Gillis writes to season ticket holders, admits losing was unacceptable

[elvis15]

Have a look for yourself: Here's a look at our drafting history over the years. http://www.hockeydb....dr00008756.html

[wallstreetamigo]

I'm well aware of our draft history, thank you. Tell me how that proves Burke did better than Gillis.

Sure, he had the Sedins, Kesler, Bieksa, Edler and Hansen, all good players, but he also had drafts with 10 picks where he got nothing. He drafted a player that wouldn't sign with us in Umberger. He traded away a fair number of picks for players that did nothing.

Gillis has traded some picks at the deadline as well, but some have at least turned into regular players for us. Perhaps the top flight players drafted by Burkw are better than the quality Gillis has done with lower picks (nothing above a top 10), but Gaunce, Jensen, Lack, Corrado, Schroder, Hodgson/Kassian, Andersson, Blomstrand, etc. look to surpass Burke in success rate for being serviceable to very good NHL players. Then finding Tanev and Lack (perhaps also Lain) outside of the draft, that can't be discounted.

[Bodee]

Gillis lost his vision for the team.

Up until 2011 he was building towards something. A fast skilled team that would win games through it's speed, transition game, puck possession, and powerplay.

He threw away that philosophy the moment he traded Hodgson and acquired Pahlsson. He made a rushed move, probably on the advice of AV, but it was ultimately his call.

Ever since then, he has failed to make this team any more skilled or any more tough. All he's done is let good players walk while keeping useless players that don't fit on the team.

So ultimately he's just wasted the last two years by not being able to cut his losses when he should have, and wasting cap space on players that don't even play.

Even if he can somehow correct this now, our core players may be past their prime and not able to carry this team where it needs to go.

[wallstreetamigo]

Jeez DN I take any recent criticism back you have definitely got your "eye in" now.

Bit unfair to blame Pahlsson on AV though, unless you have proof. More likely to be one of Gillis's daft scouts.

[oldnews]

I felt at the time that the Hodgson for Kassian plus adding Pahlsson was made by MG to try to give AV the type of players he would actually use come playoff time. AV seems stuck in the belief that a checking center like Pahlson has to be on the 3rd line to make it effective. With the rest of the Canucks roster at the time though it probably made more sense to try to roll 3 offensive lines and outscore opponents a bit rather than just try to shut them down.

Right from the first interview with Pahlsson after the trade it sounded pretty obvious he was not happy about being in Vancouver. His play certainly bears that out.

[VanGnome]

Yea bro? What did Brian Burke Accomplish? What is Burkes record as a Canuck? what is Mike Gillis's record as a Canuck????

It's funny you keep finding ways you pwn yourself.

[wallstreetamigo]

Ironically, on the heels of the Roy acquisition...oh, that's right...he's too small...(184 lb pales in comparison to Hodgson's 185lbs).

[lmm]

not 1 hater has mentioned any names yet. A couple said Lawrence Gillman. Even worst there were a few that suggested Brian Burke to come back. Other then that, most of them are only good at slamming MIke Gillis but refuse to mention any possible replacements to avoid the possibility of them looking stupid.

[oldnews]

I see the Roy acquisition differently though. I see that as more of a desperation move because they did need center depth (ironic, isn't it?)

[wallstreetamigo]

Convenient exclusion:

I don't see Schroeder's shoulder dislocations as "ironic". I've had the injury 5 times - it's not easy to perform, to say the least.

You can characterize the deal however you want - the fact is that Roy is an offensively gifted center, the addition of whom contradicts your little 3rd line theory about the Canucks being so dead set in their ways.

[oldnews]

No it doesn't. Because AV reigned in Roy's offensive creativity by trying to make him more responsible defensively. He still tries to fit the player to the system rather than alter the system to take advantage of the skillset of the players he has available.

AV is one of the most inflexible coaches around, especially in the playoffs when other coaches have time and opportunity to adjust to his rigid system.

[wallstreetamigo]

You don't know what you're talking about.

The irony is the inflexiblity of your mindset, despite reality or the facts.

Roy is a guy who was gettiing 42% ozone starts in Dallas.

