gradin123

If Ferland has another concussion he really should just quit hockey altogether. Dudes life is at stake here.

Famous last words. Go look at one year old posts in this thread and you will see the same thing said. Still waiting.

I attended the game last night. I honestly did not notice Gaunce was even playing until the 2nd period. His defenders will say that is a good thing because he is not making mistakes but I certainly don't see it that way. On the game winner Markstrom had his 2nd assist of the year. He now has one more point than Gaunce.

Yes lack of options. Lack of NHL caliber options. Sure the Canucks could use other career AHL'ers but Gaunce is the best career AHL'er they have.

He doesn't have more goals in the last 2 seasons.

I would agree that Brendan Gaunce doesn't make many mistakes but I believe that is because he doesn't take any chances. He almost never takes an offensive risk that gets him out position and he almost always makes the safe play when he has the puck even if it means forgoing on a potential scoring chance. There is such thing as risk/reward. Forwards should take chances sometimes because otherwise you never put pressure on the other team and you are always playing defense. Perhaps Brendan Gaunce should consider a move to defense because he is not an NHL caliber forward and never will be. His older brother Cameron plays defense but of course despite the fact he was a 2nd rounder he has been a career AHL'er for the most part. Still in 33 career NHL games Cameron does have 2 Goals so at least he still has family bragging rights as the goal scorer of the family. I think I see a pattern with the Gaunce brothers. High draft picks but career AHL'ers. The only reason Brendan is playing in the NHL is because of the lack of options in the Canucks organization.

They would need players that can play defense AND protect their stars. Gaunce ain't scaring anyone. They would need a Dorsett type player.

I am a Canucks fan. I take no pleasure in it. He just is not a NHL caliber player and never will be. All this talk about who should be benched and yet somehow this guy keeps getting into the lineup with no questions asked. His last game was probably his worst of the season too. He really did nothing well on Monday and was noticeably bad.

I think 90 straight games in the NHL without a goal by a NHL forward would be noticed on any team. Pretty sure it is the longest current streak in the NHL amongst forwards.

Brendan Gaunce Goalless Streak Watch 90 Games Points in 2017/2018 15 Games 1 Empty Net Assist

Alright then. Here is the elusive Brendan Gaunce thread. He has absolutely no offensive skills. How long can that be ignored for? Brendan Gaunce NHL Career 90 GP 1 G 6 A 7PTS. That is barely above some goalies. 7 Points in 90 games, 2 of those points have come on empty netters! I know he is a decent defensive player but still a NHL forward has to do more than that. He is the definition of a plug.He actually has been getting quite a few minutes lately too and even had some chances in the offensive zone but whenever he does get a chance he seems to fumble around with the puck and the chance disappears. It is clearly obvious he has no offensive skills whatsoever and it is almost comical how inept he looks at time whenever he gets a chance. He essentially has been playing the Dorsett role ever since Derek got hurt but unlike Derek, Gaunce has contributed nothing offensively. Bring up Boucher and give him a shot. Canucks are in need of more offense without Horvat and Gaunce just doesn't give them that. He scored a goal in his 2nd NHL game and since has gone 88 straight games without a goal. His only point this season came on a empty net goal. I am officially starting the Brendan Gaunce Goal Watch. Lets see if he can reach the century mark. 88 straight games without a goal.

Gillis was not a good Gm but ownership is the bigger issue here

I know they are hard to acquire, but it would be nice if the Canucks had a top notch veteran goalie to stabilize things.

If I was a Panthers fan I would be a little disappointed by how focused he still seems to be on his former team. This is suppose to be the fresh start he has been looking for so I'm not sure why he is still so focused on the Canucks. That being said, yes it was funny.

And yet there was Fransesco Aqulini sitting in the War Room today. I personally think Fransesco's ego is too big to realize he is part of the problem. A good owner just stays out of the way in terms of day to day operations. I don't think any real qualified GM would want to work under Francesco Aquilini right now. He needs a puppet and Gillis is a puppet.

Gillis is not an adequate GM but he isn't the real problem here. According to Team 1040 meddlesome ownership is at play here too. They apparently refused to sign off on any Kesler trade because they want to make the playoffs. I have said before and will say it again, the dysfunctional nature of the Vancouver Canucks begins with ownership. The Aqulini's had a heavy hand in the offseason trade of Schneider instead of Luongo and now they have reportedly nixed a Kesler trade. Also, the hire of Torts was widely reported as being a ownership hire. Blame, Gillis all you want but no real GM is going to want to work under Francesco Aqulini who seems to be the Jerry Jones of hockey because he is really wants to be a GM. By the way, all the legit topics discussing ownership's involvement in the Kesler non trade have been immediately locked on these boards without explanation.

