Change of direction (Discussion)

[VanGnome]

The only thing that matters to me win or lose, is effort. However the effort put in has to be properly channeled by way of systems and personnel deployment.

 

IMO WD needs to go, simply for no other reason than this: He's shown the inability to change the way the team plays. He has stuck to his primary system and whacky player deployment which has literally achieved nothing noteworthy thus far in the season.

 

I'm going to lay out how I think the direction this team should move in:

 

1. Fire WD, Jarvis to take over in interim capacity, evaluate coaching at end of the season.
    
2. Give the C to Jannik Hansen. Game in, game out he shows the type of work ethic, tenacity and effort required to push the play and pressure the opposition into making mistakes on which to capitalize. Give the A's to Gudbranson and Sutter. Utilize Gudbranson's experience and leadership qualities that he showcased in Florida. Sutter also brings a lot and should be part of the new leadership of this team.
    
3. Baertschi, Horvat and Virtanen as the 1st line. Primary offensive starts, 1st PP time with Hansen on point for one timer
    
4. Sedin, Sedin, Eriksson as the 2nd line, Secondary offensive starts, 2nd PP time
    
5. Granlund, Sutter, Hansen as the 3rd line, Primary defensive zone starts, Sutter/Hansen 1st PK
    
6. Labate, Gaunce, Dorsett as the 4th line, Secondary defensive zone starts
    
7. Game strategy: Finish your hits. Staple everyone to the boards, punish them, force turn overs. Horvat, Virtanen, Sutter, Hansen, Gaunce, Dorsett all capable of laying good hits from the offense, Gudbranson, Tryamkin, Sbisa, Edler able to lay good hits on defence. Drop the cycle offense and step up the forecheck with speed. Defense should pinch instead of backing off in order to push the offense. Play with tenacity. This is the Honey Badger Identity.
    
8. Waive Burrows, call up Labate.
    
9. Defence:
   
   Hutton, Gudbranson
   Edler, Stecher
   Tryamkin, Tanev

 

Even if the Canucks are going to lose, they are going to make the opposition pay for it. We've seen they are capable of playing physical hockey as evidenced by the last game in Toronto. That kind of mentality needs to be center stage.

 

In essence, every player needs to play with a chip on their shoulder, play pissed off. I think apathy is setting in under WD, looking at the players they just look indifferent. They say all the right things, but honestly not one single player on this roster has to believe that the team is being coached effectively.

[OptionalPants]

Taking the C away from Henrik Sedin is an awful idea. Also has Gubranson really done anything at all to show he might be worthy of an A??

 

Edit: also sorry, i didnt mean to give you the negative rep, i think i got rid of it now

[Alflives]

10 minutes ago, VanGnome said:

The only thing that matters to me win or lose, is effort. However the effort put in has to be properly channeled by way of systems and personnel deployment.

 

IMO WD needs to go, simply for no other reason than this: He's shown the inability to change the way the team plays. He has stuck to his primary system and whacky player deployment which has literally achieved nothing noteworthy thus far in the season.

 

I'm going to lay out how I think the direction this team should move in:

 

1. Fire WD, Jarvis to take over in interim capacity, evaluate coaching at end of the season.
    
2. Give the C to Jannik Hansen. Game in, game out he shows the type of work ethic, tenacity and effort required to push the play and pressure the opposition into making mistakes on which to capitalize. Give the A's to Gudbranson and Sutter. Utilize Gudbranson's experience and leadership qualities that he showcased in Florida. Sutter also brings a lot and should be part of the new leadership of this team.
    
3. Baertschi, Horvat and Virtanen as the 1st line. Primary offensive starts, 1st PP time with Hansen on point for one timer
    
4. Sedin, Sedin, Eriksson as the 2nd line, Secondary offensive starts, 2nd PP time
    
5. Granlund, Sutter, Hansen as the 3rd line, Primary defensive zone starts, Sutter/Hansen 1st PK
    
6. Labate, Gaunce, Dorsett as the 4th line, Secondary defensive zone starts
    
7. Game strategy: Finish your hits. Staple everyone to the boards, punish them, force turn overs. Horvat, Virtanen, Sutter, Hansen, Gaunce, Dorsett all capable of laying good hits from the offense, Gudbranson, Tryamkin, Sbisa, Edler able to lay good hits on defence. Drop the cycle offense and step up the forecheck with speed. Defense should pinch instead of backing off in order to push the offense. Play with tenacity. This is the Honey Badger Identity.
    
