EHM The Blue Line

I've searched the forums believing something in there could help me but had no luck. So here's my question.
I have a sophomore player, Marcus Pietila (regen) who I was happy to draft (a 6 foot 5 C/LW out of Sweden) and had an excellent junior career, winning Player of the Year in the OHL etc. His rookie year he finished with a 7.66 rating in 80 games.
I was a little worried during his first training camp when the coaching staff said his fitness level was well behind the rest of the team.
This season, I've now had 3 assistant coaches tell me at different times (now January 2018) that they have "concerns over Marcus Pietila's general fitness level after his poor performance in practice today."
I've warned him after the first episode this year, fined him after the second. He is unhappy and wants to be traded but I've kept playing him most of the time (missed a few games with injury) and he has a 8.14 rating at the 45 game mark.
So after this latest episode, what should I do? Will he spend his whole career like this? Should I just let it go since he keeps producing? He was my first round pick 4 seasons ago (18th overall) and I'm not keen on giving up on him, I'm trying to have my entire team my draft picks with no traded or signed FA's (not there yet).
His determination is 12, his work rate is 11. Not great I know.
Any ideas?

Trade him for a 4th liner. No really...if he is doing well, and you are happy with his performance leave him alone. Happiness will come back

Add some fitness to his practice regime. Try that for a year and see if his stamina & strength improves. If it does you may stop getting those news items. Personally, if a guy is performing at or above expectation in games, I could care less if he's got a beer gut.

So he's basically not a practice player but shows up in games, huh? No amount of discipline will fix him?
Thanks for the help.

Lars30 wrote:So he's basically not a practice player but shows up in games,...

Not necessarily. Like I said, try to beef up his fitness with practice and see if it has any effect. If it doesn't work, then you could say he's not a practice player. It may be that he just hasn't been properly taught how to get and stay in shape. Although, with the middling determination and work rate, it may take a while, which is why I said give it a year to see.