Henrik Kesler

Some analysis on Torts beyond what we see in the media: http://canucksarmy.com/2013/6/12/coaching-candidate-profile-john-tortorella

I don't think Torts is the guy, but I will say the Canucks Army write-up on him did a decent amount to reduce some of my fears.

In an overly simplified explanation: You start your best offensive players (like say, the Sedins) in the offensive zone 60+% of the time to capitalize on their offensive abilities. You start the your best defensive players in the defensive zone ~70% of the time with their task being to flip the ice. What this does is start your players in a territorial position on the ice where they are most likely to succeed. If you don't do it, you end up with things like the Sedin line starting 50% of their shifts in the defensive zone, something that is likely to happen with Ruff at the helm since he doesn't line match AV was one of the first to come up with the idea, and it coincided with the Sedins winning back-to-back Art Ross Trophies before the rest of the league caught on and started doing the exact same thing.

I think Ruff would be the worst choice. He doesn't zone match his players, something AV patented and the rest of the league copycatted. If you don't zone match in today's NHL and put players in territorial positions to take advantage of their talents, you'll get destroyed. Tippet is the best choice, but I think Stevens is a solid second. Stevens can run a PK which I'd argue is more important in the postseason than a good PP. Don't believe me, just remember how deflating a shorthanded goal can be when it looks like the team on the PP is about to get back in the game. Boston did it 3 times, and in each game it was a back breaker.

Not saying it doesn't/wouldn't work, just that you could be using your time more efficiently and getting better results. The biggest problem with low intensity steady state cardio (LISS) is that your metabolism adapts to it (making it slow down) after a bit (~8ish weeks), and thereafter NEEDS it (the LISS cardio) in order to just maintain your weight, causing progress to stagnate. In addition to your metabolism adapting to need the LISS, the only time your metabolism is elevated is while performing the LISS. In contrast, when doing HIIT your metabolism stays elevated after you stop for ~24 hours allowing you to burn more calories total even though the duration of the workout was shorter.

You'll make better progress, and faster if you jump right in with the weights. Just make sure you START LIGHT and add weight to the bar EVERY SESSION. Oh and of course you have to eat like a madman.

That's a horribly inefficient use of your time and it's hurting your metabolism. Some steady state cardio is OK if you need it to add to the calorie deficit and even then I'd cap it at 30 minutes. Otherwise, I'd do 7 sprints of 20 seconds followed by 1:40 of active rest with a 5 minute warm up and 5 minute cool down as my "cardio."

Supplements are generally a waste of money. However, having some whey to use when you're in a pinch and need some protein is good. Caffeine pills can be good too when you need something to get you going before a workout, but other than that I wouldn't go crazy buying supplements. What kind of "cardio" are you doing for your fat loss?

I agree. Is it a wonder that the Sedins Art Ross seasons came while the Canucks were a top-5 faceoff team? I think not. The fact that Henrik is a PPG player when faceoff performance is sub-par is pretty spetacular. If Henrik's faceoffs improve to 53%ish, I think he can challenge the 100pt barrier again. I think the Sedins are equally good on the rush as they are on the cycle. Sadly, the Sedins play off the rush disappeared when the calender turned to 2012 and hasn't returned yet except in flashes. I think a large part of why this happened is AV having the forwards play deeper in their defensive zone, making the transition from defense to offense much harder because the Sedins rely mostly on being in good position to transition since they are not particularly fast. I think the other reason that the transition play disappeared is because teams focused on taking away the stretch pass after the Sedins put on a clinic of how to run a transition game for 2 and a half seasons.

