What Would Be Your Offseason "philosophy" On How To Improve The Canucks?

[billabong]

obviously you would like to get a little bit of everything but if you were mg what would be your offseason "philosophy" going into the summer...is our biggest need size? skill? depth? or is enough enough and we need an elite defenseman?

personally, it looks like we need to get bigger and tougher. look at boston last year they literally beat us up, la is just so big and strong that they are just walking to the scf (although everything is going their way), nyr is a big, rough and tough team and it just makes it simply harder on the opponent to beat you.....even if you lose the opposing team is gonna "physically" remember who they played last night

[Truculence]

[The Magician]

I dont think getting canadianized would help much but definetly Younger, Bigger, Quicker, and more skilled. (Shea Weber would be and awsome addition.)

[-Vintage Canuck-]

Definitely improve our defence.

[Peter Gunn]

1. That #1 Dman we've been seeking (seems like forever) Shea Weber.

2. Depends if the NHL want to go back to the dead puck era, if that's the case then more size but if Gillis has his way, and I hope he does it will go back to skill and more enterntaining hockey.

That's it.

[canuckelhead70]

create a fan base that will support the team instead of nitpicking and wanting to run every player out of town

[Dion Phaneuf]

- bring in two big, tough bottom 6 players (can be from the organization)

- bring in one shutdown defencemen (via free agency or trade)

- playmaking top 6 forward who has size (via free agency or trade)

[billabong]

create a fan base that will support the team instead of nitpicking and wanting to run every player out of town

[bluesman60]

Getting bigger and tougher would seem to be the obvious answer from the list but without scoring, bigger and tougher alone will not win a cup. We need players that have all 3 qualities, size, grit and skill.

And....everything has to fit under the Cap so if you want a 'Shea Weber' you better have prospects that are ready to step in at a lower cap hit to make the 'Shea Weber' affordable without trading away something else that will become a pressing need. In my opinion, Vancouver cannot afford a 'Shea Weber' size contract. There is no sense in mortgaging the future and then have to offload contracts in order to be compliant.....like what happened to Chicago. Getting Shea Weber doesn't guarantee a Cup (just ask Nashville) so any claims otherwise are wishful thinking.

[smithers joe]

i don't believe, we need much.....someone to compliment edler....doesn't have to be a big star....maybe a brian allen type....

a player to compliment kesler, when he returns.....he may already be in the system...eg,,,,jensen....

if booth can gel with the sedins, i see higgins and burrows with kes....i'ld bring back pahlsson for the third or fourth line, inter changeable with lappy....hansen, kassian, jensen, manny and maybe even raymond.....if there are more suitable players available, i'm sure gillis will try to improve this team....bring lack up as back up, to schneider.....try and increase our young prospects.....

sign AV, and his camp.....win cup and shut up those fans who never appreciate the effort this team puts up, trying to win us, a cup...

[Shcott]

I'd say bigger and tougher, but that sounds almost like a overhaul...A number one D like Shea Weber, would be nice, too

[TOMapleLaughs]

If Salo is moving on, try to upgrade on him. Perhaps the improvement comes from within.

We need to make sure Kesler doesn't take another step back. Perhaps if we trade for another top-6er, that won't matter as much. But we will eventually need the old Kesler back.

We need to make a call on Malhotra. Maybe a summer-long training will get him somewhat back to normal. If not, no passengers. Sorry.

Let's hope Kassian breaks out. Highly doubtful, but ya never know. Hansen and Higgins are third liners.

The big question is Raymond. Perhaps we've seen his upside already. Perhaps not.

Imo we'll improve from this rest/training more than in any other way.

Gillis will be making moves, of course. The team is not totally balanced right now and he needs to get back to 2010/11 depth-level.

And where is Oreskovich?!? Lol

TOML

[Ryan Kesler RK17]

All of the Above. Except I dont understand how being more Canadianized will help.

[Underachieving Hero of CDC]

Stay the course. We're going to have a damn good team next year, I wouldn't be surprised to see them become the first team to ever win 3 consecutive presidents trophies. We could use a true #1 dman but even if that doesn't play out, this team is still capable of beating anybody in the league. They just have to play like it. A full summer of rest and a little luck next spring might be all they need.

[Zoolander]

- bring in two big, tough bottom 6 players (can be from the organization)

- bring in one shutdown defencemen (via free agency or trade)

- playmaking top 6 forward who has size (via free agency or trade)

[KSniper88]

Watch us change into bigger and stronger... and then end up losing and people start saying we need to get faster and need more skill again. It's plain and simple more skill wins games just like in any other sport. People think Canucks are skilled but in fact teams that beat us like LA, Boston actually have more skill than us but people just notice their size and determination. And think that is what is giving them success. IMO Canucks skill is overrated, we need more skill. Think about it before Gillis changed the team to a "skilled" team, Canucks were a "big and strong" team but had no skill. At that time people would have voted for raw skill. How can you explain the other teams in NHL that have good size and are Canadinized and don't make playoffs every year or get eliminated in first round?

My point is in the end folks is skill wins games, and people overrate Canucks skill level. They think the problem is something else. In the perfect world we would want to fill our team with big and skilled players with massive hearts, but those are hard to find. Think of MOST championship teams in any sport and see that most of them won because they had elite skill and those teams end up facing the underdogs that also made it to the finals but they are overcome by the skill level. You can only stay so focused and determined, but a lapse in concentration can bring down the underdog team. On the other hand skill is never forgotten and eventually wins games. EG. Crosby's goal in the Olympics.

[Mcfly]

I`m looking forward to seeing what Zach Kassian is like after an actual training camp. This dude is huge.

I feel like any guess I make about players moving will be bad luck, so I`ll trust in the Gillis once again.

[kj29]

parise pleeaaaaasseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[Darkstar]

-Top six playmaking winger

-Young, third line centre to replace Hodgson

-Top four d-man

-Another top six d-man if Salo leaves.

[Forsy]

I call this option: "The same 5 issues the Canucks have had for the past 5 years."

1. SNIPE: Everyone needs to improve their shots to have a fast release and unpredictable timing + pick up a sniper or 2. (Acquisitions + System Changes)

2. DETERMINATION/WIN PUCK BATTLES: Everyone needs to get stronger holding the puck, more pressure on the puck carrier, more takeaways + pick up players who are strong on the puck. (Acquisitions + System Changes)

3. ANTICIPATION/HOCKEY SMARTS: Get everyone to better anticipate where the puck may slip/bounce out, and better anticipate where the opponents will pass and get into position. (System Changes)

4. UNPREDICTABILITY: Get everyone to be more unpredictable in their skating, passing, and shooting. (System Changes)

5. TOUGHNESS: Force the opponent to commit the first offense, then retaliate harshly + pick up an enforcer that can play hockey. (Acquistions + System Changes)