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The End Of A Canucks Era!


Canuck7611

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Keep some core players but everone else is fair game to deal with and that's the majority of the team, also coaches , scouts and managers should be looked at.

If the Lightning ,Ducks and Hurricanes can put together Stanley Cup winning teams , why after 41 years can't Vancouver do the same ,and I've watched every one of those years.

We don't need to blow this team up but major change is needed so we don't have to wait 10 , 15 years to get back to the finals because that's what we're looking at.

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the ending yes... the end no.

For years we didn't draft, trade for, and develop any impact first line first pair players. When the twins start to decline even Kesler isn't suitable to play in top line center role with his inability to make his linesmate better. In a couple years, when the twins cannot contribute at a point a game pace (we may be starting to see that this season), we will start to see a gradual decline of this team. Is this the end already? I seriously doubt that. Is this the start of the end? Definitely. After the Twins era I think it will take a while to build another cup contending team. MG had a vision to build the team like the Detroit model but too bad I don't think we have enough solid prospect to keep us at the top in 3-5 years.

The only way to keep the competition going is via trade that completely rip the other team off, or by FA. However, that is never easy in a salary cap era. The key to success is to have not one or two but many bargain type deals.

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It can take 5-10 years to build a Cup contending team, don't let Gillis' comments fool all of you. We are farther than you think and I would rather start the rebuilding NOW, maybe miss the playoffs for 1-2 years to solidify strong draft picks, than be stuck in another 10 years of mediocrity.

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How can you say that all Tanev will ever be is a top 3-4 dman when he's played like 50 games -__-

Get your head checked out. The Canucks are still a good team; they just lack that extra gear right now. Next year I doubt they'll have the same problem. If we trade Schneider we will get a very good player in return, maybe a gamebreaker.

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Hahahah...

The Naslund-Bertuzzi "era" got us one playoff round win. And even then, we won because the whole Blues team got the flu!

We have a great core here. Problem is that our best goalscorer is hurt, and the team is exhausted from the long run last year and the short offseason. With a few tweaks, and a new coach, the nucks will be back to being a contender next season.

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So we were 1 win away from a Stanley Cup and we need to end this era and start a rebuild? I know the canucks are playing like garbage at the moment, but they need roster tweaks more than an overhaul.

I think they are just exhausted from the last year. You may point to Boston or other teams that have fared well the year after getting to the final, but the Canucks road to the final was absolutely gruelling. Take into account the all-start game and the Sedins (Henrik at least) haven't rested in a long time. This team will be competitive next year, there is not doubt in my mind, but we do need some important new pieces. Keep the core together. It's the best team we have possibly ever had.

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Dont think their opportunity is necessarily over if they lose the round - but would be MUCH tougher down the road. Some of the older players may leave so would have some money to possibly get a free agent or two and we will have to see what happens with Schneider / Luongo and any of the assets we may get back for them. We should also see if Schroeder, Kassian, Jensen and Sauve are the real deals and crack the lineup. Either way they should have 1/3 of the team changed just to keep the 'hunger' and committment and stop 'looking' back at how close they came. I think that was problem with Calgary and is reason that Feester will most likely change that team quite abit now. Lets hope this is all talk and they manage to steal game 4 and go from there one game at a time. No bounces this year, so guess they used them all up last year.

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We all remember the Naslund, Bertuzzi, Linden era which was filled with years of false hopes and disappointment. I feel we are witnessing the end of an era for guys like Luongo, Sedins, Kesler, Burrows, Edler, Bieksa. Game 7 last year was our chance and we got screwed by the refs, a freak injury to Hamhuis in Game 1 and numerous other injuries to our core. I honestly feel that our so called "window" is closed and it may be another situation like 1994 - 2010 till we get a chance to win the Cup again. Gillis has said that the Canucks will be a team that is built to win and be competitive for many years....while this may true and provided that we keep the above core together, we will continue to win games in the regular season and make the playoffs year after year. For the last decade, we have been built to be a finesse and speed team but the underlying problem is that we have equipped this Canucks team with finesse players top to bottom that can skate but lack any grit and toughness!!

