It just feels like he's suffering from "analysis paralysis". Like he's trying to think through different options, instead of just charging in and doing something instinctively. Which in turn, results in those options passing him by and he ends up basically just doing...nothing. He just doesn't seem to be a player who is capable of processing quickly enough to be "clever" with things and reading multiple steps ahead.
I'd rather see him confidently make some bad reads/decisions, than what he seems to be doing now, which is almost like non-decisions. Just letting the play just sort of go on around him as an impartial observer. At least if he were charging around making confident, instinctive, simple reads...he'd be be right at least sometimes. There'd be something useful to playing as just, "see puck, get puck" and applying pressure, making his size felt physically, etc. As it stands...he's just sort of wafting around looking lost and indecisive.
It's that...so afraid to make the wrong decision that he ultimately ends up doing absolutely nothing. idk how you fix that, or if you can at this point. He obviously seems to be willing to work hard. It's just not funneled anywhere constructive. He doesn't seem to be getting the message from coaching to just "play simple, play hard, play aggressive". They're effectively giving him rare license to make some mistakes...and he doesn't seem to want to take it.