8. Waive Burrows, call up Labate.
    
9. Defence:
   
   Hutton, Gudbranson
   Edler, Stecher
   Tryamkin, Tanev

 

Even if the Canucks are going to lose, they are going to make the opposition pay for it. We've seen they are capable of playing physical hockey as evidenced by the last game in Toronto. That kind of mentality needs to be center stage.

 

In essence, every player needs to play with a chip on their shoulder, play pissed off. I think apathy is setting in under WD, looking at the players they just look indifferent. They say all the right things, but honestly not one single player on this roster has to believe that the team is being coached effectively.

This is cute.  interesting too.

[VanGnome]

This is not change for the sake of change, this is change to significantly shift the mentality of this team, and the entire direction the team goes. We absolutely need to flip how things are done and actually do something meaningful.

[OptionalPants]

3 minutes ago, VanGnome said:

This is not change for the sake of change, this is change to significantly shift the mentality of this team, and the entire direction the team goes. We absolutely need to flip how things are done and actually do something meaningful.

 

I agree with quite a few of your points. It's just that taking away the C from Henrik, and the A from Daniel at this point in their careers, after everything they've done and given to this organisation is totally disrespectful. Also, though Sutter may be a viable option for an A, Gubranson has done absolutely nothing good since coming to the Canucks and has shown no indication that he should get an A

 

I do like your ideas for the lines though, we should start giving more o-zone icetime to the young guys

[JM_]

Pretty much on board other than the "C" thing. Hank has given his all, night after night and still does. And Jannik wouldn't accept it that way.

 

 

[Salacious Crumb]

Is the op saying we need to be more truculent?

[OptionalPants]

3 minutes ago, Salacious Crumb said:

Is the op saying we need to be more truculent?

 

I think he saying we need to be more truculent

Is anyone able to confirm that we need to be more truculent?

[JM_]

1 minute ago, OptionalPants said:

 

I think he saying we need to be more truculent

 

Phaneuf truculent? Or Anaheim truculent? Is that Duckulent? 

[Nucker 67]

The Sedins are running this team, no way they take away their letters. That's really a slap in the face after all they've done for this team. I do like the idea of giving the 1st line to Baertschi - Horvat - Virtanen. These are our young guns, and they need to get the experience of being the next leaders on the team. Horvat should get an "A" next year, with Burrows gone.

[PhillipBlunt]

While I am looking forward to the day the Canucks have a new captain, you can't take the C away from a player in the middle of a season and hope that the optics don't look really bad.

 

I do agree that Hansen is an excellent player, and one of the most consistent on the roster by far, but I highly doubt he'd accept the C, and would most likely ask for a trade.

 

Your other points however, are very good. WD should be gone, as he is not a competent enough coach to lead this team out of this hole. As well, the Canucks do have a heavier roster than before and should utilize that to their advantage. Yes, the game has become a faster game, but physicality is still on nightly display.

 

Hit to hurt the Gadreaus, Marners, and McDavids of the league. My biggest question in the present deployment of the Canucks is what Gudbranson is bringing. He's been average at best lately, on ice for 4 of the 6 goals Toronto scored, and did nothing to fight back. Squat. Hansen and Miller, who both are 50 lbs lighter than him, showed more guts and fight against turds like Kadri and Martin.

 

I can only hope that the sounds Erik was making after the game that those whiny social justice warriors, Abbot and Murphy called him out for, is the sound of a beast being awakened. I look forward to what Gudbranson does on December 3rd.

[PhillipBlunt]

Just now, NUCKER67 said:

The Sedins are running this team, no way they take away their letters. That's really a slap in the face after all they've done for this team. I do like the idea of giving the 1st line to Baertschi - Horvat - Virtanen. These are our young guns, and they need to get the experience of being the next leaders on the team. Horvat should get an "A" next year, with Burrows gone.

It definitely looks bad. However, I do believe that the C needs to transition soon. Does it stay on Henrik for the next two years? I don't think so. While the Sedins are still figureheads, they need to be allowed to transition to secondary roles, both from realistically and figuratively.

[N4ZZY]

4 minutes ago, PhillipBlunt said:

It definitely looks bad. However, I do believe that the C needs to transition soon. Does it stay on Henrik for the next two years? I don't think so. While the Sedins are still figureheads, they need to be allowed to transition to secondary roles, both from realistically and figuratively.

I agree that they will have to transition to secondary roles. That's just natural progression...

 

[PhillipBlunt]

3 minutes ago, N4ZZY said:

I agree that they will have to transition to secondary roles. That's just natural progression...

