It's an interesting pickle our Nucks are in...
I admit that I was one who applauded the hiring of Torts, as I had high hopes that his "passion" would light a much needed fire under our seemingly unmotivated core group of players.
The first 1/4 of the season it seemed like it was working and the team was slowly coming into their own and getting better.
Then, let's look at what transpired: injury, injury, injury, injury, injury, healthy, injury, injury... you get the idea.
Torts ostensibly has ridden our best players into the ground, benched our supposedly #1 goalie for an unproven youngster (although IMO Lack has been our best player all year), and instilled a lack-luster defensive system with absolutely no scoring potential/threat.
So, what has GMMG done? Horvat, Mathias, Markstrom for Lou and Schneids. As the French would say, "c'est terrible."
Is it Gillis' fault? Aquilini's, Torts', the player's?
If the trades were not there, they were not there. I would much rather keep Kesler and revisit moving him at the draft--maybe we can even look into other options and convince him to stay while adding other key pieces which can help us contend again?
Torts... I'm on the fence with him. He is a high risk high reward kind of coach to hire. So far I think it's failing. His system is tired and boring and he asks too much from his players with such a gruelling schedule. If you want to play that kind of game, role all four lines game in and game out. Imagine if Kesler gets injured between now and the end of the season o_O.
The players... there seems to be no fire once again with our guys. It's hard for me to blame them when they're always dropping like flies, pushing game in and game out with no results, added with a coach who is most likely yelling at you up and down the dressing room.
Fire Torts? I don't know. Maybe.
Finally add some key scoring components before next season? 200% YES.
Blame one faction more than the other? Nah. This is an organizational problem from top to bottom. Everyone needs to be better.