mrhopeless

Adding veterans just means we stay mediocre forever. To get better we have to make only future oriented moves... and that means not acquiring veterans and not trading draft picks. (People seem to forget that we only got the Sedins because we got very high picks.)

S. is a perfect example of why you don't ignore probability statistics. It's certainly true that some players prove the rule wrong (e.g. D. Savard) but to draft them in the first round is simply a bad mistake. Once again we see Gillis using his intuitive powers to ignore probablity. He thought he was much smarter than anyone in the league... and now we see the pathetic result. (Hope you enjoyed the finals Mike.)

Here's what I think happened. "Will you waive?" A. "No." Hmm... let's see... how can we spin this? "We've decided not to ask Edler to waive."

Gulutzan is here for now; doesn't mean the new GM will keep him. Torts and Sullivan were a team.

If this happens, as it seems it will, it seems a bit strange. i.e. why not let the GM make the decision? I wonder if there's some technical (contract) reason he has to be fired at this time. (i.e. having to do with the buyout of the five year contract)

I can't believe the league didn't suspend Lucic. They've turned themselves into a joke. This lack of a suspension shows that the 'league' IS biased in favor of Boston... and lends credence to the idea they were so against the Canucks in the Finals. It's unbelievable. They can't pretend they didn't see it... but yet no action. A complete joke. - there's no way I would ever want Lucic in a Canuck uniform. I've seen enough.

Torts gave a great interview. I have the feeling that the reason he was so honest was because he thinks he's toast. I still don't know what to make of the guy... he has so many good, and bad, points. I don't think it matters a lot whether he coaches or someone else does... as I think it's going to be years before things start to get better. (Hopefully I'm wrong.) Song of the day; As Soon As I Get On My Feet - Jesse Winchester "I'll be your man, so wise so strong I'll work so hard, the whole day long I'll be so good, I'll be so sweet As soon as I get on my feet..." - the video ends with a shot of a cowboy riding off into the sunset.

"When it comes to who stays and who goes after training camp, he absolutely does make that decision." - there's a difference between a roster and a line-up. As far as I know, the GM decides the roster, and the coach decides the lineup. The roster is usually involves around 3 extra players. (i.e. the lineup will be 20 players, while the roster might be 23-24) As far as I'm aware, the coach does not decide the roster, as that's the job of the GM.

Linden should have been brought into the mix a long time ago.. and the reason he wasn't, was Mike Gillis. In my opinion he should have been brought in (long ago) as an assistant GM... but Mike was too concerned about his backside to do it. In a way I think this (while I think it's great) is second best to what should have been. It's a sad, sad fact that MG was ever hired... but that's the way it is I guess. He was a guy who surrounded himself with yes men... and refused to hire the best talent.

I hope they'll correct the mistake of not having a president. I always thought it was strange to have a complete rookie as GM, and not have a president. (More very bad thinking by ownership.)

I can't imagine anything will be done till the season is over. - Apparently forcing players to wear Haida hats after wins didn't work. Who'd have thought.

"The guy is second in team scoring, a few points off first, while putting up average second line numbers." - the only reason for that is that, come rain or shine, he's put on the number one line and number one PP. (This depite the fact he has one goal in nearly 30 games.)It's my view that other players are getting fed up with the favoritism shown to the Sedins, especially to Daniel. - compare Daniel to other players at regular strength and you get a much different picture.

"I'm not convinced this teams window is closed." - I take it you're a hard man to convince. - It's my opinion the team will continue to decline as long as the Sedins are on the number one line and on the number one powerplay. That PP is so bad there aren't words for it.

Song of the Day; Tom Waits - How's It Gonna end?

"I think, if Gillis was given free reign on how to run this franchise, without ownership meddling...he can get us back to the days where we had tremendous success." - Ah yes; hope springs eternal. - It's my opinion Gillis deserves little or no credit for past Canuck success... and we need new management... but perhaps I'm wrong. The sad reality is that teams almost never achieve ultimate success without a couple allstar type players... and we no longer have any. - Song of the day; "You can never Hold Back Spring" - by Tom Waits

So; a guy with zero goals in 17 games replaces a guy with three goals in four games? (Maybe Daniel can be persuaded to retire.)

What we're seeing is the result of giving the finger to player development. Every since Gillis has arrived the Canucks have been very near the bottom when it comes to a pipeline of young players. (e.g. around 28th in the league) We're slightly better now, but this is misleading since it mainly stems from trading Schneider and drafting Horvat. The first thing MG ever did was trade a second and a third for Bernier. Just last year he needlessly and uselessly traded Connauton and a second for Roy. He traded CH for might-be, wanna-be named Kassian. He traded two fourth round picks for a Swedish rental whose name escapes me. He needlessly traded a first round pick (plus Grabner) to Florida... and so on. The list of stupid, needless moves is a long one... and now we pay the price. - People drone on about prospects but ignore the fact the Canucks are near the bottom of the league in having bona fide prospects. - There is no quick fix for this problem. The only sensible thing is to fire Gillis and get a real GM; one that will take player development seriously. (If the owner won't step out of the picture even this might not help.)

"Schneider was a great draft." - Schneider was drafted by Brian Burke

I think it's repellent the way the Canucks are featuring fights on their home page to sell tickets. We have both a big photo, plus a poll. Good grief. Is this what it's got to?

I'd like to know why Diaz was traded. I'd also like to know why none of our "sports journalists" (try not to laugh) didn't even ask the question. Here's a guy who is acquired one day and then traded a couple weeks later. What's all that about? Is it bad scouting? Is it some kind of a joke? What is it?

"Hopefully our little re-tool will be like Anaheim's after they won their cup. Our prospects will develop quick (hopefully) and this team won't be so dependent on the twins and Kesler." - won't be so dependent upon them to score zero goals in 20 games you mean? (As an aside; how many goals do you expect from Daniel 2-3 years from now?)

What's really scary is that the people who claim Gillis is just a puppet for the owner might actually be right. This would mean we'll never get rid of the guy. - On a humorous note; I got a kick out of the "war room'' photo... apparently it took at least eight gurus to trade Diaz for a fifth. (Rumors are that Weise was traded solely to placate Torts... apparently too many behind the back stories.)

The four year extension Gillis gave the sedins (at 7 mil. a year) shows how completely useless and out of touch this incompetent egomaniac is. (We can give the owner some blame in this.... in that he gave Gillis far too much money to spend... and Gillis just wastes it. e.g. Ballard, Booth, and now the Sedins.) - it would be interesting to know where this team would be if Gillis had to limit himself to a Nashville type budget. - Gillis keeps talking about the direction the Canucks are on.... but no one seems to have a clue what this is... other than round and round in circles in some kind of whirlpool descent to the bottom.

I can't imagine Matthias will be here next year. - I have no idea why Markstrom was traded... as I thought he was the future in Florida. (I seem to remember that a year or two ago, he and Lack were rated 1 and 2 in the AHL. Now we have two young goalies with about the same talent, ability and experience going for the same job.) - Wouldn't we have been better off getting a forward or a draft pick in return?

People don't seem to understand that M. is a UFA - not to mention he's a third line center at best (and on a bad team at that).