What Pettersson can expect in Utica

Nope.

Sorry Canucks fans.

Not buying it.

Too small. Too slow. At the Young Guns tournament this weekend in Penticton (Sept 7-9) Pettersson scored 3 goals against the Jets kids. And you can see why there's so much excitement about the 160 pounder - his shot is quick and will beat some Junior hockey goalies. And he did beat some Junior hockey goalies on the PP and cleaning up the garbage.

BUT

And here's the problem - Michael Spacek schooled Pettersson twice - once for a 1:45 seconds while Pettersson flailed around helplessly unable to stop him until Spacek created the tying 3-3 goal on the Sept. 9th game. Too often Pettersson was unable to stop opposing forwards in his own zone.

And that's his downfall. Too slow and not strong enough in his own zone. And stopping a goal is as important as creating a goal.

It's going to be quickly apparent he's not ready for the NHL.

He's exactly what Central Scouting said about him - "immensely talented BUT serious concerns about his size and ability to put on muscle to allow him to compete at the next level."

Next week training camp opens.

Next week it will be apparent to everyone he's not ready.

And I think it will be Pettersson himself, looking like a very mature young man, who will pull the rip chord and pump the brakes on this.

There's a ridiculous amount of pressure on this kid. Media have him already pegged at 60-80 points. Fans have him winning a Calder Trophy and 1st Team All-Star.

Guys like Ryan Beich have been running video clips of him all year showing "beauty" goals - but in a different much lower league without anyone, besides me, saying "ummm guys... that's not the NHL."

So the best thing, the logical thing, is to throw ice all over this thing and quickly send him to Utica or back to Sweden.

I think Utica is the better place for him. 

It does two things

1) It allows him to get used to the North American game on a North American ice surface.

2) It lets him gradually build up strength.

I would never play him in back-to-back games. I think that's a next year thing at Utica for him. This year I would concentrate on his strength, stamina, speed and size.

I would play him 40 games in Utica and I would let him develop at his own pace.

And that's the key here - it's to get him away from a possibly meddling owner who is too keen to see this kid in the NHL, it would seem to me, before he's ready, to sell tickets.

We all know what happened to Petr Nedved. That didn't exactly work out. He never hit his prime. An immense talent wasted.

Putting him in Utica pumps the brakes on everything. It sends a reality pill to everyone in the fan base and media that this isn't Wayne Gretzky.

And the amount of times I've heard Pettersson compared to Gretzky has been absolutely sickening.

If Pettersson can eventually be a 30 goal 40 assist center in the NHL - that's a win from a 5th overall pick. 

But that's top end. 

And for people saying - well, he's going to get the No. 1 power play unit!! 

So?

Do you see Brett Burns on the blueline? 

Do you know how easily it's going to be to shut down a 160 pound guy featured on the wing like Pettersson? One with a wobbly shot? 

This is the NHL we're talking about. Give your head a f__king shake people.

He ain't beating anyone at the NHL goalie level with that shot. Or with that speed.

Oh, but Patrick Kane is small!

Yeah, and Kane can skate and stick handle in a phone booth and plays with Duncan Keith.

Do you see Duncan Keith on the blueline?

No?

That's right.

And people shouldn't get all upset when he's off to Utica either. It's not the end of the world here folks.

It's the right place for him.

It's a little slower. It's away from the media pressure. It's away from the fan pressure.

If you bring him up now before he's ready - all that talent goes up in smoke. He gets hit by a Doughty weighing 160 pounds and it's season over for him.

He's not Gretzky. He gets hit. He gets hurt. 

Gretzky had a weird sixth sense that let him know when anyone was around him.

That's unique to Gretzky. It's why he's the best player of all time (besides Patrick Roy).

Pettersson is not Gretzky.

He's going to need to get stronger and faster before entering the NHL.

And the other thing to consider - there's no room at the Inn for Pettersson.

Pettersson can be sent to Utica without waivers.

And that's the case for the next few years.

So it's an easy move to play a Marcus Granlund or Brendan Gaunce - WHO ARE NHL READY - and put Pettersson into the system to learn the game.

And if he's going to be a center - better to learn that at the AHL than the NHL.

It's going to be a long, uphill grind for Pettersson. It really is. He's got a body that will struggle to put weight on. (We should all be so lucky!)

So have a look at Pettersson. Don't be too disappointed when he struggles. He's going to have some flashes of brilliance.

But be okay with him in Utica. Be okay with a kid working on earning a living. It's his life not yours. His friend Jonathon Dahlen is also slated for Utica (there's no room at the NHL roster) and so Pettersson and Dahlen can room together in Utica and have a pretty good time.

There is NO room at the NHL roster in Vancouver. In fact they have 5 extra forwards. So all those that can be sent to the AHL must be sent to the AHL. 

Be okay with him not being Wayne Gretzky. 

In Utica playing 40 games learning how to be a pro. There's nothing wrong with it.

Even Mark Messier played a year in the AHL.

People forget that.