I agree with this as well, it seems hard to know what is legal & what isn't any more given that PK was not suspended for an obvious slash to injure. Cowen has been suspended in the past & of course past suspensions go against you & the fines or loss of pay can are be substantial & higher with each new suspension. It has hurt his play on the ice & worse it has hurt his confidence as he tries to learn what is & isn't permissible when most of the time it is a very fine line that separates the two which can go either way. Cowen has all the tools no question, but it's his decision making that seems ... well indecisive at times & may be in some way be due to these past suspensions.
He definitely doesn't know what he can do. Same problem Gryba had after that hit in the playoffs.
This is not just about Cowen... But applies to him too. He is just awkward. I am no great athlete... But when I was younger I played lots of sports and I was pretty fast and athletic... But I always was thinking about what to do next. That was my problem in being a good basketball or hockey player or softball hitter. Good players at every level no longer have to. It is why Greening is Greening and not a really good power forward. And I think that is entirely Cowen's problem and why he might never end up even as a solid bottom pairing defenceman.
You watch Methot or even Chabot in the preseason. They are just graceful and methodical. There is no slight millisecond of thought. They have instincts or whatever to just react and not think about what to do next. Wiercioch when he is going like to end the season has it. Ceci, Methot have it. Borowiecki severely lacks talent and skills compared to good top 4 D... But even he knows what he is going to do and it is instinct. Cowen is all tools and no ability to get rid of that millisecond if thought, and just flow naturally. I still hope that he can find it. It is the hardest thing to find and it is what makes you an NHL player. And the hitting thing hust makes it so much worse. So big and strong he had to second guess the one biggest instinct he might have, to lay the hit. Because even his clean hits end up so devastating. The one truly instinctual part of his game... He has to second guess.
With so much time off the ice with injury, so much dealing with real serious, lagging injuries... That affect what he can do and having to think about how to compensate for them. No constant vet D partner to rely on and learn from. Cowen is a natural athlete and was a great junior player. He is not stupid... But he is thinking it all the time.
It isn't that bad not to be a natural. I truly think Chara was never a natural at all. He taught himself through all that millisecond of thinking and his huge, odd unique frame into being a HHOFer. But it is hard. Hard to have to go through having to think about every single movement and reaction and hit he made. He triumphed but it is so much more rare to do that then to just have the instincts and not the body. Larry Robinson taught himself and was coached into being what he was from just a raw huge frame.
Cowen might as well be a rookie right now. He is that far behind in development. But if healthy he is still young. Still so much raw potential. But it is so hard when you are at the point of having to think about what to do facing every rush and everytime you end up with the puck.
Once or if he gets it he does have a lot of experience to fall back on. He might progress rather quickly once he gets "it". If he ever does. Guy has the raw skills and strength to literally be the strongest D in the league. He is a freak. Can he figure it out? Cameron seems to be a good coach and to really put a purpose and plan together for the bottom half of the roster. A job. Still a 3rd pairing D has a huge job. 17-20 mins a night. PKing. It is different then say a rookie 4th line winger getting 8 mins vs the other teams 4th lines. Bottom pair D is a tough key position.
This team wants to make the playoffs... And whether fans believe it or not... The GM, coach and players are thinking about contending to win the Stanley Cup. I think Cowen gets the leash for a couple of months. To progress and grow and maybe become effective. Now and for several years he has simply been bad. No excuses. Bad. He can't think the game and his game is all over the place. I think this season to start... For 25 games he gets clear purpose and role and a consistent partner or two. Team still hopes for a Robinson/Chara lite version. But also if he can't get smarter and figure out how to use his huge size and obvious potential and talent... 30 games in he is just not gonna play much anymore. Scratched.
We saw Wiercioch find his role and game last year. Hopefully Cowen can this year. But he won't get all year and he will need to show consistent progress.
We all know if we do it just enough ,boom
