AMCanuck Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 First and foremost, I have great respect for Mike Gillis for the way he's managed the team since his arrival. 2 Presidents trophy years, trip to the finals, consistent divisional titles, etc are all great accomplishments. That being said, however, Gillis is far from perfect and some moves he has made from last years free agency till this years trade deadline have been completely mindboggling. And because of Gillis' shortcomings, we are evidently paying for them now in this years playoffs (so far). I'll begin with how we handled Raffi Torres' contract. Torres was one of our best performers in the 2011 playoffs. He brought intensity, secondary scoring ability (scored a nice, clutch goal in the boston series) and when the scoring lines were suffering, his line would come on and most of the time would again put the momentum on our side. But when the off season came, Gillis refused to sign Torres because, as I've heard, Gillis wasn't willing to compromise on a few extra years that Torres wanted on his contract. A very trivial reason, imo, to not sign a player who was important to a long cup run. It is evident right now that we are missing a player like Torres. He would've been a nice response to guys like Richards or Brown. If anyone thinks Torres wouldn't have helped us now, I would love to hear your arguments. Second, on the trade deadline, Gillis completely screwed up by trading away Hodgson. But also, Gillis' bigger failure lies in what he got in return for Hodgson. With Cody, we had consistent secondary scoring that was helping us a lot. When our top players were stopped by defending opposition players, Cody and his line would get that job done. But now, sadly, we are severaly lacking that luxury in scoring. And lets assume Cody did want out, couldn't we have waited till the off season? Or at least get a return that would be helping us this year? I am not so dissapointed in trading Hodson, I am more dissapointed in what we got in return for a player of the calibre of Hodson. Kassian may develope into an amazing player, but by the time that happens, guys like the Sedins, Burrows and Kesler will be aging and in decline, so I don't see how adding Kassian when we did helped us in any way. If Torres had resigned in the off season, and if Cody stayed at the trade deadline, would you guys rather have that or would you remove both players and add Kassian and Gragnani instead? Our management profoundly miscalculated what our team needed, and we are paying for it now. What I'm seeing on the ice, without Daniel in the lineup, are a bunch of players being shuffled around who seem really confused about what their roles are. We may win a series, but there is no way we win a cup when fourth line players are being forced into first and second line duties, and especially when a guy like ebbet is centering the second pp unit. We talk about 'depth' all year, and right now, with an injury to one superstar, we are being exposed for the lack of it. What happens, say, if Kesler goes down next game? These shortcomings cannot be blamed on any player or coach. It all falls to the GM who is supposed to assemble the best possible team. And Mike Gillis has definitely failed, this year, to assemble a Stanley Cup winning team. I would like to add that just because I don't have faith right now in the team it does not make me a 'bandwaggoner' or whatever else I might get accused of. I am a huge fan trying to realistically analyze our team and trying to figure out where we went wrong and what we may have done right. And living in Toronto, I pay almost $300 a year so that I can watch every single regular season Canucks game. So as a fan, I request responses to be intelligent and interactive. If you don't have anything to say besides something like "MG rules you suck" then please don't write anything, the mods will lock this thread if it needs to be. I wish the Canucks the very best, and I hope I can be proven wrong once we turn this all around. GCG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tearloch7 Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Next .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyBoy44 Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 I swear all you have to do is look through the first three pages to find the right thread. This is getting right out ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etsen3 Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Personnel isn't the problem. On paper we're still the better team. But the team is being sloppy mentally which is costing us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMO Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 We've only lost two games..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyBolivia Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Didn't know that Torres and Hodgson would have prevented a Daniel concussion, created an invisible Kesler and Bieksa and caused Edler's game to do a complete 180. Come on man, if we're up 2-0 in the series these threads aren't even thought of. We're down 2-0 because our role players are not playing like our role players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmotamed Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 I think if we were trying to win the cup now (or very soon) we shouldnt have invested in Kassian, a young, still in need of much development, 21 year-old who wont be ripe until a few years from now. Hodgson would have benefited us greatly in this run with his secondary scoring and sniping abilities. It doesnt make sense that we have given away so much of our future (Shirokov, Tambellini, Hodgson, etc) and then try to pick one up. He has little to no impact in a game, this Kassian guy. Another big body like Ehrhoff on the back end would have been a phenomenal choice, but it was not ours to have, money took precedence. With him on the line-up, we wouldnt need somebody like Tanev who seems to get run over all the time, or Ballard who is questionable at best... Or worst of all, the Rome & Alberts jokes. At this point though, I would scratch Edler for a game so he wakes up, let Rome/Alberts play it in his place. I would put in Schneider to mix things up even though i firmly believe Luongo has been our best player, by far. Cause we can always go back to Lu for game 4 in case we lose the 3rd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smashian Kassian Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Didn't know that Torres and Hodgson would have prevented a Daniel concussion, created an invisible Kesler and Bieksa and caused Edler's game to do a complete 180. Come on man, if we're up 2-0 in the series these threads aren't even thought of. We're down 2-0 because our role players are not playing like our role players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forevernucks19 Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 We've only lost two games..