[RETOOLING] Ideal and realistic moves I'd make if I were Mike Gillis

[morrissex95]

First off, I'd fire Alain Vigneault and replace him with either Dallas Eakins or Guy Boucher. In my opinion, Boucher would have an ideal relationship because he seems like a guy that would thrive under Mike Gillis. I'd probably go with Boucher to be honest. Reasons for the AV firing are simple: He screwed up the Ballard and Booth situations massively.

Once I made the coaching change, I'd deal with the Luongo situation. Gillis said at the end of season press conference that Luongo staying wouldn't be ideal. If I were Gillis, I wouldn't have been so quick to burn bridges like that.

Realistically, I see the list of teams interested in Luongo as follows:

Washington Capitals(out of the box club. turns them into an immediate playoff contender)

Florida Panthers(They've got Markstrom and ownership issues. I see it was a 10% possibility)

Buffalo Sabres(need a guy that can go long term. less than 5% possibility because of Matt Hackett)

Edmonton Oilers(Expressed interest before)

Here's how I look at it. If we trade Luongo to the east, we'd probably have to take back a bad salary. If we trade him west, we won't. If we trade him to Edmonton, they immediately turn into a playoff team. Roberto thrives off of playing the minutes he'd get with the Oilers. At the same time, next season we're probably neck in neck with Kings, Ducks and Sharks fighting for a playoff spot. So I don't think throwing Edmonton into the mix would be so wise for my job, if I'm Gillis. Just as myself, I'd probably get a guy like Paajarvi for Luongo and throw myself on the sword. When you make threads like these though, you've got to put yourself in the shoes of an arrogant person.

At this point, it comes down between the Caps and the Panthers because I don't see Buffalo being enthralled at bringing in another head case to replace Miller.

Realistically, the Canucks will have to take ANOTHER bad contract. If I'm Gillis, I give Ballard and Booth another shot under a new coach because both players have proven themselves to be immensely talented.

Here are the offers I think we get from them:

WSH: Brooks Laich and 2013 2nd Round Pick

FLA: Scottie Upshall and 2014 2nd Round Pick

Picking in the 2nd round of a draft like this is highly appealing. At the same time, I'm not comfortable going with a guy as unreliable as Laich. If I traded for Laich, I'd probably keep him as our new third line centre. But he's not young enough and that contract is too long for what I want to do. I take the Upshall deal, making the trade contingent on Upshall passing the physical. Once he passes the physical, I call up Laurence Gilman and tell him to proceed with an amnesty buyout.

Buying out Luongo isn't practical. It makes ownership more reluctant to sign our new wave of young players to long-term contracts.

Once the whole Luongo thing is dealt with, I deliberate with my staff about the possibility of trading Alexander Edler. He's getting paid a lot of money, he had a bad season and he's WAY too inconsistent to be relied upon to be our No. 1 D in the future. This isn't about one year, this is about his constant inconsistency. Edler doesn't fit into Gillis' team framework if he's going to be inconsistent like that.

Here's where I make the bold move

To Philadelphia:

Alex Edler

Jordan Schroeder

24th Overall Pick

Frank Corrado

To Vancouver:

Brayden Schenn

Luke Schenn

That might seem like a lot to give up, but that's how much I'd be willing to trade for those two guys. They're tough as nails and I certainly believe Brayden can be relied upon to play a finesse game. I think Philadelphia takes the trade because they get the young puck moving D they're looking for, they get a really smart D in Corrado who can shut down guys like Schenn but isn't as physical and doesn't have as high of a ceiling, and they get a decent replacement for Schenn.

After making that blockbuster move, here's what the Canucks look like:

1: Daniel Sedin-Henrik Sedin-Zack Kassian

2: David Booth-Ryan Kesler-Alex Burrows

3: Chris Higgins-Brayden Schenn-Jannick Hansen

4: Darren Archibald/Bill Sweatt/Steven Anthony-VACANT-Archibald/Sweatt/Anthony/

1: Dan Hamhius-Kevin Bieksa

2: Jason Garrison-Luke Schenn

3: Keith Ballard-Chris Tanev

Depth: Yann Sauve

Adam Polasek

Starter: Cory Schneider

Backup: Eddie Lack

Also at the draft, I'd dangle Alex Burrows if it gave us the chance to bring in another first round draft pick or some great young assets. I wouldn't be considerng t our players' take on it . If Kassian and B. Schenn both put up at least 50 points in their respective positions, I also start dangling Ryan Kesler around the league. (That means Brayden Schenn becomes chief PKer and faceoff man)

List of teams interested in Alex Burrows:

Toronto Maple Leafs(Nonis connection)

Carolina Hurricanes(They need heart)

Tampa Bay Lightning(Previous interest in 2007)

Ottawa Senators(Latendresse expiring contract)

Of all the teams, the best trading partner is probably Ottawa or Toronto.

With Toronto, I'd bite the bullet and ask for D Jesse Blacker and RW Kenny Ryan. My justification for making such a move is Burrows' age, contract and his left-handedness threatening the versatility of the roster.

