RUPERTKBD Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 I think there's a tendency to look at all of these FA signings and feel like "everyone is getting better but us".... On the surface of things, no team lost more than Vancouver; Lappy, Ballard, Schneids, likely Raymond and Alberts out; Tanev still not re-signed, Luongo's situation uncertain.... However, there are some positives: The Canucks should have a healthy Kesler and Booth for an entire season. Looking at the money being thrown at free agents yesterday, getting a healthy Booth back in the lineup, is not far off adding one ourselves. The other three additions are all solid if not spectacular. The thing is, if you look at who added the top free agents, most of them are in the east. IMHO, the teams in the West that improved significantly (at least on paper) are Nashville, Dallas, Edmonton and Winnipeg. There's nothing to say that these teams can't be contenders next season, but for the most part, the top western teams either regressed, or stayed even. Here's how I would break it down: Anaheim: Lose Bobby Ryan. Yes they added some good young players, but the best player in the deal went to Ottawa. Verdict: Down Calgary: Add Russel, Jones, O'Brien, Gagliardi. Lose Tanguay and Sarich. Verdict: Up slightly Chicago: Didn't add anything of significance. Lost Bolland, Stalberg and Frolik. Verdict: Down Colorado: Added Tanguay and Sarich. Lost Jones and SOB. Verdict: Even Columbus: Added Horton. No significant losses. Verdict: Up Dallas: Added Gonchar, Horcoff, Seguin, Peverly. Lost Ericsson. Verdict: Up significantly Edmonton: Added Ference, Gordon, Joensuu, Labarbera. Lost Horcoff (more importantly they lost his Cap hit) Khabibhulin. Verdict: Up significantly Note* Edmonton's improvement should be taken with a grain of salt. The money spent yesterday, could have a serious impact on future negotiations with young stars like RNH and Yakupov. LA: Add Frattin, Scrivens. Lose Bernier, Richarson. Verdict: Even Minnesota: Add Ballard, Cooke, Neidereitter. Lose Clutterbuck, Setoguchi, Bouchard. Verdict: Even Nashville: Added Nystrom, Hendricks, Cullen, Stalberg. No significant losses. Verdict: Up significantly Phoenix: Added Ribeiro. Lost Gordon. Verdict: Up. San Jose: Added Kennedy. Lost Gagliardi. Verdict: Even St. Louis: Added Lapierre. Lost Russell. Verdict: Even Winnipeg: Added Setoguchi, Frolik. No significant Losses. Verdict: Up As we can see, the teams that were able to improve through free agency were for the most part, the teams that did poorly last season, while teams that did well either regressed, or stayed where they were. This is not to say that next season is going to be easy. The Canucks' youngsters are going to have to step up and they'll need guys like Booth and Kesler to stay healthy. On defense, they'll need Edler to bounce back, while Hamhuis and Bieksa will have to get back to being defense first. However, I don't see things being quite as dire as it may appear on the surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrhopeless Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 He was ''quiet'' because there was no money left in the kitty. Good grief. You wanna give him credit for being broke? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanuckClown Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 He was ''quiet'' because there was no money left in the kitty. Good grief. You wanna give him credit for being broke? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YEGCanuck Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 Give Gillis a break, he is doing the best he can with what he has to work with even though he helped to create the mess. Next season the salary cap will likely go up over $70M. All we need to do this year is make the playoffs again and who knows what will happen. Those losers who overpaid for free agents this summer will be in a tough position in a few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prana16 Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 Its like complementing a 4 foot tall 350lbs syphilitic leper that drools and has chronic halitosis for not hooking up with girls at the club and remaining celibate. Gillis had no choice in his lack of real movement yesterday so why give him credit for it. The team is worse off financially, and worse on the ice then it was last year, the year before and the year before that. If we are going to have a subpar year we might as well play at least some of our youngsters, shroeder, gaunce, jensen rather then fill the ranks with nobodies like richardson or santorelli . At least the young guys get experience and we can see what we have Gillis has drafted Hodgson Schroeder Gaunce Horvat All first round drafted centers. We've had Kesler and Sedin as a lock at center so why do we still need centers.. What does it say about your drafting that you couldn't make hodgson work, that schroeder wont work, that gaunce wont work Stop signing dead weight and use your damn picks or trade them for something usefull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodee Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 "Give Gillis a break, he is doing the best he can with what he has to work with even though he helped to create the mess." Outstanding logic there....................maybe Gillis should have applied it to AV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuck nit Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 It wasn't all that great. Some tools were there, but they certainly weren't playing well. Meanwhile, even if 'the window closed', what are we supposed to do? Stop cheering for the team? Assume they're doomed forever? Cry? What? Life goes on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRussianRocket. Posted July 6, 2013 Author Share Posted July 6, 2013 Gillis has drafted Hodgson Schroeder Gaunce Horvat All first round drafted centers. We've had Kesler and Sedin as a lock at center so why do we still need centers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodee Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 You constantly refer to the NTC's Gillis hands out. We have the exact same number of NTC's as Boston. Thank god Chiarelli is a complete bafoon as well, eh? When do you move on to the new team? Now - so you can get accustomed to the players and management and be an expert whiner before their season starts or go in blind at the preseason, so you can nurture your disdain and then completely implode at the trade deadline? Columbus is looking good this year and there's lots of room on their bus I'm sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel Heyman Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 Stephen Gionta - 5'7' had more hits that Dale Weiss last year not sure why you like that pylon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J529 Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 Gillis is a winner alright. Signing a couple of depth players, as opposed to teams in their new division who have improved and are alot better now then they were before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kesler's Nose Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 I initially wanted to Gillis to get Clowe it Iggy a few days ago but after seeing today what money they were given, good riddance we never signed some high profile players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halfway-There Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 Gillis is a winner alright. Signing a couple of depth players, as opposed to teams in their new division who have improved and are alot better now then they were before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kesler's Nose Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 This remains to be seen. The only teams that really improved in the west are Nashville and Edmonton, and I wouldn't call them huge improvements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuck73_3 Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 Still should have gotten Blum over Y.Webber....makes no sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halfway-There Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 Don't forget Dallas and Winnipeg.. Not to mention Colorado who got McKinnon in the draft, which they will probably allow to play right away as most teams with the number one over all pick seem to do these days. If you count Seth Jones to Nashville as well, I'd say they improved significantly.. Imagine the soon to be pair of Weber and Jones, it's gonna be dangerous. Just like a Doughty/Weber pairing at the Olympics. Edmonton improved and cleared cap space.. I think it's mostly the fact that these teams snatched up and over payed for these players- some of which we could of used pretty badly.. But considering we didn't have the cash to spend we were left out, that's what is bothering me and everyone else. We didn't upgrade what so ever and we've been eliminated two years in a row in the first round, you might even say we downgraded because we lost players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J529 Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 This remains to be seen. The only teams that really improved in the west are Nashville and Edmonton, and I wouldn't call them huge improvements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUPERTKBD Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 Gillis is a winner alright. Signing a couple of depth players, as opposed to teams in their new division who have improved and are alot better now then they were before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halfway-There Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 Dallas sure did improve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUPERTKBD Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 How? by replacing Eriksson with Seguin? He now has to play against top D pairings in the West. Or by picking up 3rd line extrodinaires Shawn Horcoff and Rick Peverley? Gonchar is getting pretty old, and is being paid 5 million. Do these moves really propel Dallas into the playoffs? Other than Jamie Benn and Ray Whitney (41 years old), Dallas doesn't have much going for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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