107 replies to this topic

[sport scout]

- Hopefully some young players will emerge on the team next season
- Thinks Chicago was too strong and had too much depth, matched every teams intensity level
- Mentioned how having D men who can play 30 minutes a game in the playoffs is key to advancing (hint,hint)
- Thinks the team will be very competitive and are a few pieces away from being a contender.
- Is looking at a lot of options moving draft picks, moving players, spending a lot of time looking at free agency
- Will most likely take the best player available in the draft, but also realizes that he needs to draft players on the back end

[Bob.Loblaw]

So he is looking at bringing his prospects up... interesting to see. He seems to want a cup now and not later, so I would think he'd be going for veterans in the bottom six, not youngsters.

Instead of going for BPA, Gillis should try and maneuver things around so that the BPA is a d-man (currently not the case).

He says he's close, but I'm not sure he's putting enough on the line at this point.

Edited by DL_Panda, 11 June 2010 - 08:43 AM.

[Canuck L Head]

Yawn, same old, same old...

[Bodybender]

Hopefully some young players will emerge?  Hopefully?  Didn't sound confident, did he? Only "a few pieces" away from being a contender?  Is half a dozen considered "a few"? The Canucks lack size and grit throughout their roster, especially "playoff grit", which is a whole different level of grit.  Look at Keith, Hjalmarsson, Boland, Toews....that's playoff grit.

Edited by Bodybender, 11 June 2010 - 08:53 AM.

[Lonny Bohonos]

Bodybender, on 11 June 2010 - 07:51 PM, said:

Hopefully some young players will emerge?  Hopefully?  Didn't sound confident, did he? Only "a few pieces" away from being a contender?  Is half a dozen considered "a few"? The Canucks lack size and grit throughout their roster, especially "playoff grit", which is a whole different level of grit.  Look at Keith, Hjalmarsson, Boland, Toews....that's playoff grit.

Especially the grittier players weren't grittier. Is shameful when Wellwood is one of you're grittiest players. Kes and Burrows simply didn't play the game they needed to.

[TOMapleLaughs]

Yup, half a dozen is considered a few.


I think the rumoured trade to bring in Hedman was real. The kid is going to be a force for years.

[canuck2xtreme]

The Canucks are one solid defenceman, one gritty third line scoring threat and one solid coach from being a contender.

Our defence needs to stay healthy, which is a given. And of course, a 28-30 minute solid defenceman is always a good thing if you can get it.
Our offense needs to stay more consistant. A scoring threat on the third line (Hodgson?) and a bit more grit there would help spread the attack out more and mean more room for our other lines. Remember Datsyuk was a playoff dud for a while too. I believe our players can get there.
And our coach needs to stop having the team worry about playing the opponents game, and focus on making the opponents play OUR game.

These three things were our playoff demise two years in a row. Solve those three things, and the Canucks are a legitimate contender. Cup favourite? Maybe not, but we'd be in the mix for sure.

[Bob.Loblaw]

TOMapleLaughs, on 11 June 2010 - 09:06 AM, said:

Yup, half a dozen is considered a few.


I think the rumoured trade to bring in Hedman was real. The kid is going to be a force for years.

What was the rumour and what does the trade look like?

[TOMapleLaughs]

DL_Panda, on 11 June 2010 - 09:10 AM, said:

What was the rumour and what does the trade look like?

Bieksa and Burrows.

[Mr.Habitat]

Sign Mitchell cheap, sign neidermayer on a 1 year

[Jermi]

sounded to me like hes goings bpa with our 1st rounder then try to fill needs with the rest of our picks just like they did last year

[RUPERTKBD]

TOMapleLaughs, on 11 June 2010 - 09:10 AM, said:

Bieksa and Burrows.

Gotta be more than that. Gillis would pull the trigger on that deal in a millisecond.

I can't imagine Stevie Y letting Hedman go without Coho or Schroeder going the other way.

[TOMapleLaughs]

RUPERTKBD, on 11 June 2010 - 09:34 AM, said:

Gotta be more than that. Gillis would pull the trigger on that deal in a millisecond.

I can't imagine Stevie Y letting Hedman go without Coho or Schroeder going the other way.

Stevie wasn't in charge back then. It was last summer at the draft. Yeah Tampa turned it down. Brian Burke leaked it on LeafsTv and Gillis had to quietly calm his players down. Whether Burke was telling the truth or not is irrelevant. The way Gillis has stated over and over again that good, cheap, young defense is the way to go, you have to think that this rumour had some possibility of being real.

