Mike Gillis Should Stay

[Honky Cat]

There's words used with the Canucks that I never want to hear again.

"Bold Moves" is one. That sounds like Burke trying to make a splash. You can't promise bold moves when the teams your trading with may or may not cooperate. Bold moves also sounds like rash or desperate moves. Things I never want to hear about the Canucks as well.

The other is "It's a process". That is the type of political double-talk that has no definition. You need three types of planning when you run a hockey club.

- Short term. Filling the needs of right now and this season.

- Intermediate term. Filling the need in the next 2-3 seasons. In other words things like prospects on ELC's pending free agents, etc.

- Long Term. 3+ Seasons. Players you just drafted, trends in the league, retirements, longer term contracts.

Gillis seems very focused on Short Term. And is weak on longer term solutions. For a guy who's an ex-agent he doesn't look long range very often.

Instead of "It's a process" I'd be happier if he just said in a Joker voice "It's all part of the plan".

At least we would know THERE IS A PLAN.

For a guy you say is focused on short term,he has not traded for any veteran players...he has said he wants to get younger and bigger..And when you're dealing with younger players..it's a process.

[wallstreetamigo]

What was this supposed huge return he was going to get back for Luongo..?..and failed..?

Which teams and players..?

You completely forgot about the $7m in available cap space that has become available with the departure of both goalies.

As long as he fills it with the right pieces though which is about as far from a sure thing as we can get. He has eaten up cap before on players who should have been key pieces but who really weren't or at least have not turned out to be. If he uses that space for IMPACT players, that's great. If he uses them on other team's cap dumps we stay right where we are now. And there is no way of knowing which way he will go. History has shown more towards other team's cap dumps so hopefully that will change.

[wallstreetamigo]

For a guy you say is focused on short term,he has not traded for any veteran players...he has said he wants to get younger and bigger..And when you're dealing with younger players..it's a process.

"It's a process" has to be the most ridiculous comment Gillis makes. It is like the words that don't need to even be said. Is he trying to convince us he has a process in place when signs point to the "process" changing with the wind?

Imagine if at one press conference he said it is not a process! That would be awesome.

[Neko]

Penguins went young and big back in the early 2000's and ended up drafting 2 of the finest hockey players we see today (Sydney and Geno) but they also put in some veterans in the mix to balance it out (Guerin and Hal Gill), which led to Stanley Cup appearances.

And then look at Calgary, no big names besides Cammalleri, they won't be going anywhere for a long time.

[Apples]

MG handled the Luongo/Schneider situation terribly. Other than that, I can't really think of any other reasons to fire him

[Riviera82]

MG handled the Luongo/Schneider situation terribly. Other than that, I can't really think of any other reasons to fire him

Another thing that comes immediately to my mind are the twin albatross contracts he gave the Sedins earlier this season, he should have waited on that. If those guys dont bounce back in a major way next season, well needless to say it will be quite a millstone around this team's neck.

[Ding-Dong]

Calling someone son at my age is pretty standard too. Didn't realize it was an insult. And judging by his responses to me it is fairly obvious he is a young person. Because lots of them don't take any time to flesh out their argument. They just attack in twitter-esque one liners.

This is your problem. All assumptions. I'm a young person based off of my comments? Please son. Give me a break.

[aGENT]

The team needs more then one UFA to compete.

Boston has scored 230 goals this year while Vancouver has scored 176.

This is the worst GPG seasonal record in 17 years for the Canucks.

First place Bruins.

20th place Canucks.

Penny wise and pound foolish Gillis.

How many man-games has their top 6 lost this season? Think some context as to WHY that's happening might be helpful? Of course not, it seems you think "context" is the Greek word for "ignore".

There's words used with the Canucks that I never want to hear again.

"Bold Moves" is one. That sounds like Burke trying to make a splash. You can't promise bold moves when the teams your trading with may or may not cooperate. Bold moves also sounds like rash or desperate moves. Things I never want to hear about the Canucks as well.

The other is "It's a process". That is the type of political double-talk that has no definition. You need three types of planning when you run a hockey club.

- Short term. Filling the needs of right now and this season.

- Intermediate term. Filling the need in the next 2-3 seasons. In other words things like prospects on ELC's pending free agents, etc.

- Long Term. 3+ Seasons. Players you just drafted, trends in the league, retirements, longer term contracts.

Gillis seems very focused on Short Term. And is weak on longer term solutions. For a guy who's an ex-agent he doesn't look long range very often.

Instead of "It's a process" I'd be happier if he just said in a Joker voice "It's all part of the plan".

At least we would know THERE IS A PLAN.

Pretty much disagree with all of that. If he wasn't thinking long term we'd be heading down the same path as Calgary with no prospects, they wouldn't have bothered with all the work and expense of setting up Utica, key, current core players wouldn't have their contracts all expiring staggered over the next 2-4 year etc, etc, etc.

