IR Kesler for the remainder of the season... trade Lu and bring in a big time player with the prorated 11 mil worth of cap relief. There is so much dead weight here right now that more cap relief could be made easily next season as well to accomodate. We need a true top six centre who can rock and roll in the playoffs. Kesler can be the best 3rd line C in the world when he returns which I sincerly give him credit for. A 2nd line C he is not...

I would take Lecavlier absolutely if it were not for the length of tht (frank)ing contract. Exactly what a dozen GM's are probably saying about Luongo.

AV and Bowness still think they are coaching an expasion team 15 years later. Only in their world would they strive to turn everything into three shutdown lines and hold back the one scoring line while short shift the 1st PP unit even though you are running an eggs in one basket appraoch????
- boonerbuck

Package Kesler and Edler in the offseason for the #1 pick and draft Seth Jones.

Bring in a big name UFA C? If they could do that, I would be all over it. Our 3rd line would still need a good shut down physical 3rd C though.

Now that Jason Arnott has been medical cleared, why not bring him in and see how he does as a 2/3 line Center? Can't be any worse than Ebbett or waiting for MG to trade a goalie...

Firing AV at this stage would be pointless. No coach that's available would have enough time now to put into place their system, nor get to know the players enough to be able to figure out what role to put them. The time to fire AV is the off-season where you can look at who's available, pick the candidate you want early and then give him time to set things up. It also would help Gillis (if he's still GM after another 1st round loss this year) or whoever replaces him decide who to keep and who to trade to fill the roster with players that would work with the new coach's system.

The sad fact is if we don't win the Cup this year, with this roster, we don't have much hope coming in the way of prospects who can replace what we have now. Beyond Jensen (who is not the second coming of Jaromir Jagr/Jari Kurri and should not be expected to be a huge factor this or next year) and perhaps Corrado and Gaunce, we do not have blue chip prospects who can contribute which would help with our cap situation next year.

Baring in mind that even if we trade Luongo or Schneider, we still only have 8-9 mil in cap space to resign Schroeder and Tanev and either resign or replace Malhotra, Lapierre, Weise, Volpatti and Higgins (not to mention a backup goaltender). That's most of the bottom 6 and with slim pickings in FA we're looking at scrubs/also-rans/reclaimation projects for the forseeable future...
- DariusKnight

Disagree with this part, IF the right coach is hired now he could have a huge impact. Look what Darryl Sutter accomplished in LA, took a bunch of under achievers and won the cup. It has to be the right coach.

Do you want to bet that Gillis gets his man this summer and signs Bozak. I'm sure Bozak knows about the interest after all the open talk in the media with Nonis and Gillis. The opportunity for a player like him is in neon lights when you look at the middle off this roster. I'm not a big fan but his face off skills are pretty impressive and he looks to be still improving over all.

I reminded people a couple of times that Gillis presented him a contract offer coming out of college and he signed with the Leafs instead. I smell a signing for sure.

I found this blog, no data to back up his points, so you'll have to take it with a grain of salt.

I took a look at NHL coaching changes since 2005 and grouped them into three categories:

Off-season change (one coach replaces another in the off-season)
Mid-season change (one coach replaces another and finishes the season)
Mid-season change-turned-permanent (mid-season coaching replacement sticks around, leading the team into the next season)
Here’s what was learned:

Hiring a coach in the off-season has little-to-no impact on a team’s performance the following season. The 33 coaches hired in the off-season since the lockout have averaged a +0.5 point improvement over their team’s previous season.
Mid-season replacements almost always have a positive impact on the club. The 24 coaches hired mid-season improved their team’s winning percentage by +0.126, or roughly +10 wins over the course of a full season.
It’s not a bad idea to keep mid-season replacement coaches around. Coaches hired at mid-season, and made permanent in the off-season, improve their team’s performance over the previous season by +4 wins. This is +7.5 points more on average than a new coach hired in the off-season.
- 1970vintage

Good research

Kesler and a 2nd for Letang and a fifth

Of course Gillis did that. He did it to Linden too. Thats what Linden was saying....that he hadnt decided if he was going to retire or not and management went ahead and announced it for him. He felt Gillis had no right to to move ahead with the notion. He was offended about the pressure they put on him to retire rather than go public about not offering him a contract and Linden possibly finishing his career not in a Canucks jersey.

Linden was another one of AV's dog house players sad to say. Even when he was contributing more than AV's boys...

There's more and more examples of how sleezy Gillis can be. He's still the same snake that was a controversial agent. His level of respect when talking about the local fans has offended me over the last year... some of us keep score of the lies. He's the one looking stupid these days. You never see the media treating him like he's stupid though....even though he talks about fans and media like they are morons.
- boonerbuck

Not a fan of the way Trevor was treated his last season here.

Not a fan of the way Trevor was treated his last season here.
- immature_male

Im not a fan of anything about our team right now. Management seems screwed. I think the players are blocking out the coach.

We have two goalies who dont know what the fukk is going on.

So frustrating.

Taylor hall is available for good D

Who remembers when Gillis signed Mathieu Schneider? AV didn't give him any PP time, put him in the press box for no reason, gave him extremely limited TOI... on the wrong side... with a new partner every game. Sound familiar? Dude was the original Ballard/Garrison.