Luongo not starting sends the wrong message to other players around the league, as it says the Canucks don't respect their veterans and the Canucks management team lacks class! No players are ever going to want to willing play in Vancouver again until both Gillis and Torts are gone.Torts bad rep predates his time in Vancouver. This team is imploding fast, really really fast. It seems now that almost everyone wants out of here and we are on par with Edmonton in terms of attracting players right now. To be fair to Eddie Lack who has done nothing wrong, the chants today should have been "Fire Gillis"

I think Burrows is the best candidate to move at the trade deadline in terms of salary dump. The Canucks would get very little back for him but to clear up $4.5M in cap over the next 3 years is worth the dump IMO. Also, I really like Burrows and think he still could contribute to some team in a Stanley Cup Run with a fresh start and I would wish him the best.

Well I never diappear. LOL. Seriously though I have seen this coming for a long time and been posting about Gillis' shortcomings all along, even right after their cup run, even right after he won the Gm of the year. The real problem with the Canucks unfortunately cannot be fixed quickly.This situation they are currently in stems from the fact they have developed almost no offensive prospects from within in Gillis' tenure. Mike Gillis now has 5 draft years under his belt and those 5 drafts have produced exactly one forward who is currently on this team and that is Jordan Schroeder who is right now a very borderline NHL'er. HE did draft Hodgson who turned into Kassian so I'll give him credit for Kassian too but that's it. Kassian and Schroeder are the only two Canuck forwards who have come from the last 5 years of drafting.

Yeah Edler is -23. Feels like -5Million with the wind chill factor

I think he has and now he wants new players. I'm not sure Torts ever had the room because his reputation proceeded him. Hiring Torts was always a risky move but I don't think they are going to get rid of him anytime soon and they very well might change some players for him. Remember he has a 5 year contract and the Aquilinis aren't likely to want to pay him for 4 years doing nothing so there is a good chance he outlasts Gillis. I don't think The Aqulinis will fire Gillis anytime soon either though because they like the fact they can control him.

Revisionist history. Let me preface this by saying that I do believe AV had run his course in Vancouver but a coach can only coach what he is given. Yes, he is known as a players coach but his job was to get the most out of the players on his team and I think history will show he did that. I am sure he would have appreciated more additions in talent to the team after the Stanley Cup run but because of Gillis' inaction that did not happen. AV is the Canucks All-Time winningest coach and he deserves some credit for his time here. He is a good coach and he is proving that again In New York this year where after a slow start the Rangers have come on strongly of late. You really shouldn't blame AV if you think the team is too soft. In reality, the biggest problem with this team isn't that it is too coddled or soft. The biggest problem is that it doesn't have enough talent, that was true last year and this year. Ultimately I do not believe Torts reign in Vancouver will go any better Keenan's did. Years from now people will think much more fondly of AV than Torts in this city. Part of that is bad timing on Torts arrival but I really don't think his style works with veteran players anymore. The NHL has changed a lot since his time in Tampa Bay and he only way I could see Torts having success right now is with a young talented team and the Canucks are years away from that. Torts might be a better fit in Edmonton than here.

I think it less of a case of being untouchable as it is untradeable. Given their current contracts, the way they are playing and the fact you can't take on just one of them, I am 100% convinced you couldn't give these guys away right now.

The falling C$ likely means it won't go up as much as previously thought. Granted players often get overpaid as UFA's like Clarkson but usually the players that get overpaid are the ones in their late 20's who are still in their prime, including all the ones you mentioned. Aging players rarely get big contracts, Also, the Sedins are a very unique situation in that I don't think any team would be interested in signing just one of them and they likely wouldn't want to play apart either. Given they must come as a package it really limits the number of suitors who could afford to take on two big contracts at once. Add to the fact they are both having off years and didn't play that well last year either and I really don't think they would be that hot of a commodity as UFA's. Look at Lecavalier last year. He is the same age as the Sedins and also seems to be declining. He got a 5 year $22M contract that sees his salary decline as it goes along. He also was one year younger when he signed that contract than the Sedins will be when they would have hit UFA status after this season. So after this season Vinny will be nearly the same age and essentially have a 4 years left on his contract at total of $16M. That would certainly be much more reasonable than what the Sedins are getting. You can insult me all you want but do you really think a pair of 34 year old players not in the top 50 in NHL scoring that must be signed as a duo would get 4 year $28M each as UFA's? Sorry but not even close. Gillis made a huge mistake in not letting the Sedins play out this season before discussing contract.

Just for the record. Weise is not a UFA after this year he is a RFA. He obviously is in Torts doghouse though and likely wouldn't have been brought back regardless. Overall, this trade is nothing more than a shorterm bandaid move. It has no longterm ramifications on the Canucks direction going forward.