Nolan hasn't had much high end talent to work with. What little he has had to work with hasn't been able to shine because there wasn't much of a team around them. i.e. Ennis. You work your way up and you build a resume and right now Nolan is on top. There isn't any higher to go than where he is if you consider an NHL head coaching job the pinnacle of a coach's career. At this point he can't do anything more until he is given more to work with. So yes, something is in the way and it's called time. Murray has done his part too save for some offseason deals, all we can do is wait. If Murray gives Nolan some talent to work with next year and he doesn't make a significant change, then yes Nolan is the one in the way.
I can't prove you wrong because I don't know. Just like you can't say Nolan can't coach a talented team because you don't know. But if Crosby and Ovechkin were already on my team, I would most certainly put them together with Hodgson to see if ti worked.