently held a one on one interview with Sportsnet reporter Iain MacIntyre where he shared his vision for his team and addressed speculation that star forward Elias Pettersson is unhappy.

There have been rampant reports that Pettersson and teammate JT Miller cannot get along and that Miller's leave of absence earlier this month is a direct result of his relationship with Pettersson. Allvin certainly didn't calm the situation down though, saying that "anything is possible" when asked point blank if he's trying to trade Pettersson.

“It comes back to expectations and preparation, how you prepare yourself," Allvin said on Pettersson. "I don’t believe that he was aware of just how hard it was going to be. Just because you achieve one thing to get a long-term extension… life just gets harder. You haven’t really accomplished anything. You’re not even halfway there (to winning a Stanley Cup). And then obviously the mental part comes in there, too, and suddenly you feel the pressure,” Allvin said.

Allvin would go on to say that Pettersson "needs to mature", a comment that raised eyebrows in Canucks Nation.

“Petey has shown up to this point that he is an extremely talented, quality player that could and should be a No. 1 centre. I believe in him. I believe that he’s capable. (But) he needs to mature and understand that there are certain expectations and it does not get easier. And you need to face the music when things don’t go well. Is it (a trade) possible? I guess I would say anything is possible."

It certainly sounds like there's some drama behind the scenes in Vancouver.

Can the team sustain this? Can they be successful in spite of this situation? Can they actually use it as fuel to propel themselves forward?

I'm willing to bet that we'll find out as we get closer and closer to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

If Quinn Hughes continues to dominate the NHL, if Thatcher Demko gets back to his usual self and if Pettersson and Miller can get their heads screwed on straight, this team might be able to put the drama behind them. Until then though... get your popcorn ready.