By virtue of living in Pennsylvania, I get to see a lot of Rangers games, and your assessment is bang on. Torts' "systems" and the Canucks players DO NOT MESH. Torts relies too heavily on the goalie keeping his team in the game, which is fine at times, but it CANNOT be the only game plan a coach has if he is going to be successful. Also, Torts teams are known for being low scoring DESPITE having all star caliber players like Gaborik and Richards. In addition, when his team most needs said players to produce, he has an uncanny ability to piss them off and alienate them (at least in NY anyway). Sure sounds like someone I want in the same room as Kesler, Bieksa, and the Sedins. Instead, the Canucks need a coach who can get them back to playing the game like they did from 2009-2011 (this includes the first half of the 2011/12 season as the Sedins were looking like 100pt players up until the calendar changed to 2012) where there was a fast transition from defense to offense, creativity and scoring on the rush, and wicked good special teams.

And after 5 games of Torts' "yell, scream, jump up and down" antics, not a soul on the team will listen to him. Call it a "country club atmosphere" all you want, but veteran players don't respond to a coach like Torts who comes off as a condescending A-hole. Also, if you think AV nuetered the offense from skill players, just wait 'til Torts gets ahold of them.

If he is a serious candidate, we're fracked.

This http://canucksarmy.com/2013/5/27/coaching-candidate-profiles-john-stevens does a much better job than I can do and is more thorough.

A guy who got Drew Dougthy to pay more attention to the details, single handedly developed Slava Voynov into a top-4 defensemen in his second year, and orchestrated one of the most aggressive and successful PKs I've ever seen is a fall back? Surely you're joking.

Well now that Eakins is off the table, I'd like to see Stevens or Tippett hired.

Yep, and based of everything I've read it sounds like Eakins is the guy to do just this.

I think Tippett would play a much more open game than he does in Phoenix. The biggest upside to Tippett is he is a master of developing young guys. Having said that, Stevens and Eakins also have good records with developing and playing young players. Stevens has done a masterful job with the young defensemen the King have, but I don't think developing young defensemen is as much of a concern here as developing the young forwards is for the post-Sedin era. I think with the particular group, Eakins is the guy for developing the young forwards since our defensemen seem to make the steps all by themselves (Tanev and Corrado, who saw THAT two years ago?).

I'd personally love Tippet or Stevens, but I'm not sure that's going to happen, so I think Eakins is the guy if we want our young guys (Schroeder, Kassian, Jensen, Gaunce, Corrado, and others) to develop. Ruff and Tortorella are non-starters for me, particularly Tortorella because he would bring more of what AV did, but even more neutering of the offensive players which is exactly NOT what this team needs. Developing the next generation was something Gillis emphasized so I'm sure that's the number 2 consideration right behind being able to lead the team to a Cup.

Not a fan of most on that list but I'd like Larry Robinson or Dallas Eakins. And for EVERYONE wanting Lindy Ruff...he isn't a moneypuck coach so his coaching style doesn't fit the management philosphy of how the team is supposed to play.

I'd be fine with Gaunce slotting in on a "kid" line with Kassian and Jensen. I'm not convinced another year of junior would do his development more than marginal good as he already made massive strides in his overall game (particularly his offense) this year and was named best defensive forward in the OHL while also putting up points. Sometimes the best development comes from being thrown into the deep end and told to swim, a treatment I think Ganuce would do just fine with.

I agree, the issue is where does he fit with this core.

I agree with this. Schroeder has shown can play in the NHL, I just don't see how he fits in with the core. He isn't good enough yet to be top-6 and he isn't big enough to be the premier shutdown guy on the third line. Nothing against Schroeder, but I don't see this team being a serious threat if our 3C is 5' 9" Whether fans want to admit it or not, this team is built to be a puck possession team which means you HAVE to be good at faceoffs or have someone who is good at faceoffs, can flip the ice, all while putting up 30-40 points while playing the opponents top players. We saw how dominant this team was with Manny playing this role and I think Guance can fill this role 100 times better than Schroeder next year.

Tough loss for Gaunce and the Bulls. It sounds like Gaunce made huge strides in development this year, particularly to his offensive game.

I really hope Gaunce can make the jump and contribute before while the Sedins are still at the top of their game.

He has to bring more than Ebbett. He's got the size, to go out and bang bodies if nothing else and it sounds like he's developed a decent flair for offense along with being exceptional in his defensive zone.