Why Gillis is actually a genius

[safin]

Gillis was a genius for his ability to hold on to his job for at least a year longer than he should've...when anybody with hockey sense knew he needed to go...as for stumbling ass backwards into a scenario that didn't completely bury the team despite his best intentions, well sometimes you just get lucky.

[Nuck-Shot]

the only saving grace for gillis here is that historically goalies dont fetch much in trades, unless your dealing with dave nonis that is. also i do not think gillis would have been able to sign miller

[Peaches]

This.

The other way to look at it is that we gave away two of the better goalies in the league for a rookie projected as a third liner, another journeyman third liner and a young goalie who's been struggling to stay in the NHL.

Horvat? A projected 3rd liner? Dear god...

And Markstrom has played not even a full season and he was on a bottom feeder.

[Tortorella's Rant]

Before you flame, hear me out. Here's our goaltending duos for the last couple years:

12/13 - Lu and Cory

13/14 - Lu and Lack

Now next season:

14/15 - Miller and Lack

Not much of a difference in terms of quality in goaltending right? Except when it was Lu and Cory maybe, but there's no way those two number ones were going to co-exist for very long.

Now the return for both Lu and Cory is:

- Bo Horvat

- Shawn Matthias

- Jacob Markstrom

Basically we got those assets for free while still having a number one and a number two goaltender. Gillis must have foreseen this. It was all part of the big picture plan of GMMG

Except that wasn't his intention and someone else helped bail his ass out here.

[jovocop55]

We could have gotten more for Cory.

Just no. Gillis. Just no.

agree... philly was interested if they had knew.. they would have offered a young player (couturier or voracek) and a high pick..

[Aladeen]

Gillis is a genius for finally getting his sorry ass fired so the team could actually start moving forward again instead of backwards.

word I know we butted heads in regards to AV but you are bang on about MG. Though I do think the picks in 2013 were pretty damn good. That being said it should have been self evident that nichushkin was what the Canucks needed, even if Horvat turns out to be the better player.

Though if the Canucks did draft Nichushkin we probably would have squeezed into the playoffs, if we met St. Louis we may have beat them but definitely would have been bounced in the second round - gillis and torts would still be here and we would be drafting low middle range again.

So all in all I am actually quite content with what has transpired in these past two off seasons and once again I am excited about the Canucks this next season. Here's to hoping they either dominate or fail epically either way it's sure to be entertaining.

[Alex Burrows 14]

This is what I've been saying.

[Standing_Tall#37]

I wouldn't take your word for anything TBH.

You're right, but just for giggles;

Hodgson-top 6

Sauve -bust

Rai-bust

Froshaug-bust

M. Clark-bust

Schroeder-bust

Rodin-bust

Connaughton-6th/7th D-man

Price-bust

Anderson-bust

Canata-bust

Anthony-bust

McNally-bust

Polasek-bust

Friesen-bust

lilahti-bust

Hannay-bust

Jensen- could go either way

Hoznik-bust

Grenier-bust

Labate-bust

Bloomstrand-bust

Corrado-6th/7th

Westerholm-bust

Tommerness-no NHL games

Gaunce-looking like bust

Mallet-bust

Hutton-?

Myron-bust

Beattie-bust

It kind of looks like historically pretty much all of our prospects don't make it & they def. don't make an impact. But keep on dreaming all of our draft picks are the best.

[wallstreetamigo]

word I know we butted heads in regards to AV but you are bang on about MG. Though I do think the picks in 2013 were pretty damn good. That being said it should have been self evident that nichushkin was what the Canucks needed, even if Horvat turns out to be the better player.

Though if the Canucks did draft Nichushkin we probably would have squeezed into the playoffs, if we met St. Louis we may have beat them but definitely would have been bounced in the second round - gillis and torts would still be here and we would be drafting low middle range again.

So all in all I am actually quite content with what has transpired in these past two off seasons and once again I am excited about the Canucks this next season. Here's to hoping they either dominate or fail epically either way it's sure to be entertaining.

I totally agree. Having a crappy meltdown the last half of the season combined with Gillis questionable moves and non-moves the last few years left the Aquilini's with no choice but to get rid of Gillis. That only would have happened when the threat of season ticket sales and bottom line was being threatened by the team's plunge into the abyss under Gillis' watch.

All in all I think a clean sweep of the management and coaching staff is what this team truly needed to move forward.

I can honestly say that I am excited about the upcoming season, even if we end up dead last in the league. Because I see a GM who is not only filling holes but filling the actual holes we have while not blocking the road completely for what is a good group of prospects. Gillis deserves some credit for improving the prospect cupboard in his time particularly 2013 as you say. But those players stand a much better chance of proper development now imo.

[ArmchairCanuckGM]

You have to remember that Benning's close and long-term relationship to Miller attracted him to Vancouver. I can't say this would have happened with Gillis as GM.

Hiller or Brodeur would have been decent alternatives if we had a different GM who wasn't close to Miller.

[wallstreetamigo]

Hiller or Brodeur would have been decent alternatives if we had a different GM who wasn't close to Miller.

Hiller has health issues and Brodeur is a shell of his former self in terms of being a starting goalie. He also does not seem to really want to be a mentor to anyone. He is more concerned about keeping his #1 spot.