With Carolina, I'd ask for good prospects and high draft picks. From Tampa, I'd ask for Sustr + a young B level prospect. From Ottawa, I'd probably go crazy.

You've pretty much got two options here:

1) Use the 2nd amnesty buyout on David Booth (or Luongo if he can't be traded)

2) Trade Burrows

I hate the idea of a $4,000,000 guy playing as a third line guy. It's a horrendous squandering of financial resources.

I see the Burrows for Blacker and Ryan being a reasonable trade with the Leafs, considering both prospects are AHL guys at this point. I know Burrows' personal history with the Leafs organization isn't so shabby, but I think he's a team and a heart guy and he'll suck it up and go there.

Part of my reason for trading Burrows is the fact that we now have room to sign Lapierre to a lofty contract.

Lapierre is a better pest than Burrows and he's also (arguably) more offensively talented and has a higher ceiling. I'd offer him the 4 year/$8,000,000 contract that Burrows got to stay on board a few years back. It goes without saying that I'd let Raymond go. Please note that this new contract for Lapierre would entail a much larger role with team, including filling Burrows' spot on the Sedin line should Kassian not have the breakout season expected of him.

I'd keep Alberts provided he agreed to stay for 2 years/$3,000,000. Tanev I'd give a 2 year deal paying $4,500,000 contract as a bridge for a future, Luke Schenn like contract.

At this point the team now looks as follows

1: Daniel Sedin-Henrik Sedin-Zack Kassian

2: David Booth-Ryan Kesler-Jannick Hansen

3: Chris Higgins-Brayden Schenn-Maxim Lapierre

4: Bill Sweatt--Kenny Ryan

1: Dan Hamhius-Kevin Bieksa

2: Jason Garrison-Luke Schenn

3: Keith Ballard-Chris Tanev

Depth: Andrew Alberts

Starter: Cory Schneider

Backup: Eddie Lack

Farm Notables:

Nicklas Jensen

Jesse Blacker

Alexandre Mallet

Alex Friesen

By NHL Free Agency the Canucks needs are:

• Veteran backup goalie(Lack could use another year in the A)

• New special teams coach

• Fire Dave Gagner!

• Depth Forwards

• 4th Line centre

• Sedin extensions

Let's address the issues one by one:

• Jason Labarbera is the perfect backup. 1 year $1,000,000 would suffice, I hope.

• I don't know enough special teams coaches to have an opinion on this. I just know that Newell Brown isn't capable of adapting.

• Send Malhotra to Gary Roberts for training on how to become our new director of player development. Give him a scouting position to go along with that. Malhotra is the perfect guy to assess character in young players.

• Promote(reassign) Dave Gagner to scouting. I know I said I'd fire him if I were Gillis, but we've got enough burnt bridges.

• Matt Hendricks, Brandon Yip, Peter Regin, Ryan Russell and Andre Deveaux. I'd probably go after Russell and Hendricks hard.

• Hank and Danny will get identical 3 year/$18,000,00 limited NTC offers like Naslund.

• Financial investment in player fitness development that was saved from buying out Upshall instead of Booth, Luongo or Ballard.

Once that's all said and done, we get to training camp. With core players like Burrows and Edler on the way out, I probably fired a shot heard round the hockey world.

I expect the new Canucks team that I built to come out with some zest.

[PlayStation]

All that effort in writing that, yet I don't think the team is improved, its actually worse.

[Apples]

Its going to take more than that to get the Schenn brothers

[slappipappi]

If you keep Booth and Ballard, your cap hit will be too high.

Whether you like them or not, they have to go for cap reasons.

[timberz21]

I read book shorter than this.

Basically, we improve our third line with Schenn, but loses Burrows and the Sedins' production. Kassian should be able to produce 75 to 90% of what Burrows had with the twins. But I do believe Burrows also helped the Sedins produce, by having good chemistry on the cycling, which should decrease the Sedins' production a bit.

[Alex Burrows 14]

But we don't get any scoring! That is what we need most on this team along with heart and chracter

[morrissex95]

You guys don't realize that Kassian will turning 23 in the middle of next season. Schenn will be 22 with next season starting and Luke Schenn will turn 24 in November.

Kassian and B. Schenn both have a lot of offensive skill. You guys are talking about "lack of offence" without realizing that I'm intentionally stacking up on big offensive guys. That's why Kassian, Brayden, Jensen and Gaunce are untouchables. We want to be big, fast and young.

Stop expecting the Sedins to win us a cup because I really don't see it happening. I signed them to extensions because I want them here to help develop my wingers in time for Brayden Schenn and Zack Kassian to enter their prime. My goal with signing the Sedins to extensions is getting Brayden to the point where he can become our second line centre.

You guys are decrying the lack of offence. Long term, our forward group is a lot more versatile long term especially with the offensive talent and size.

In the future, I'd consider trading Ryan Kesler elsewhere to get a physical puck moving D maybe a high draft pick in 2014.

[Samuel Påhlsson]

Look what Burns got back in a trade. Then look at your proposal. Thanks.