(Article) Winnipeg Jets timeline led to Linden's dismissal

[48MPHSlapShot]

1 hour ago, lmm said:

you can play the "what if" game all day.

If they did not get Laine they may have gotten Dubois, Tkachuk or Sergachev, maybe Puljujarvi developes better in the Peg.

What if one of the 4 teams ahead of Vancouver picked Pettersson? Maybe we end up with Makar, Glass or Vilardi?

The maybes could go on forever.

Granted, but at the same time, you can't use a dude that won a million dollar lottery as the blueprint to build a successful life. The same principal applies. 

[Nucker 67]

Does it matter what Ed Willes thinks might've happened?

 

Maybe he should write an article on how the Oilers and Leafs are molasses slow in their rebuild next to the Canucks  (even with all of those 1st OA picks they've gotten handed to them). Or how the Jets have never been to the SCF in their history (including the old Jets teams). It annoys me when the media buffoons compare the Canucks (in a negative light) to the Leafs, Jets and Oilers, etc.

 

Maybe he should also write an article how the Canucks were the last Canadian powerhouse team to make it to the SCF, and here we are 7 years later and already almost done with the rebuild, ready to go at it again in a few years. I'd read that article. Last time the Leafs were there players never wore helmets for crying out loud. Going on 50 years! Canucks have been there 3 times since.

 

 

 

[alt kilgore]

2 hours ago, aGENT said:

None of it was 'attempting to go for one more run'. They were supporting the existing team for sure (the twins in particular) but that is not mutually exclusive with rebuilding and in no way did anyone think this team was a cup contender nor were they in any way attempting to make it one.

 

Their main focus has always been the post-Sedin, youth oriented rebuild. They simply also supported the existing NHL club (that also insulated kids).

We can agree to disagree. I heard as recent as the season before last how they though they were still a playoff team. 

In actuality, every team is perpetually rebuilding, no matter where they finish. Even cup contenders rarely if ever trade away their very top prospects for rentals.

 

And conversely even on a full on rebuilding team they still need a veteran presence to help teach and support the youth.

 

It's a matter of degrees. And of recognizing in time when that switch is made. IMO they held off two or three years too long, but I also cut them some slack because of the Sedin factor.

[aGENT]

16 minutes ago, kilgore said:

We can agree to disagree. I heard as recent as the season before last how they though they were still a playoff team. 

In actuality, every team is perpetually rebuilding, no matter where they finish. Even cup contenders rarely if ever trade away their very top prospects for rentals.

 

And conversely even on a full on rebuilding team they still need a veteran presence to help teach and support the youth.

 

It's a matter of degrees. And of recognizing in time when that switch is made. IMO they held off two or three years too long, but I also cut them some slack because of the Sedin factor.

If that were true we wouldn't have the deep pool of prospects and young NHL players we are currently enjoying. We would have sold off futures to contend.

 

They didn't say they were a playoff team (let alone a cup contender). They said playoffs is always the goal (as it should be) and that that they aimed to remain competitive. That's not the same thing.

 

Sure, every team is always rebuilding 'to some degree'. That's basically my point. What's the team's main focus? Is Winnipeg's main focus right now to rebuild or contend for a cup? You may agree or disagree with 'to what degree'  they focused on youth/post-Sedin rebuild vs supporting the existing NHL team (not that those are mutually exclusive), but I'd say the current evidence suggests they focused 'enough' to have a top 3 in the league prospect pool 4 short years after Benning took over along with perennial Calder candidates last, this and likely next year.

 

And yet people still have the arrogance to question how they went about it/insist they know better/question the efficacy of the plan when they clearly don't even understand what the plan was 

[lmm]

37 minutes ago, 48MPHSlapShot said:

Granted, but at the same time, you can't use a dude that won a million dollar lottery as the blueprint to build a successful life. The same principal applies. 

I would take that team minus Laine over the team we have now.

I would take team Giant over team Smurf

[48MPHSlapShot]

8 minutes ago, lmm said:

I would take that team minus Laine over the team we have now.

I would take team Giant over team Smurf

But can you guarantee with certainty what that team would be without Laine? Elite players have the ability to affect their teammates in significant ways, and Laine is most certainly no exception to that rule. We're starting to see that with Pettersson here, as I doubt Goldobin or Eriksson have anything resembling top 6 numbers without Pettersson.

[IBatch]

The only thing that grates me is I can’t help but feel ownership used Linden to help assuage the frustration that was bound to come their way as the Sedin era came to a close and the team bottomed out. Until Linden goes public with what actually happened it’s all speculation, he certainly doesn’t need to explain himself though.   

[Guest]

Yawn, another Ed Willis article.  I'll pass, thank you.  

 

The point of the article is to get us mad at the ownership.  

 

Actions speak louder then words, and the Canucks have been in a full rebuild mode for a few years now.  No point in letting your frustrations get the better of you and getting mad at the ownership.  It's going to take some time to get good.  It's not like we traded away Juolevi to get an established veteran.  

 

We've picked up Motte and Leipsic, who have done better then some 5th round picks would've.  I'm happy, let Linden enjoy his time with his first born kid.

[Trebreh]

Ed Willis must be a hfboard poster.

