NuckMan

Dalpe can play wing. Last I checked his recent play merits the position more than Burr.

We are on the same page about most of this I think. I'm pleased with last year's draft, but that's about it in the past few years. I'm all for comfort and loyalty but you have to be able to look at things objectively. Like I was telling Bob - one goal in 2011 doesn't change the fact that Burrows has done nothing all season. I don't care about how hard he tries or how great of a guy he is. Just win. Failing that, get the young talent that will allow us to win in 2-3 years.

Changes for next game: Daniel - Schroeder - Kassian Higgins - Kesler - Burrows Booth - Richardson - Sestito Lain - Dalpe - Hansen I don't understand why Dalpe is playing on the 4th line. He is and always has been a scorer (at least at the AHL level) not a grinder. If you can't find space for him on the top 2 for whatever reason, including him not being good enough, he should be sent to Utica. Waste of time to keep a kid at 4 mins a game.

Have to agree. If you look at the top teams in the league right now, many of them have made significant changes to their lineups. ie: Anaheim & Bobby Ryan, Boston & Seguin etc.

Hey Bob - I'm not upset with you. I'm upset with the way the team is playing and honestly I'm afraid that something stupid is going to happen at the deadline that will set us back. A while back when Nonis was GM there was talk about how Jokinen was made available from Florida for (I think if memory serves) something like Kesler and Edler. Now Nonis was under pressure to make the team more competitive and 17 and 23 were relatively young at that time. He could have made that trade and we would have been in my estimation been set back as a franchise. I'm glad he didn't. I'm worried that something like that might happen. I know Spector is a bit of a joke but they're throwing around Horvat's name in trade speculation. That is flat out unacceptable. The ONLY reasons you should be making a move at the deadline are: 1.) you are in need to picks / prospects for rebuild 2.) you believe you are close enough to make a cup run. As for option 2 and the Canucks, there is no way anyone here can say to me that with the current personnel and limited cap space, a move at the trade deadline would make the Canucks a) a contender, and 2 )able to beat Anaheim or Chicago in the first round. This team is NOT good enough. The Sedins (who I like and have always supported) are in decline, Garrison and Edler are frustrations at best, and the list goes on. We cannot afford to overestimate the team's trajectory here. We are not in the same league as the top dogs, and I'd have to agree with the others that say we haven't been for a few years now. I've enjoyed the discussion too. See you around.

Deep like ocean.

Made me lol... I don't even understand why.

No excuses Bob. Veteran team. Get with it, and stop patting the other cheerleaders on the back. I'm tired of free rides and dead weight, and moneyball, reclamation projects, and wait-and-see players.

Well I've been trying to answer that question. You tell me instead.

So what does it take to motivate millionaire athletes who are supposedly playing the sport they love? A new coach? Check. Fresh system? Check. I've come to terms with the fact that they just aren't good enough. Guys like Hansen, and Higgins and Burrows have the desire but sometimes desire alone doesn't get you there if you aren't good enough. This isn't Rudy, Bob, this is the real world. I can't believe how many times they botched routine passes tonight. The past two games have been utterly painful to watch. EDIT: just to clarify - I mean to say that these players are miscast. There is no way these guys should be top 6. I don't care how hard they work.

Couldn't agree more.

Well I guess you could infer that they aren't interested in locking him down because they didn't sign him to a NMC or NTC. OR I could infer that maybe Poile isn't too keen on giving up his flexibility as a GM. YMMV.

You're moving the goalposts on me aren't you?

I'll grant you that the atmosphere in the Rog is embarrassing at best and pathetic at worst, and the fact that the Sedins are likely two of the best players to have ever suited up for the team but I think you're being overly dramatic. It's a two way street. This team should be able to walk all over Edmonton - a team without a single REAL household name on the blueline and the Universe in net.

Weber will not be traded. What message would that send to their fans?

Except our top players that need refreshing are going to be playing overseas. Something stinks in Vancouver and this time it isn't the housing prices.

Right. You can dismiss it whatever way you like. Fact remains, Burrows isn't pulling his weight (and he's not the only one) and it's high time people stopped giving him a free pass for one damn shot in 2011. Why isn't Burrows creating anything like JS is? Point is - he doesn't even look dangerous out there. It's becoming comical.

Fair comment. I'm concerned that the league is figuring out that Daniel can't carry the team / struggles without Hank and you'd be harder pressed to find a team that can accommodate both their cap hits. EDIT: And I'm a Sedin supporter too.

That's just it. 2011 doesn't matter anymore. If you want to play the injury game JS just scored 2 and was far and away the best Canuck on the ice tonight and he just came back from 2 injuries. Get real people please.

If I'm MG I'm keeping Kesler and Bieksa on the roster to mentor the kids too.

If you're asking me I'm finding a way to rid the roster of the following: Burrows, Garrison, Hansen, Booth, Weise. EDIT: And Edler.

Yes but consider that despite the torrid pace of our December, we only climbed up to what ~6th or ~7th place? That's how hard it is in the west.

I also think that management has to be accountable here. I'm really tired of money-ball pickups and reclamation projects.

I get that the team is dealing with a couple injuries but having Higgins and Booth in the top 6 on any team IMO is asking for trouble - aka - no goals.

I think Dalpe has more to give, given the right circumstances.