[Mike27]

RUPERTKBD, on 11 June 2010 - 09:34 AM, said:

Gotta be more than that. Gillis would pull the trigger on that deal in a millisecond.

I can't imagine Stevie Y letting Hedman go without Coho or Schroeder going the other way.

Bieksa and Hodgson?

[y2kcanucks]

DL_Panda, on 11 June 2010 - 08:40 AM, said:

So he is looking at bringing his prospects up... interesting to see. He seems to want a cup now and not later, so I would think he'd be going for veterans in the bottom six, not youngsters.

Instead of going for BPA, Gillis should try and maneuver things around so that the BPA is a d-man (currently not the case).

He says he's close, but I'm not sure he's putting enough on the line at this point.

Well, if Gillis is going to go out and try to acquire an elite defenseman who can play 30 minutes a game (obviously not every game but you get the idea) that's going to eat up a significant portion of our cap, so if we can have some young prospects like Hodgson and/or Schroeder, along with maybe Grabner come up here and actually produce from the 2nd/3rd line on their ELC's then it's going to be a huge cap advantage and allow us to afford more expensive pieces elsewhere on our roster.

I kind of agree with your idea about maneuvering to ensure the BAP is a defenseman. Obviously the best draft strategy is to take the player who you feel will be the best out of whoever is remaining, but you can't always just wait and accept what the draft gives you. Smart teams will trade up (or down) in order to get the player they want, who they feel is the best fit for their team. New Jersey did it when they targetted Zach Parise, and I don't see why we can't do that in targetting a defenseman. The obvious choices from my side would be to try to swing a deal with Florida to get the 3rd overall pick. My preference would be Cam Fowler, but I don't have a reasonable argument against drafting Gudbranson either, so really either player would be a huge asset to this franchise.

Now, acquiring a top 5 draft pick is a lot easier said than done. More realistically we'll be able to package our current 1st round pick with another player, perhaps Steve Bernier? And move up to pick in the teens. At that position, the player I would target is Jon Merrill. He's a very solid 2-way defender who's game blends a very strong hockey IQ with intensity. He'll make the big hit when needed, but won't put himself badly out of position to do so. He still has to develop a bit more to round out his game, but should be a safe bet to at least make a bottom pairing even if his development stalls, with the potential to be a very solid top 4 defenseman if his development continues. He's committed to the University of Michigan which produced defencemen like Matt Hunwick, Jack Johnson, and Mike Komisarek in recent years. And if Merrill develops into any one of those defensemen I would say he's a pretty solid addition.

[playboi19]

Rob and Scott Niedermayer to Vancouver. E6(=Off the charts happening)

[y2kcanucks]

TOMapleLaughs, on 11 June 2010 - 09:06 AM, said:

Yup, half a dozen is considered a few.


I think the rumoured trade to bring in Hedman was real. The kid is going to be a force for years.

The rumoured trade for Tampa Bay's first round pick (2nd overall) last year was in the event that Hedman or Duchene went first overall to New York, and Tavares being available at number two.

Also, I still disagree with everyone oozing over Victor Hedman. He is way too overhyped for what he brings, and I've seen him play a few times and really do not understand why everyone is so gaga over him. Yes, he has great size, but he doesn't use it. Yes he's a great skater, but he's never going to be as good as Zdeno Chara. In my opinion, the next top defenseman to come out of Sweden will not be Hedman, it'll be Adam Larsson who's not even draft eligibile yet. All the hype Hedman got should be going to Larsson.

[Lenny Jones]

wouldn't mind seeing the link to the podcast once it's up. i dont know how to tell if its the right one

[AbbyNucksFan]

Lenny Jones, on 11 June 2010 - 10:10 AM, said:

wouldn't mind seeing the link to the podcast once it's up. i dont know how to tell if its the right one

download and listen to them all.. it's not like we have anything better to do this summer, amirite?