He got under 50% ozone starts the year before in Buffalo.

He was a defensively responsible center long before he arrived here.

[oldnews]

But with other coaches being defensively responsible and offensively creative are not mutually exclusive like they seem to be with AV. Dump and chase hockey with a guy like Roy and plug wingers? Yes, clearly that is going to maximize his offensive creativity.

AV should have used Kesler as his shutdown guy and Roy as the guy trying to generate offense. Not putting them together or using them exactly the opposite to that.

[Tearloch7]

I just saw Detroit control Chicago due to adjustments made between games, and the players buying into the necessary changes .. something I have NEVER seen in AV's career .. "round peg in square hole" approach is a losing concept .. silk purse into sow's ear .. AV and winning playoff hockey ..

[oldnews]

I just saw Detroit control Chicago due to adjustments made between games, and the players buying into the necessary changes .. something I have NEVER seen in AV's career .. "round peg in square hole" approach is a losing concept .. silk purse into sow's ear .. AV and winning playoff hockey ..

[Bodee]

I felt at the time that the Hodgson for Kassian plus adding Pahlsson was made by MG to try to give AV the type of players he would actually use come playoff time. AV seems stuck in the belief that a checking center like Pahlson has to be on the 3rd line to make it effective. With the rest of the Canucks roster at the time though it probably made more sense to try to roll 3 offensive lines and outscore opponents a bit rather than just try to shut them down.

Right from the first interview with Pahlsson after the trade it sounded pretty obvious he was not happy about being in Vancouver. His play certainly bears that out.

[Bodee]

I just saw Detroit control Chicago due to adjustments made between games, and the players buying into the necessary changes .. something I have NEVER seen in AV's career .. "round peg in square hole" approach is a losing concept .. silk purse into sow's ear .. AV and winning playoff hockey ..

[wallstreetamigo]

Whatever.

Again, you don't know what you're talking about.

Kesler was playing far more of a shutdown role than Roy - the fact is he got 36.2% offensive zone starts in the playoffs, less than Roy and close to Lapierre.

Kesler also faced the strongest quality of competition of any of the Canucks forwards, second to only Garrison on the team.

What that spell, WSA, is Kesler playing the shutdown role despite the fact you were oblivious to it.

He also played a team leading, by a significant margin, 4.83 minutes a game on the penalty kill, more than 3 minutes a game more than Roy.

But these mere corsi facts mean nothing. You "watch the games", right.

[oldnews]

It is about looking at the players on your roster objectively, looking at the other team, and designing the game plan around that. AV has a very definite idea about how to build lines effectively in the playoffs (the fact that it has been proven not to work multiple times is irrelevant to my point right now). He will overuse certain players despite having others to take some of that pressure off. Kesler is a prime example. Edler and Bieksa are two others.

Kesler was not effective at all shutting anyone down. Perhaps that is because he is expected to not only be the defensive shutdown guy but also the offensive engine of the secondary scoring. That is a significant difference. Kesler is not really able to excel at that shutdown role with the expectation of driving the offense too. He is not an elite level player in that sense. Like say a guy like Toews.

Roy was not given the wingers or the green light to be creative offensively to any great degree. He is most effective when he is allowed to flow a bit more freely in the offensive zone (and always has been). Kesler cannot carry the load at both ends of the ice. Using ALL players most effectively and using them in the roles they are most suited for allows other guys to also be better in their own defined roles.

As long as this coach thinks Kesler, Bieksa, and Edler are elite level players who can do it all and carry this team at both ends of the ice, this team will not win in the playoffs.

[wallstreetamigo]

Actually, the point is that AV was using him in the shutdown role AND a primary scoring role. That is why he was not effective in the shutdown role or the scoring roole. Too much expected of one guy. And it is a recurring theme with AV in regards to certain players.

Kesler is a great defensive player. He is inconsistent offensively though. His defensive game should be built for the playoffs and when he is focused only on shutting down the other team he is good at it (see Toews line a few years back in the playoffs).

Unfortunately he is relied on too much by AV to bring offense. Having Roy centering a 3rd line with plugs so you can overuse Kesler is suspect coaching in the playoffs, no way around that.