Is it wrong for a player to want more minutes? Yes he has to earn them, but I thought he was under utilized when he was here. I think he was being "punished" for not being Chris Pronger.
Maybe this was it...I really liked his tools, but for me, he never quite had the package- he was more potential. It seemed like he needed to figure some things out and learn to be consistently the player who played to his strengths. I don't think that he needed to be Chris Pronger, but certainly he was not going to be Erik Karlsson, so with a body and tools like his, he needed to at least use them regularly, no?
More and more it looks like he was one of those players we have all played with or coached who felt he was more important than others. There are talented guys who don't integrate into teams, who feel the need to go their own way, don't completely buy into systems or group buy-in. I kind of think there is enough evidence to question this about him. Was he going to buy into the team concept and be a guy who plays for his teammates and has their backs, even when things are going a bit south.... There are guys who have a bit of a me first edge that you can accept in your team with a bit of a scoff, but there can't be many of them and they have to be really good at what they do, or what is the point of putting up with them. I am not sure he is one of the guys we need to put up with- but wish he could change a little and accept a role as a teammate because he does have some tasty tools