Just because you fail to grasp the planning and/or disagree with it does not equate to there not being any.

[elvis15]

That wasn't a bold move. It was forced after he entirely mishandled the Luongo situation. His hands were tied and he had to do something.

He demonstrated terrible asset management and lost any leverage the Canucks had from having 2 starting caliber NHL goalies and only got half the return had he traded him earlier.

He held onto Luongo when he could have been traded for a better return.

Ended up getting Bo Horvat, Shawn Matthias, and Jacob Markstrom for Luongo and Schneider combined.

Should have gotten that return for each at minimum meaning prospect/draft pick, roster player, young player.

Feel free to share with us what teams were willing to offer such returns for either goalie. Oh, you don't have any sources to back that up? Ah, that's ok, I knew you didn't. I've seen or heard almost all the reliable rumours that were around for both goalies.

And that's the problem, as much as not moving either goalie to avoid the controversy was an issue, it's not like he was swimming in offers and declined trades to try and get an unreasonable return for either goalie. Not only were teams not calling with offers of the 9th overall pick, an underrated 3rd line center and a former 'best outside the NHL' goalie prospect with some question marks, the only teams that were calling either had owners who couldn't back a deal without us taking back or keeping significant cap dumps, or called with lowball offers almost to the point of ridicule which they then pulled from the table just prior to deadlines.

If you think Gillis is a bad GM because he didn't get all that in one trade, then you'll think the same of pretty much any GM in the league.

[Ronalds.Kenins41]

Feel free to share with us what teams were willing to offer such returns for either goalie. Oh, you don't have any sources to back that up? Ah, that's ok, I knew you didn't. I've seen or heard almost all the reliable rumours that were around for both goalies.

And that's the problem, as much as not moving either goalie to avoid the controversy was an issue, it's not like he was swimming in offers and declined trades to try and get an unreasonable return for either goalie. Not only were teams not calling with offers of the 9th overall pick, an underrated 3rd line center and a former 'best outside the NHL' goalie prospect with some question marks, the only teams that were calling either had owners who couldn't back a deal without us taking back or keeping significant cap dumps, or called with lowball offers almost to the point of ridicule which they then pulled from the table just prior to deadlines.

If you think Gillis is a bad GM because he didn't get all that in one trade, then you'll think the same of pretty much any GM in the league.

+1 you just owned the guy

[aGENT]

+1 you just owned the guy

Yet the silly assertion from the anti-Gillis crowd continues unabated....

[5Fivehole0]

That wasn't a bold move. It was forced after he entirely mishandled the Luongo situation. His hands were tied and he had to do something.

He demonstrated terrible asset management and lost any leverage the Canucks had from having 2 starting caliber NHL goalies and only got half the return had he traded him earlier.

He held onto Luongo when he could have been traded for a better return.

Ended up getting Bo Horvat, Shawn Matthias, and Jacob Markstrom for Luongo and Schneider combined.

Should have gotten that return for each at minimum meaning prospect/draft pick, roster player, young player.

To be fair, CDC put way too much value on Schneider. He was still an unproven goal tender at the time, and still is today.

Bo Horvat for Schneider isn't looking horrible. Do I think it should have been a young player + pick? Yes and no... It was a top 10 pick in a VERY deep draft. #9 Pick last draft is worth much more than a #9 pick this year.

In short, Gillis could have got a little bit more I think, but over-all it wasn't a bad trade.

As for Luongo? An aging all-star (who is still elite) for great young 3rd C/Utility guy and a blue chip prospect who was being improperly brought up into the NHL.

Markstrom had no goalie coach, was being thrown into the fire and has his confidence rocked. Now take that kid who was once widely considered the next greatest goalie and put him into Vancouvers goalie development and you will see that diamond sparkle again.

Could they have got more for Lu? Nope. Not a chance sadly. Was he worth more than that? Absolutely.

I think Gillis made a mistake in moving both goalies but hind-sight is 20/20. I think what he moved them for has set us up for a few seasons to come.

[Ronalds.Kenins41]

Mike Gillis should stay........ away if Burke is available

[aGENT]

Mike Gillis should stay........ away if Burke is available

Good Gordie no!

[Tearloch7]

Mike Gillis should stay........ away if Burke is available

Then the WWE truly will come to town! .. Burke is at his last 'post' and it is going down, not up, in Flames .. /w

[elvis15]

Who told you you're an idiot?

Your opinion of Gillis isn't really the issue, but the fact that folks like yourself and nuck nit mistake your opinions as matters of fact is a pretty good indication that you're not actually capable of respecting opposing opinions, let alone recognizing that these are essentially contested issues/opinions, not matters of fact.