 

And with that transition comes a new captaincy.

[VanGnome]

27 minutes ago, NUCKER67 said:

The Sedins are running this team, no way they take away their letters. That's really a slap in the face after all they've done for this team. I do like the idea of giving the 1st line to Baertschi - Horvat - Virtanen. These are our young guns, and they need to get the experience of being the next leaders on the team. Horvat should get an "A" next year, with Burrows gone.

 

This is precisely why we need such a monumental shift. Sedins running the team would be fine, if we had the skill and the supporting cast to compliment them much like we had in 2011.

We don't, we need to take a blue collar workman like approach to the game, and play the opponent hard and fast. Not truculence, but we need to play with more bravado. More confidence, make the opposition leery of us.

[DIBdaQUIB]

I think you are on the right track in that this team needs a major shift in attitude and make-up.  WD has shown that the status quo and veteran core are not able to keep this team competitive.

 

As with many, I am not thrilled by taking the C from Hank at this time as I don't really see it having much impact compared to the other changes you propose.  I would suggest that Bo as center for your first line be given an A as recognition of his work to-date and future status.  Start the transition. 

 

Burrows as an A was always a bad idea, as evidenced by his spearing incident the other day.  Love his passion but you can't have team leaders and guys that represent you to the officials that play like that.

 

 

[VanGnome]

As for the optics of taking Captaincy, look at what happened in San Jose. It's a tactical decision to change the make up of the team, and facilitates the Sedins gracefully becoming secondary pieces.

Henrik has said, he'd love for he and Daniel to become secondary players, but has said "No one has pushed us enough to make that happen". Well, the reason it hasn't happened is because the coaching has not provided the opportunity for that to become a reality.

We need to give the young guns ice to skate on, and room to make mistakes because they are at this point in time infinitely more dynamic than the Sedins.

[Nuxfanabroad]

Dump pricy contracts, or play them out.

 

Go young, big, skilled & cheap(ELC's & bridges-galore). Draft well. Trade smart. wear nice cologne.

 

Cut tix price. Enable the unwashed masses to come & cheer the lion-feedings. Tell the league to F**k themselves with rev sharing ideas! We're just breakin' even here.

 

Find alternative interests & hobbies. Acquire true patience.

[Fanuck]

1 hour ago, PhillipBlunt said:

It definitely looks bad. However, I do believe that the C needs to transition soon. Does it stay on Henrik for the next two years? I don't think so. While the Sedins are still figureheads, they need to be allowed to transition to secondary roles, both from realistically and figuratively.

Absolutely yes imo.

 

Both Sedin's have served this team and community beyond what most players have and ever will.  They've earned the right through hard work, dedication, commitment, and sacrifice to be the leaders of this team and no one has even come close to stepping up and doing what it takes on or off the ice to make me think they are a better candidate.

 

Players say it themselves all the time - you don't need a letter to show leadership.  Any player ready/willing/able to demonstrate leadership on this team and in this community can do so without having a letter on his jersey and when this happens - they will be the natural candidate to succeed the twins.  It would be nice if some of the younger guys take notice of this and step up their roles on and off the ice. 

[PhillipBlunt]

1 minute ago, Fanuck said:

Absolutely yes imo.

Fair enough. The question does have to be asked though.

1 minute ago, Fanuck said:

Both Sedin's have served this team and community beyond what most players have and ever will.  They've earned the right through hard work, dedication, commitment, and sacrifice to be the leaders of this team and no one has even come close to stepping up and doing what it takes on or off the ice to make me think they are a better candidate.

The captaincy is really only based on what happens on the ice though. While working in the community, and being stalwart citizens is a great thing, it should have no bearing on being given the C.

1 minute ago, Fanuck said:

Players say it themselves all the time - you don't need a letter to show leadership.

True. Yet all 30 teams have a captain. So it definitely counts for something tangible. The main reason players say that is to spread accountability for team performance throughout the ranks.

1 minute ago, Fanuck said:

 Any player ready/willing/able to demonstrate leadership on this team and in this community can do so without having a letter on his jersey and when this happens - they will be the natural candidate to succeed the twins.

Again, on the ice, is what counts here. Every single player is put through the community service aspect of the Canucks, and to be honest, while I'm sure the hearts are in the right place, there is a huge public relations aspect at play that isn't charity related at all.

1 minute ago, Fanuck said:

It would be nice if some of the younger guys take notice of this and step up their roles on and off the ice. 

Bo Horvat? And some of the young guys would step up more on the ice, if given a shift, or more ice time.