 

 

[MoneypuckOverlord]

10 hours ago, Jam126 said:

It's an article by Ed Willes'. Pass.

exactly plus the jets/thrashers were rebuilding since 2008 as far as I know, so they were  years ahead of us.  they made the playoffs in 2015 after a 7 year absence.

 

fail Ed, as usual.

[coastal.view]

not sure what to make of this all

the article is odd

 

some of the commentary about linden is odd

sorry about that joe

but what is linden doing in his 4th year asking other nhl brass about rebuilds

when he should have been doing that his 1st year

so he sold aquaman initially on what? his ability to massage the fan base

but was otherwise ignorant? but bought into aquaman's wish to see a speedy turnabout anyway?

and then after the 4 years changed his mind a felt a slower process was better??

and this is all ok to people?

 

well i think i have some sense of what did happen

linden was neutered at the end

and sidelining him started in 2017... reasons are not clear

but by the time jb was extended linden was simply a figure head

 

am not sure why stuck around a few months more?

perhaps the pay was good.. and may as well wait till summer before taking a lot of time off

to me this is the most puzzling part of his delayed departure

if he was so certain of his views and was stripped of power by the team

why did he hang on?

 

i doubt linden ever works again for the canucks while they are owned by aquaman

 

[Crabcakes]

9 hours ago, xereau said:

This is all just speculation.  But it kind of does make sense, if its true.

Linden was apparently going around the draft for a few years asking various teams' brass for tips and tricks on how to build a franchise.

 

Is this how you build a business at the highest level of an industry?  Go around and openly admit you know squat about being at the top of an industry to your direct competition?

 

I bet this noob behavior, if its actually true, truly pissed Mr. Aquilini right off.

It's called Business Intelligence or BI and is a field unto itself.  It is about a business understanding the external environment within which they operate.  What Linden did was part of that.  If you ask the right questions of people, it is surprising the answers you'll get.  Often they will tell much more than you expected.  In Hockey, it is easy to track the moves that various teams have made because they are pretty much public knowledge.  The why's and wherefore's may be had for the asking insider to insider.  Linden has friends in business and I wouldn't be surprised if he would get advice like doing this.  That Linden's quest was made public is probably the most surprising part.

 

LInden's findings may not have been well received by Aquilini but it doesn't make them less true.  The Canucks situation was unique because of the crappy prospect pool that they had and the age of their team but there are plenty of scenario's out there that could be followed by the team.  Winnipeg obviously is one.  It took Cheveldayoff 7 years before Winnipeg was considered a powerhouse in 2017-18 (even though they made the playoffs 3 years prior).  I wouldn't be surprised if a similar time line is facing Benning.   That would be over or under 2020-21.  I'm taking the over, based on the slow start on the rebuild the Canucks took.

[apollo]

11 hours ago, 48MPHSlapShot said:

I wonder how the Jets would look had they not fluked out landing the 2nd overall pick in 2016. Just sayin'.

Exactly. That was our pick they won... NHL lottery killed us. 

[Ghostsof1915]

Just when you think you've seen everything on CDC, Warhippy uses the phrase. "Sodomize with a cactus" 

 

Bravo. 

 

Post of the year candidate? 

[King Heffy]

I fail to see a positive to beating this dead horse.  Linden gave more than anyone could expect to this franchise and city.  The least we can do in return is respect his privacy now that he's no longer with the team.  The Canucks are in good hands and Linden is hopefully enjoying his family life.

[hammertime]

12 hours ago, cyoung said:

Still good, they are solid regardless of laine's production.

agreed prime example Edm just checked yep they still suck.

[Canuck Surfer]

13 hours ago, Tre Mac said:

Honestly I still think they'd be good.  Look at all their first round draft picks, they do extremely well drafting.

 

 

Yeah, they hit every year with their firsts. Except with Stanley. Really scored deep with Helebucyk? But really only have Andrew Copp besides Helebucyk for picks outside the first. Guys like Roslovic & especially Connor, Trouba & Scheifele were great value at their pick. Add not just skill, but speed, and some size to render them hard to play against.

 

They have not drafted that great outside that? Gustafsson & Dylan Samberg are guys I like from more recent years. And there is noise about Sami Niku.  But he was also supposed to make their roster this year. They really needed a D like him. On an ELC. And he was not ready? (I think he's up with the main club now?  @Monty ?) 

[cory40]

I think its a moot point. Who cares why Linden was dismissed! I am more concerned with why the province newspaper keeps these thugs employed.  Hockey minds don't always make good teams. More often then not teams are firing coaches and GM's. I really like what we are doing and we look very competitive right now. The NHL is doing the Canucks in with this B.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<S schedule.  Edmonton seems to always have two days off between games, the Canucks are going to play almost a month with games every other night. Tough to win when the league you pay your taxes for has it out for you!

[JeremyCuddles]

It made the most sense when the seperation happened. It was obvious Linden was in no rush to compete. Eriksson signing definitely the only glaring mistake though in regards to speeding up the rebuild. We see how things are with Marky, definitely not against the Miller signing either. Not a fun way to play when your goalie looks like Swiss cheese most nights.

[FedorFedorov]

4 hours ago, Trebreh said:

Ed Willis must be a hfboard poster.

 

 

What's wrong with that? I post there all the time.