However making the playoffs and having a team competitive enough to win the Cup are 2 different things. After watching the first 3 games of this LA series, it is evident that the Kings are following the exact blueprint that Boston used in the Finals against this same team. Boston beat us with a very hot goalie and an impenetrable defence made up of size grit, physicality and mobility. Quick is playing better than Tim Thomas and the Kings D is completely manhandling our forwards, preventing anybody from getting to the net and killing our predictable cycle game by winning every loose puck battle along the boards. Trust me, even if we made it past LA, we would have been exposed by a team like Philly or the Rangers. Our core (i.e. Kesler, Burrows, Sedins, Higgins, Booth, etc, etc) lack the size, grit and heart to overcome fierce defences like LA, Boston or Philly.

Looking at our D, Hamhuis is great. Bieksa is adequate but lacks the size to match up with power forwards and lacks the skill of a D-man that can anchor the PP or jump up in the play. Edler has proven that he doesnt have the ability to elevate his game to the next level and if we keep him, the best he will ever be is another Ohlund that plays with less physicality. Salo is done and has 1 year left possibly. Ballard is a bust and Tanev will be nothing more than a top 3-4 D man.

Now we just can't go out and trade everyone or enter a rebuilding mode because it would sacrifice our ability to generate revenues via ridiculous ticket sales. More likely than not, we will be seeing 90% of all these players for the next 4-5 years with some minor tweeks to 3rd or 4th line which has become a Gillis specialty since he became GM.

Folks, as depressing as it sounds...we will be stuck in futility and 1st or 2nd round exits for the next 3-5 years unless we make major changes to our personnel. Last year, everything aligned perfectly; we knocked off a Blackhawks team that beat us 2 times prior (if you can't beat a team with double playoff revenge, you have no pride at all); we faced a Preds team that had depth issues and were happy to be in the 2nd round after winning a playoff series for the 1st time in franchise history; then we beat a Sharks team that are NHL chokers, nuff said!

It can take 5-10 years to build a Cup contending team, don't let Gillis' comments fool all of you. We are farther than you think and I would rather start the rebuilding NOW, maybe miss the playoffs for 1-2 years to solidify strong draft picks, than be stuck in another 10 years of mediocrity.

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The window is still open for at least one more year, MG just has to do a better job of complementing them.

The Sedins are still point-a-game players.

Kesler is still a 50-point player.

Hamhuis is still a great shutdown defenceman.

Edler is fresh off a 49-point season and could either hit 55 next season or have a serious slump.

Luongo is still a 30-win goaltender.

Bieksa is coming off one of his best seasons.

The Canucks' core is still great, we just need better peripheral players. Malhotra has been the worst Canuck all season long and while he has a NTC, we have to get him to play better or send him to the minors.

Pahlsson and Hansen showed they're great checking forwards but with very little offensive touch, so they have to play better or they'll be our new 4th line.

Kassian has been an absolute waste of great talent in Hodgson, but if he can have a good training camp and score at a 15-goal, 40-point pace I'll be happy. Otherwise send him to the minors or trade him for all I care.

Booth has been scoring at a 20-goal pace and has been inconsistent, but if he can reach the 30-goal mark next season without injuries he'll be a success.

Salo really struggled later in the season at both ends of the ice, it looks like his age is finally getting to him so either let him retire or demote him to 14 minutes a game (special teams) on the bottom pairing.

Ballard has been great, but nowhere near worth his money and this team needs more big, physical shutdown defencemen instead of quick puck movers who don't actually score points.

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So we were 1 win away from a Stanley Cup and we need to end this era and start a rebuild? I know the canucks are playing like garbage at the moment, but they need roster tweaks more than an overhaul.

I think they are just exhausted from the last year. You may point to Boston or other teams that have fared well the year after getting to the final, but the Canucks road to the final was absolutely gruelling. Take into account the all-start game and the Sedins (Henrik at least) haven't rested in a long time. This team will be competitive next year, there is not doubt in my mind, but we do need some important new pieces. Keep the core together. It's the best team we have possibly ever had.

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