Just curious - if treating people a certain way is the right thing to do all the time and not simply when you agree with someone, would that mean that you refer to the posts of people you agree with as "dumb", or call people you agree with arrogant and stubborn? It would certainly appear that you, like everyone else around here, reserve that 'right thing to do' for people you don't in fact agree with.

I believe he's referring to this post, which isn't specifically about him necessarily, although I could see how it was implied.

The most persistent idiot need only argue until all smart men realize that he is a lost cause.

+1 you just owned the guy

Yet the silly assertion from the anti-Gillis crowd continues unabated....

I try for logic first usually, but snide, sarcastic or derisive also certainly factors in when I get tired of hearing the same old (disproven) arguments.

[Goal:thecup]

Yet the silly assertion from the anti-Gillis crowd continues unabated....

Reduced though because (thankfully) schools back in.

[stawns]

To be fair, CDC put way too much value on Schneider. He was still an unproven goal tender at the time, and still is today.

Bo Horvat for Schneider isn't looking horrible. Do I think it should have been a young player + pick? Yes and no... It was a top 10 pick in a VERY deep draft. #9 Pick last draft is worth much more than a #9 pick this year.

In short, Gillis could have got a little bit more I think, but over-all it wasn't a bad trade.

As for Luongo? An aging all-star (who is still elite) for great young 3rd C/Utility guy and a blue chip prospect who was being improperly brought up into the NHL.

Markstrom had no goalie coach, was being thrown into the fire and has his confidence rocked. Now take that kid who was once widely considered the next greatest goalie and put him into Vancouvers goalie development and you will see that diamond sparkle again.

Could they have got more for Lu? Nope. Not a chance sadly. Was he worth more than that? Absolutely.

I think Gillis made a mistake in moving both goalies but hind-sight is 20/20. I think what he moved them for has set us up for a few seasons to come.

I can't stand Gillis, but I have no issues for the return on Luongo. I've always been a Mathias fan and he's looking as advertised......a suitable replacement for Malhotra......finally. And you're right about Markstrom, if the Canucks can get him on track, the canucks walk away huge winners in that trade.

Still, it's time for MG to go

[elvis15]

To be fair, CDC put way too much value on Schneider. He was still an unproven goal tender at the time, and still is today.

Bo Horvat for Schneider isn't looking horrible. Do I think it should have been a young player + pick? Yes and no... It was a top 10 pick in a VERY deep draft. #9 Pick last draft is worth much more than a #9 pick this year.

In short, Gillis could have got a little bit more I think, but over-all it wasn't a bad trade.

As for Luongo? An aging all-star (who is still elite) for great young 3rd C/Utility guy and a blue chip prospect who was being improperly brought up into the NHL.

Markstrom had no goalie coach, was being thrown into the fire and has his confidence rocked. Now take that kid who was once widely considered the next greatest goalie and put him into Vancouvers goalie development and you will see that diamond sparkle again.

Could they have got more for Lu? Nope. Not a chance sadly. Was he worth more than that? Absolutely.

I think Gillis made a mistake in moving both goalies but hind-sight is 20/20. I think what he moved them for has set us up for a few seasons to come.

While CDC as a whole is never truly happy, if we'd been able to get an extra piece in the Schneider deal it would have looked better for us. I wanted Merrill, but Urbom looked like he could be a lesser alternative if they didn't want to give that much. Too bad we couldn't get it and it's another of those situations I'd have loved to be a fly on the wall to see what the negotiation was.

I was hopeful Luongo could get a decent piece back, but his contract truly was a roadblock which I didn't foresee. I understand that Florida's owners wouldn't pony up but that some team with a need for a solid starter wouldn't go after Luongo and give up something reasonable for him before now. What we did get I have no problem with considering everything that's happened around this, and I suspected he wouldn't want to stay beyond a few years anyway.

[Absent Canuck]

The truth is always a valid defense though. He told me I am an idiot for having an opinion he did not agree with. This was all in direct response to him saying I am an idiot for actually arguing my case.

So it seems that my opinion of Gillis, which many of you don't agree with, also seems to give him a free pass for saying that. Had I said that to him you guys would be all over me based on only which side of the argument you stand on. I find that pretty idiotic too. Treating people a certain way is the right thing to do ALL the time, not just when they agree with you.

I never called him an idiot for his opinion though which I think puts me on the high ground. Apparently you disagree but at least I can respect your opinion. That puts me on the higher ground than him too I would say.

Sometimes posters get too wrapped up in their opinions to remain objective and consider opposing views. Its a skill that takes a lifetime to master.

I think Gillis has done enough really good stuff to make up for the dumb things he has done to deserve this offseason to improve the hockey team. If he can trade Kesler and Edler for their value I will have my faith restored.

I can appreciate how fans think he has ruined the team more than helped but I dont share it. Its neither a better or worse point of view.