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRR Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 A few extra years is trivial? I don't think so. You start handing out contracts like that and you set a precedent for the rest of the team and soon you've handcuffed yourself in long-term contracts. And the Hodgson deal, what would you have wanted? Gillis isn't stupid; when a player asks for a trade, you don't sit on the idea and let it become an issue in the room. And you're not going to get nearly what you probably should for Hodgson if you trade for an older established player as there is always the fear Hodgson will not reach his potential. Cross that off the list, as Gillis would never and should never trade, unless he is able to get full value for a top prospect. So you're left dealing for someone similar to age in Hodgson. Kassian is a top prospect in the league, and probably the best power-forward prospect as well. How is that a bad idea when it's exactly what we need? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoneypuckOverlord Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 were the hell is the minus options? I like to give people negatives at this point. MIke Gillis has done nothing but great things for this team in 4 seasons. Look at the team record. We've won everything except for a Stanley cup! MIke Gillis is the reason why we are this good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shift-4 Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 A few less bobbles, a few less penalties and this thread isn't made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clutchburr Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Yeah, at this point I'd agree with that sentiment. I don't think anybody disagrees that we should have re-signed Torres, and perhaps retained that 3rd line the way it was in last year's playoffs (with Lappy and Hansen). That bull-like mentality that Torres had was valuable to us in the playoffs, grinding down the other team's stars (like Thornton's shoulder), and scoring that clutch goal like you said. With that vacancy, we felt we needed to replace Torres with Kassian, who up to this point, has not provided us with what Torres did. It's a pipe-dream now, and we all liked the trade when it happened, but I admit at this point, it would be nice to re-do that trade. Gragnani is a healthy scratch and Kassian might as well be right now. Hodgson had the 3rd highest points per minute of ice-time on the team and could have been providing some offensive insurance right now, maybe taking Raymond's spot in the top 6. I was surprised (and disappointed) not to see Raymond traded, and then to see Hodgson leave meant that our top 6 (Burr, Sedins, Kes, Booth, MaRay) would have to get it done on a nightly basis, which they are collectively not doing right now. We felt that we were deep enough offensively, but considering Hodgson's numbers given his ice-time, it now seems like a semi-regrettable decision, as Kassian is understandably not ready to fulfill a top 6 role. But this is all in retrospect, and I admit at the time of the trade, I was excited to get Kassian (probably because I thought he'd play like Torres!) Like Gillis, I thought that our top-end guys were more than capable, but now it would sure be nice to have Hodgson back. You can't really fault Gillis for a trade that everyone initially liked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clam linguine Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Yup, should have kept Torres, a perfect guy for the playoffs. I was glad Hodgson was traded when his value should have been high, but yes, we should have got someone more playoff ready. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5nothincanucksohno Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 A few extra years is trivial? I don't think so. You start handing out contracts like that and you set a precedent for the rest of the team and soon you've handcuffed yourself in long-term contracts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyBolivia Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 If you think Kesler is invisible you haven't been watching much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgillnuck Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 I agree OP. I think Gillis has been great for us over the last few years, but this year his decisions have really confused me. The only moves I agreed with at the time were adding Booth and Pahlsson, and even Booth hasn't worked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockey Fever Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 All you guys should be used to disappointment, we've had 42 years of ? Just get used to it, it'll make the healing process much easier every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brackenreid Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 I agree completly with this breakdown. I was dissapointed to see Raffi go as well as the Hodge. The fact is we have jumbled up lines who seem confused as to where to be on the ice. I saw so many near collisons between our players, not to mention three guys falling over Lu. I have faith in this team, I've watched every single game this season and like the OP I have to pay out the nose to get it, but the point is that it's just the lines are jumbled, from what the OP said, not the best foresight in management. Add one injurgy to the star player who happens to compliment another player really well (the Sedin cycle is GONE) and we have a near disastorious situation. They've pulled through worse. Teams have over come far worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bakeman3803 Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 I hope you all are happy. Without the massive uproar for schneider and the complete dis trust in the guy who brought us within a game of the promise land, we would have been able to deal our top prospect and maybe package him up with hodgson to get a real key top 6 forward or top 4 defenceman. If the fans hadnt "neutered" their GM like dumbass PJ stock likes to say, Gillis woulda had the stones to pull the trigger and make a deal with even greater impact. How stupid is it to have 2 100 chips and not be able to use one every game? That moneys is needed elsewhere. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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