[TOMapleLaughs]

y2kcanucks, on 11 June 2010 - 09:47 AM, said:

The rumoured trade for Tampa Bay's first round pick (2nd overall) last year was in the event that Hedman or Duchene went first overall to New York, and Tavares being available at number two. Also, I still disagree with everyone oozing over Victor Hedman. He is way too overhyped for what he brings, and I've seen him play a few times and really do not understand why everyone is so gaga over him. Yes, he has great size, but he doesn't use it. Yes he's a great skater, but he's never going to be as good as Zdeno Chara. In my opinion, the next top defenseman to come out of Sweden will not be Hedman, it'll be Adam Larsson who's not even draft eligibile yet. All the hype Hedman got should be going to Larsson.

In any case, the package wasn't enough. I wonder if Gillis will up the offer this draft.

[y2kcanucks]

TOMapleLaughs, on 11 June 2010 - 10:13 AM, said:

In any case, the package wasn't enough. I wonder if Gillis will up the offer this draft.

Based on his comments, no. I would be very surprised to see significant pieces moved for draft picks given that he feels we are a couple pieces away from being a true contender. It just seems to be counterintuitive. I could see us moving draft picks, bubble roster players like Bieksa or Bernier, perhaps someone like Mason Raymond, and prospects to move up in the draft, but I don't see us moving key cogs such as a Kesler or Burrows or Edler/Ehrhoff.

Now if we're getting another roster player back who can fill in for the players we move, or if we have subsequent acquisitions, then other players may be made available.

[Canada Hockey Place]

Maybe he shouldn't have let Ohlund walk then? Just saying. Physical Dman. Veteran. Team leader. Logs big minutes.

Sure would be nice to have a 2nd and 3rd instead of Bernier and Alberts too.

Overall Gillis has been good but he's made some key mistakes which should be questioned. He is no longer a new GM. He can't afford to make bad gambles.

[Jester@wraiths.ca]

y2kcanucks, on 11 June 2010 - 09:47 AM, said:

Also, I still disagree with everyone oozing over Victor Hedman. He is way too overhyped for what he brings, and I've seen him play a few times and really do not understand why everyone is so gaga over him.

"he turned pro and joined the Elitserien with Modo at the age of 16"
That is not something that happens often, not to mention that he handled it and excelled against the tougher competition.

The hype? If I recall, Peter Forsberg had been practicing with Modo when Hedman was there and stated that he hadn't seen a Swedish defensman this good since Lidstrom. Thats pretty high praise from a guy who knows the game pretty well. He didn't say Hedman would be the next Lidstrom, but still it was very high praise.Think realistically; ff he turned out 1/2 the player Lidstrom is, he'd be a great top pair defensman.

Edited by Jester@wraiths.ca, 11 June 2010 - 10:38 AM.

[Bodybender]

Donnie Shulzhoffer, on 11 June 2010 - 10:36 AM, said:

Maybe he shouldn't have let Ohlund walk then? Just saying. Physical Dman. Veteran. Team leader. Logs big minutes.

Sure would be nice to have a 2nd and 3rd instead of Bernier and Alberts too.

Overall Gillis has been good but he's made some key mistakes which should be questioned. He is no longer a new GM. He can't afford to make bad gambles.

Nah, Ohlund had become too old, and slow. His physical game had gone south mostly because he could no longer get to the hit on time. He didn't exactly have a stellar year in Tampa.

Edited by Bodybender, 11 June 2010 - 10:41 AM.

[TOMapleLaughs]

Donnie Shulzhoffer, on 11 June 2010 - 10:36 AM, said:

Overall Gillis has been good but he's made some key mistakes which should be questioned. He is no longer a new GM. He can't afford to make bad gambles.

So far his good moves have vastly outweighed his bad ones. And sometimes you have to consider that he's not in full control of what happens. Who knew Schneider would turn into a headcase? Who knew that Demo would light it up in the Olympics, highlighting his failure season for us? But i hope you're not thinking that keeping Ohlund around for his current contract would be a good move...

[hertzman]

TOMapleLaughs, on 11 June 2010 - 10:13 AM, said:

In any case, the package wasn't enough. I wonder if Gillis will up the offer this draft.

I can definitely see him making a similar play for Gudbranson.

Bieksa, Raymond, 1st to Florida for the 3rd pick and Gregory Campbell (maybe Colin will be on our side for once).

[Zach Morris]

Donnie Shulzhoffer, on 11 June 2010 - 10:36 AM, said:

Maybe he shouldn't have let Ohlund walk then? Just saying. Physical Dman. Veteran. Team leader. Logs big minutes.

