GMMG vs. NHL13

[Honeydew]

"At least Feaster isn't our GM."

Amen to that.

[Clinch16]

And here we go...I guess school got out early today. Well Mr. Useless Response, I guess if you want everyone to post exactly the way you prefer, then you should post your set of rules for all to abide by, or maybe have your mom do it for you, either way. Quit yer belly-aching princess and move along.

[4thLineGrinder]

This will be a lengthy read but please read it before commenting...

by the way I'd like to present this in point form but I can't seem to get my <return> button to drop down a line...any suggestions?

So here we go...

There's been a lot of GM bashing on here recently, and as well quite a bit of defending. Sadly most of those topics deteriorate into childish banter and retorts, and subsequently get moderated into "LOCKED" status (please don't lock this till you hear me out...please...puppy dog eyes emoticon).

I wonder if part of the problem is the perception that the general population has with respects to the power, positioning and bargaining abilities of our GM. I believe that this perception may be built upon a false platform, namely unrealistic expectations that are fueled by an unrealistic representation of what an NHL GM goes through on a daily basis. This is due mainly to ignorance. This ignorance isn't wrong in of itself, as few of us would ever get the opportunity to be a real-life owner, GM or player agent, and as such rely on outside experience (sensationalized media reports and sadly, yes, Be A GM mode in the NHL series of games) on which to form our opinion.

For myself, I can only speak from my own experience (AGM and Head Coach at Junior Level) which is a far far cry from a professional of equal position. That being said, I do feel that the game series, when played realistically (ie/ hardest mode, salary cap in place etc etc) can be a good teaching tool to help ones understand how difficult that job really is. But just for comparison sake, let's look at the game model versus the real life model to get a better sense of it. Basically, there are only 4 ways that a team can acquire a player (Draft and develop, Trade, Free Agency signing, Waiver Acquisition). Much of the debate over GMMG's value is fueled within this area (player acquisition).

So let's focus here and look at an example of each:

1/ Draft and Develop. This is the most uncertain way to tell. NHL13 gives the user the ability to get drafting and developing down to a science as it both presents the future ability of the player along with the ability for multiple "do-overs" until you get it perfect. The reality however is that every team has had a top pick fizzle, a bottom pick thrive etc. so our experience is no different. Let's look at 2 examples...CS and CH9. Cory Schneider was always Plan B...that's why we signed Lu to such a long contract anyways. CS developed faster than normal which actually put us in a great position (it's like buying a Ferrari and getting Porsche thrown in for free...not a bad position to be in). Unlike NHL13 where you are rewarded for having a glut of talent, in the real world you are punished (ie/ other GM's will take advantage of the fact that you can't sign and keep both, therefore lowering the value of the one to be moved). Cody is a different story. Canucks management did the best they could albeit at they times appeared to have mishandled his development (medically and opportunity wise), however since neither MG or AV is a doctor, they can only go on what they are advised. As for opportunity, well, with Sedin and Kesler ahead of him at centre and a desire to win a cup NOW with more experienced players in our top 6, sadly the opportunity for a top 6 role just didn't materialize. So again unlike NHL13 we will not realize the full return for his value since other GM's know that he has no future in Vancouver and thus we were FORCED to move him (a bit by CH9 and his agent, and a bit by pressure to succeed now). Additionally, we are a victim of our ongoing success, we always draft in bottom of round 1. And if you want to move up, well, it's gonna cost you...this year it cost us CS.

2/ Trade. In real life you can't push the yellow button and see the words "Trade Accepted". Every GM is trying to outwit the other, so sometimes you sucker, sometimes you get suckered, and sometimes it's a draw. And player value is not nearly what NHL13 makes it out to be...Ballard's trade value is nowhere near what it is presented as in NHL13, when no other real world GM wants his contract...especially in the cash strapped lowered cap real world.