[Jack Fig]

Proof that you can put a spin on anything if you really want to.

[JeremyCuddles]

So Gillis is a genius cause Benning signed Miller? Logic.

We'd probably be going into this season with Lack/Markstrom with Gillis cause he doesn't have the stones to move NTC players and we'd be strapped for cash.

[coastal1]

Before you flame, hear me out. Here's our goaltending duos for the last couple years:

12/13 - Lu and Cory

13/14 - Lu and Lack

Now next season:

14/15 - Miller and Lack

Not much of a difference in terms of quality in goaltending right? Except when it was Lu and Cory maybe, but there's no way those two number ones were going to co-exist for very long.

Now the return for both Lu and Cory is:

- Bo Horvat

- Shawn Matthias

- Jacob Markstrom

Basically we got those assets for free while still having a number one and a number two goaltender. Gillis must have foreseen this. It was all part of the big picture plan of GMMG

Wow, we go from Lu and Schneider, two top NHL goalies to Miller and Lack, a goalie in decline and an unproven back up and we get in exchange: 1) a prospect who is still years away from serious contribution, if at all, 2) a third line center, and 3) an AHL goalie. Genius is not strong enough!

[7thMan]

If you expect Miller to be as good as Luongo or Lack to be as good as Schneider, you're in for disappointment. We've downgraded; the degree to which we have downgraded is yet to be seen.

Of all of the stuff coming back, Horvat is the only guy worth while. A player of Matthias' calibre can be easily signed in free agency and Markstrom looks like a fringe starter at best. The guys we dealt had real value, at one point.

[EmployeeoftheMonth]

This.

The other way to look at it is that we gave away two of the better goalies in the league for a rookie projected as a third liner, another journeyman third liner and a young goalie who's been struggling to stay in the NHL.

Bo Horvat

Future

After a relatively successful Team Canada World Juniors Summer Evaluation Camp, Horvat will attend the Canucks training camp, hoping to earn a spot on the Canucks roster this season. Though there is a chance he might do this, it is more likely that he will need to spend more time with the London Knights. Horvat has the size, speed, and grit that should ultimately land him a top-six position with the Canucks.

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/bo-horvat/

[EmployeeoftheMonth]

Say one thing about Gillis, he at least didn't make the team worse during his tenure.

Imagine last years 29th ranked offense without Kesler, and Bobby Lou. Welcome to your 2014 Canucks, people.

Be honest... You're f'ing with us right?

[sinphase]

Luongo and Schneider for three unknowns.

Luongo should have been traded to Toronto after Reimer flopped in the first round of the 2013 playoffs and before they acquired Bernier that summer. Imagine the top 6 talent we could have gotten. Instead we get Matthias, a guy who's had 8 years to impress in the NHL but didn't.

[MJDDawg]

Bo Horvat

Future

After a relatively successful Team Canada World Juniors Summer Evaluation Camp, Horvat will attend the Canucks training camp, hoping to earn a spot on the Canucks roster this season. Though there is a chance he might do this, it is more likely that he will need to spend more time with the London Knights. Horvat has the size, speed, and grit that should ultimately land him a top-six position with the Canucks.

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/bo-horvat/

I hope Bo does become a top 6 centre, but the stats suggest otherwise. The key to Hockeys Future assessment of Bo are the words "should ultimately". In other words, he may get there and maybe even should get there. Given the advanced stats and overall skill set though, I still feel that the second line centre position may be a bit of a stretch for him, if only because he may not be able to score at the level expected. But hey, I thought the same of Kes when he first joined the team full-time and he surprised many so I really do hope he can achieve that.

"The good news for Canucks fans is that there are players who have become top-6 centremen that have scored at a lower rate in the CHL than Bo Horvat has. Dallas' Cody Eakin (who was picked in the 3rd round, 85th overall by the Washington Capitals in 2009) is Horvat's closest comparable, and he looks like he'll contribute about 35 points and a positive Corsi this year while playing average difficulty minutes on a line with Ray Whitney and Alex Chiasson. Ryan O'Reilly is also an excellent player on an up-and-coming Avalanche team, and David Desharnais, Tyler Johnson, Brandon Dubinsky and Adam Henrique are all nice players too.

The bad news for Canucks fans is that the vast majority of guys who became top-6 NHL centremen were elite offensive performers in the CHL. Even with his stronger 2013-14 season, Bo Horvat has not been an elite offensive performer relative to the guys that have developed into top-6 centremen, and players who score at a rate similar to his at the same age still usually tend not to become regular NHL players at all"

http://canucksarmy.com/2014/3/10/reasonable-expectations-for-the-future-is-bo-horvat-a-top-6-c

or Bleacher Report:

Top-End Potential

The worst-case projection for Horvat is an above-average third-line center. Given his tenacity and willingness to go to war for his teammates, he could eventually slot in as a No. 2 center, providing the grit and sandpaper for his more talented teammates. Role-wise, think Justin Abdelkader with the Detroit Red Wings or Dustin Brown with the Los Angeles Kings.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1677158-bo-horvat-prospect-profile-for-vancouver-canucks-1st-round-pick

[asian player]

You know how bad Gillis was when you have to dig this deep to find something positive about him... and it had nothing to do with him