Sure would be nice to have a 2nd and 3rd instead of Bernier and Alberts too.

Overall Gillis has been good but he's made some key mistakes which should be questioned. He is no longer a new GM. He can't afford to make bad gambles.

Ok where to start...........

Well letting Ohlund go was bound to happen. MG neede that money to resign the Twins last year, and Kes and Luo this year. Ohlund is a great player, but last years needs were to get a fast puck moving D-man - ala Erhoff.

Now we need a big strong gritty D-man - Ohluind was in his prime - but he is now past that. neways you are looking at highnsight.

The only Mistake I have seenthat MGT has made is trying to sign Sundidn for 10mill/season - luckily Sundin did not sign that deal.

Some can argue the Luo deal is a mistake - but we are only 1 year into it. An Olympic, starting goalie, gold medalist is a steal at 5.33 mill/season (cap hit).

Bernier and Alberts are proven NHL players. Bernier is not an all-star, but he is still able to be physical, and plays where MG puts him. PP - 1st line to 4th line., and he doesn't Bitc#. Alberts is a big D-men that had a few mistakes in playoffs, but came around somewhat. He also was a trade deadline D-man that needed to learn a new system on a banged up d-line. I'd say that would be hard for any player. looking at his salary at 1.05 mill - he is 2 mill less than any other d-men. He wasn't suppose to come in and be a Duncan Kieth.

The draft picks may never pan out, they may bust it up in the minors. In March 2010 I'd rather have two nhl seasoned players to help my depleted roster than 2 future draft picks.

You are only looking at MG and his decisions with your CDC blinders - take them off!!

[Canada Hockey Place]

TOMapleLaughs, on 11 June 2010 - 10:46 AM, said:

So far his good moves have vastly outweighed his bad ones. And sometimes you have to consider that he's not in full control of what happens. Who knew Schneider would turn into a headcase? Who knew that Demo would light it up in the Olympics, highlighting his failure season for us? But i hope you're not thinking that keeping Ohlund around for his current contract would be a good move...

Not saying it was a mistake. Just saying the question needs to be asked. If he can't land a quality FA this off-season. We're hooped.

[Hobble]

Funny how they were a few pieces away from being a contender for the last few seasons

[parstar]

Couple of issues with the Canucks depth. Touching a little on Mike Gillis and few other posts on here.

1. They only legitimately have 2 or 3 young up and coming forwards that will be playing in the NHL in the next few years. Lets face it those players lack grit, they are skilled players, when push comes to shove, they will not be the answer. So the lack of grit up front will still be an issue.

2. There is no full proof guarantee that the Canucks will be able to address their grit issues via free agency.

3. In my opinion there is not one up and coming d man in the Canucks organization that will be playing for the Canucks next season. On top of that we lack defenseman with composure, grit, and most importantly intelligence. Erhoff lacks true grit. We need a North American version of Erhoff.

4. The Canucks lack North American Talent, lets face it, its alright if your team is 60% North Americans and 40% European but when your team is composed of 80% European players and only 20% of North American players you will obviously lack depth.

5. Lastly, remove the C off Luongo, it is a distraction that is not necessary. It appeared that Luongo was more concerned who is crashing his net, not getting calls, attempting to argue with referees who lets face it are about consistent as our Liberal Government.

6. Even if the Canucks sign Dan Hamhuis, and don't sign a guy like Wille Mitchell, they really have NOT made a huge upgrade required to "move forward", and Dan Hamhuis in my opinion is not a guy who can play 30mins a game. He is a good 3rd d man.

7. Trade Bernier for a 3 or 4th rounder, un-necessary cap hit, we can easily fill his void through guys like tannier glass, Bernier is young, so he is still tradable.


In my opinion the Canucks would be able to address few of these issues by possibly making a valid pitch for a RESTRICTED free agent who is worth the picks, that the Canucks feel they can build their team around. They may be able to fill a secondary void through free agency. The Canucks should be looking to move up in the draft position where they feel they can draft a future legitimate defenseman who may be able to play in 1 or 2 seasons from now, when we can't afford to keep Erhoff around and to possibly fill the void left by Sami Salo.

Canucks should consider taking a step back this off season, give up a little in the forward area, acquire gritty forwards who are able to play 15 mins a game, 3rd line center should be a gritty 2 way center, not Cody Hodgson.

Edited by parstar, 11 June 2010 - 11:09 AM.