3/ Free Agency Signing. This is one area where real life and NHL13 are fairly accurate except for 1 thing: human factor. We would love it if we simply got the FA because we presented the best contract (terms and financials). But sadly sometimes this isn't the case (see Doan). NHL13 doesn't take history, stability, family etc into account. So for some reason we all seem to think that GMMG can sign any and every FA that comes down the pipeline. Here's another factor regarding FA's: they're overpaid. Sometimes you have no choice (hole to fill etc.) but here's where we are a victim of our push to succeed...we went out and got who we could (who would sign here) and slightly overpaid in some cases (ie/ Garrison etc) in order to win NOW. We traded capspace in the future for the all-in-win-it-all-now path. This sadly handcuffs us when the cap goes down (this year). In NHL13 this is easy to fix...simply trade Bieksa and 3 first rounders to Winnipeg for Bogosian and presto problem solved. Real life, not so easy. Everyone else is up against the same cap, so they don't want to take on the problem you have with cap space and unless you are in full rebuild mode and trade established players for picks, well you're stuck with the players that you went "all-in" with.

4/ Waiver Acquisitions. This one speaks for itself. In NHL13 I once picked up David Krejci off waivers, I once picked up Hamhuis off waivers and once lost Carlson to waivers etc etc. I don't think I need to state how this would NEVER EVER happen in the real world. If a player is waived, there's a reason (think Souray). So all-tolled, when you really assess the job GMMG has done, he's actually done pretty good for a rookie GM. I've said it before and I'll say it again, he's not the best, but he's far far from the worst.

At least Jay Feaster isn't our GM.

[ABNuck]

Hahaha and that's the first thing I thought of when I read the title of your thread.

First and foremost, don't get your panties in a knot when someone doesn't agree with you, regardless of whether you feel the response is mature enough for your thread. You obviously spent some time on the massive wall of text so I can appreciate the urge to defend, defend, defend. Speaking of massive wall of text, I didn't read any of it and for 2 reasons: 1) try breaking things up into paragraphs so that it's not appearing to be a massive wall of text, 2) you used the term NHL13 in the title which tells me that it's more than likely a bunch of crap. If anything, this entire CDC forum has been a "GMMG vs NHL13" for the last 6 months. Everybody thinks they have the answers and feel they can out-GM Gillis with one arm tied behind their back.

Keep pounding that "force trade" button, sooner or later it'll go through.

[Jai604]

Saw NHL13 in the title and the giant wall of text and didn't bother to read the rest.

Scrolled down and saw the formatted version, saw that you were actually comparing real life to NHL13, stopped reading.

[TOMapleLaughs]

Blah blah blah, guy. If you had directed half the effort spent on your immature attack responses onto your op, you might have a legit thread on your hands.

After reading the non-wall of text version, I now learned that you couldn't find a solution to your return key problem. Fair enough. But then i learned nothing at all from your blabbering on and on about NHL13. (It's a game, ie. Not reality... You don't freakin' say?)

You know what? If you could've written 6 words to get the same point across, then why do you feel it was important enough to submit to our attention in such a horrible way? Further, if you present such useless information, why do you expect anything but negative responses? And lastly, don't you realize that comparing real hockey to video games, even if that's your point, appears to be ultra-juvenile? Why do you then proceed to call out people here using an age-based attack? If you want to appear to be 'ultra-mature', then that, combined with your op's lack of quality and content, won't help.

[ABNuck]

Blah blah blah, guy. If you had directed half the effort spent on your immature attack responses onto your op, you might have a legit thread on your hands.

After reading the non-wall of text version, I now learned that you couldn't find a solution to your return key problem. Fair enough. But then i learned nothing at all from your blabbering on and on about NHL13. (It's a game, ie. Not reality... You don't freakin' say?)

You know what? If you could've written 6 words to get the same point across, then why do you feel it was important enough to submit to our attention in such a horrible way? Further, if you present such useless information, why do you expect anything but negative responses? And lastly, don't you realize that comparing real hockey to video games, even if that's your point, appears to be ultra-juvenile? Why do you then proceed to call out people here using an age-based attack? If you want to appear to be 'ultra-mature', then that, combined with your op's lack of quality and content, won't help.

[ABNuck]

Saw NHL13 in the title and the giant wall of text and didn't bother to read the rest.

Scrolled down and saw the formatted version, saw that you were actually comparing real life to NHL13, stopped reading.

[VforVasili]

I have exactly the same problem with the return not working when posting sometimes. The only workaround I figured out was to cut and paste my posts from a word processor.