Who remembers when Gillis signed Mathieu Schneider? AV didn't give him any PP time, put him in the press box for no reason, gave him extremely limited TOI... on the wrong side... with a new partner every game. Sound familiar? Dude was the original Ballard/Garrison.
- DrChristianTroy

All the evidence points to a shaky relationship between the coach and GM, yet he keeps getting extended. I don't get it.

Keslers come back wasnt because of coming back early..was a freak accident, slap shot to the foot vs St Louis...then again vs Dallas........as for AV-Gillis one has to go!

All the evidence points to a shaky relationship between the coach and GM, yet he keeps getting extended. I don't get it.
- hertzman

It's obvious, it has something to do with AV...a camera, a goat or sheep, rubber boots and Velcro gloves.

Who remembers when Gillis signed Mathieu Schneider? AV didn't give him any PP time, put him in the press box for no reason, gave him extremely limited TOI... on the wrong side... with a new partner every game. Sound familiar? Dude was the original Ballard/Garrison.
- DrChristianTroy

AV actually had the nerve to defend himself when asked about MS' lack of games by pointng to the games he played as a forward.... It was at a time when Bieksa was playing like garbage too...

MS left the exact way Morrison left... shunned by the coach and expressing how a promiss was made not to wast his time(possibly last camp of careers) without giving them a chance. That situation ended up the ame...down a center soon after and Schaefer sucking poop who doesnt play the middle...

Sundin was alienated by AV. Just before he was ready for games, he was left home alone without a team to practice with. AV said it was because he wasnt ready. He was close and skating with the team every day for a month and then left to skate by himself for 4 days. Sundin came right out and said it. I need games and practice...not sitting at home after doing some laps at the rink. Sundin's leadership was one of his big sells...and completely blocked by AV. He should have been on the road with his team one way or the other. What a coacksucker.

I say it often. A lesser qality coach could do better than AV imo. Simply because he would let the GM build a solid team. He's impossible... like the players in Montreal called him...Mr Gant... for arrogant. (frank) Gillis for never making this guy accountable. It starts and ends at the top.

All the evidence points to a shaky relationship between the coach and GM, yet he keeps getting extended. I don't get it.
- hertzman

I don't either. Forget being on the same page, they're not even in the same (frank)ing library.

Still think it goes back to when Gillis first got hired & invited AV to Vegas to give him a chance to explain why he should keep his job... I can only imagine the Hangover-esque roll of film AV's been holding over Gillis' head since that trip.

Keslers come back wasnt because of coming back early..was a freak accident, slap shot to the foot vs St Louis...then again vs Dallas........as for AV-Gillis one has to go!
- Canuckfan2006

Fire Aquillini!

I hate seeing coaches available who get scooped up and win cups and were stuck with Mr Gant.... Quenville/Sutter

I wonder if Mac T has an out Clause for a head coaching opportunity? He not my 1st choice but at this point something has to change. How AV prepared for the playoffs last season should of had his ass canned. Not just because of the results but because of the decisions and timing of...

Switch all the D pairings for the last 10+ games and stick with it when the normal pairing were doing fine from the beginning. It was suppose to prepare the D for the inevetible injuries but he stuck with it healthy for game 1.... AV admitted they never prepared for the possibilty of Danny not returning.... He starts the playoffs with Raymond on the Sedin line and finishes it with Booth there who never once before had a sniff of ice time with them....how that for preparing for injuries.....

I understand. Im much more complicated than that and admit it. It certainly doesnt make things easier... it does help me to look at things from a true objectionable position though. Half empty or half full? I usually say it's "a half glass of water idiots".

edit: Gillis would break down the molocules in the water and tell us how they interact and how complicated it is... remind us the half glass of air has mass too and is very a important part of the entire glass itself and tell us "quite frankly it's above our pay grade"....
- boonerbuck

I hate seeing coaches available who get scooped up and win cups and were stuck with Mr Gant.... Quenville/Sutter

I wonder if Mac T has an out Clause for a head coaching opportunity? He not my 1st choice but at this point something has to change. How AV prepared for the playoffs last season should of had his ass canned. Not just because of the results but because of the decisions and timing of...

Switch all the D pairings for the last 10+ games and stick with it when the normal pairing were doing fine from the beginning. It was suppose to prepare the D for the inevetible injuries but he stuck with it healthy for game 1.... AV admitted they never prepared for the possibilty of Danny not returning.... He starts the playoffs with Raymond on the Sedin line and finishes it with Booth there who never once before had a sniff of ice time with them....how that for preparing for injuries.....
- boonerbuck

MacT is my 1st choice. I think he knows what he'd do differently this time around. Love what he got out of those awful Oilers teams he was stuck coaching (heart/effort/not intimidated by more talented teams - did their thing). IMO he's the perfect post-AV personality for a Cup ready group like this.

MacT is my 1st choice. I think he knows what he'd do differently this time around. Love what he got out of those awful Oilers teams he was stuck coaching (heart/effort/not intimidated by more talented teams - did their thing). IMO he's the perfect post-AV personality for a Cup ready group like this.
- DrChristianTroy

Cup ready............maybe This year or next. After that, Were fukking doomed.

Can anyone get me a deal on a Panasonic microwave? Thanks. Scoobs.

Hey guys! Guess what.....

MacT is my 1st choice. I think he knows what he'd do differently this time around. Love what he got out of those awful Oilers teams he was stuck coaching (heart/effort/not intimidated by more talented teams - did their thing). IMO he's the perfect post-AV personality for a Cup ready group like this.
- DrChristianTroy