[Article] Booth needs to ‘make the same sort of effort everyone else is making,’ says Canucks GM

[TheMohammadman]

It’s easy to identify David Booth‘s struggles this year.

The tough part, according to his GM, is how to fix them.

On Thursday, Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said there are “no easy answers” regarding the Booth situation after Booth, who’s making $4.25 million this year and the next, was a healthy scratch for the second time this season in Tuesday’s 3-2 shootout loss to Florida.

“We need him to play harder and play with more tenacity on the puck,” Gillis told Vancouver’s TEAM 1040. “We can’t afford to have him try to learn that while we’re playing game we need to win.

“He’ll be back in the lineup when he’s prepared to play the way the coaches want him to play and make the same sort of effort everyone else is making.”

Booth, 28, has been slowed by a series of injuries over the last two seasons and recently admitted he’s missing the physical attributes that made him a 30-goal scorer while with the Panthers.

“My explosiveness isn’t where it was in the past,” Booth told the Vancouver Sun. “That extra step, that’s really the strength in my game. Without a doubt I can get it back. I’ve had other leg injuries and it comes back with time.

“It’s just been a little bit longer this time than in the past.”

Gillis isn’t so sure the solution is that simple. The Canucks have tried a number of motivational techniques already — the healthy scratches, sending Booth to AHL Utica — with zero results.

“[booth's] had a lot of meetings with the coaches, a lot of philosophical meetings,” Gillis explained. “There isn’t an easy answer to this situation.”

Tags: David Booth, Vancouver Canucks

[DeNiro]

Great, so announce to everyone that his problem is lack of effort.

I honestly think gillis has too much faith in players sometimes, almost to a fault.

[xereau]

That wide open mouth he has in every picture, says it all.

[Oliewud]

Great, so announce to everyone that his problem is lack of effort.

I honestly think gillis has too much faith in players sometimes, almost to a fault.

well what else is required to be in shape? if you read the article booth even stated he has lost an extra step...that means hes out of shape.

[MJDDawg]

Could you please list the article's source.

Edit: Don't bother. I see the reference to the Vancouver Sun buried in the body of the article.

[Grapefruits]

Great, so announce to everyone that his problem is lack of effort.

I honestly think gillis has too much faith in players sometimes, almost to a fault.

He's stuck in the player agent mentality, I don't see it changing.

[naslund.is.king]

Trade him or play him.

[Tortorella's Rant]

Trade him or play him.

You couldn't pay a team to take him right now.

If we weren't in such a hole right now, I would give him half a dozen games with legitimate top sixers and a fair amount of ice time to turn it around. Show us something. Give us some hope that you can still play in this league. Otherwise buhbye.

But we're in a hole and can't keep pissing away points. Can't take any risks right now.

[CanucksSayEh]

Effort never struck me as an issue with Booth. He always seemed to play hard every shift without any concern of personnel safety. He was a balls to the wall guy. Don't quite understand why that would change, if it has. Maybe just appears that way and he's really struggling to find his legs and such.

[DeNiro]

well what else is required to be in shape? if you read the article booth even stated he has lost an extra step...that means hes out of shape.

Not a smart thing to announce it though. What GM is gonna wanna take a player that can't even stay in shape? Sounds like he has attitude problems now on top of struggling.

Should have just blamed it on the injury.

I don't think Gillis is even going to try and trade him though. He's the type of GM that will hold onto a player for way too long cause he believes he can have a reclamation project.

[dangler696969]

At least we finally know that Gillis is at least a little pissed off like the fans.

[thema]

Not a smart thing to announce it though. What GM is gonna wanna take a player that can't even stay in shape? Sounds like he has attitude problems now on top of struggling.

Should have just blamed it on the injury.

I don't think Gillis is even going to try and trade him though. He's the type of GM that will hold onto a player for way too long cause he believes he can have a reclamation project.

...or, more likely, is tired of having his fellow GM's laugh at him whenever he proposes Booth in a trade. His value is zilch right now.

[Warhippy]

Booth. Just do us a favor and don't be injured at the end of the season ok. You've a buyout coming, and it's well deserved

[Nucks-4-Life]

Gillis fracks up a potential trade again. This is the same thing he did during the Luongo situation. He ends up giving all his leverage away.

Gillis is on record saying Booth is out of shape and has motivation issues. What GM will touch him now?

[JRSJ]

Gillis fracks up a potential trade again. This is the same thing he did during the Luongo situation. He ends up giving all his leverage away.

Gillis is on record saying Booth is out of shape and has motivation issues. What GM will touch him now?

Come on, no gm wants Booth. Only way he gets traded for anything is if he performs, or as a + in a trade to equal out salary.

[LeanBeef]

I remember when he came in last year and hit everything that moved, I thought it was Volpatti wearing a Booth jersey...

Haven't seen that side of his game this year.

[King Heffy]

Gillis fracks up a potential trade again. This is the same thing he did during the Luongo situation. He ends up giving all his leverage away.

Gillis is on record saying Booth is out of shape and has motivation issues. What GM will touch him now?

At what point can we suspend him if there's a serious attitude problem?

[DeNiro]

...or, more likely, is tired of having his fellow GM's laugh at him whenever he proposes Booth in a trade. His value is zilch right now.

Any player can be traded if a GM is willing to work the phones enough, and even get creative.

Right now Booth has negative value to this team. The longer Gillis holds onto him, the more he hurts the teams chances.

[Trebreh]

Great, so announce to everyone that his problem is lack of effort.

I honestly think gillis has too much faith in players sometimes, almost to a fault.

Our GM Is delusional, he probably thinks the current team is a playoff team too...

[naslund.is.king]

You couldn't pay a team to take him right now.

If we weren't in such a hole right now, I would give him half a dozen games with legitimate top sixers and a fair amount of ice time to turn it around. Show us something. Give us some hope that you can still play in this league. Otherwise buhbye.

But we're in a hole and can't keep pissing away points. Can't take any risks right now.

I 100% agree thats exactly the problem we are now 3 years in waiting on him to show some flashes of his past