[TOMapleLaughs]

I am so glad that you finally got the point of my post, it was to seek out your approval. If you would stop choking yourself with your sphincter, then you would realize that you and I actually agree. There's a reason why nobody likes "Comic Book Guy", so don't be that guy. I'm sorry if you were bullied in High School by guys like me, and I genuinely apologize for that, but don't use CDC as your personal revenge platform. Hundreds of CDC'ers viewed this post, and then moved on without commenting. I have more respect for them than I do for guys like you. If you have a counter-point to my OP, then please present it. Ever heard the saying "Lead, Follow or get out of the way"?

[ABNuck]

I am literally laughing my ass off now.

Still laughing.

Okay. I'm done.

Thanks.

... No. I'm laughing again.

Now i'm done.

[Clinch16]

[Slegr]

Can we get to the heart of the issue within this thread?? What is UP with the RETURN key not working in this forum anymore? It is extremely annoying. One person raised the solution of typing up stuff in Word first then transferring it. LAME! Who else is having this problem? It sucks, and didn't use to be that way. (RETURN) Until then, let's Wall-of-TEXT it up.

[Slegr]

_{Also, sometimes the font is super small for no reason. OR, everything I type is Crossed OUT. Weird, Right??}

[ABNuck]

[Clinch16]

Can we get to the heart of the issue within this thread?? What is UP with the RETURN key not working in this forum anymore? It is extremely annoying. One person raised the solution of typing up stuff in Word first then transferring it. LAME! Who else is having this problem? It sucks, and didn't use to be that way. (RETURN) Until then, let's Wall-of-TEXT it up.

[ABNuck]

Can we get to the heart of the issue within this thread?? What is UP with the RETURN key not working in this forum anymore? It is extremely annoying. One person raised the solution of typing up stuff in Word first then transferring it. LAME! Who else is having this problem? It sucks, and didn't use to be that way. (RETURN) Until then, let's Wall-of-TEXT it up.

[TOMapleLaughs]

I love your version of 'taking the high road', superstar. You've been on these boards long enough to know better. Wise up.

[Apples]

Even a tank couldn't knock down that block of text..

[PlayingBurke]

I appericate the majority of what you are trying to say. Essentially being a general manager of a NHL team is different, and far more complex, then being a general manager of a NHL game. In addition, it is one thing to be an angry fan, whom is always complaining and dictates everything by winning. This is terrible, and irrational thinking.

Has Gillis made some critical mistakes in his five years? Yes. However, hindsight is 20/20 and to be honest, it's not all Gillis's fault. We are talking about many people involved in the day-to-day workings of a hockey club. You have Gillis, who is the main guy and in the spot light, yes; however, there are scouts who has the sole job of finding prospects and NHL players who fit the Canucks system. It's Gillis who takes this advice and acts.

To be fair to Gillis, he has signed a lot of the core Canucks roster to under-value prices--yes they have NTC--but that is how you get players to sign cheaper, and it's not like they will not waive their NTC, they just want the right team/destination. In my opinion, I argue Gillis's biggest mistake was his goalie handleing. He waited too long, and was very unprofessional during the process. Yes, he can say the CBA changed, etc...but he should have known changes were coming. Nevertheless, I don't see Gillis as being the best general manager ever, but he's certainly not the worse either. The Kassian trade, still has a lot of upside and time will tell. It's unfair to say the trade was terrible, let alone even comment because we don't know the full story. What if Cody wanted out? What if he had issues with his ice-time? This is Gillis's fault? Hardly. The Ballard trade? Awful. Yes. But, how was anyone really to know Ballard would play poorly, and Grabner would become a 30 goal scorer. Perhaps the pro scouts missed that? Maybe Gillis just wanted to resolve our need for a defensemen at the time...

Plus, general managers have to get just about everything approved by ownership, they must be responsible for the sales, sponsorship, and handling the AHL matters. There is a lot of backroom work, which us fans could care less about. I would say Gillis has done well with a lot of these matters. There is more to being a general manager than signing, trading and drafting. Plus, it's not a dictatorship--there are advisors, assistants, scouts, ownership, all who have a say in every choice made in a hockey club. Not counting the tedious negotation between agents and their players over ice-time, contracts, leadership and community involvement. Gillis knows better than most, he was an agent, and a very good one at that.

It's fair to be critical of Gillis, I am not saying that; however, I am saying think before trolling and making reasonable claims.