The sad thing about that tank dream is that even if we dealt Edler and Kesler for draft picks and returned the rest of the roster intact, we still couldn't come close league worst status.
- AlexF

I heard that our record after Jan was worse than EDM

I heard that our record after Jan was worse than EDM
- anavar

Toronto was one of the top seeds in the east on New Year's Day. That's why they play 82 games.

Toronto was one of the top seeds in the east on New Year's Day. That's why they play 82 games.
- AlexF

Santorelli was greatly missed after he went down....

I can't imagine how the season would have played out without Santorelli.

Did he also state that the team needed a time machine? This team was boring and mediocre offensively under AV during the 12/13 season as well.
- Nucker101

This is where Torts is right. The core is aging and it needs a shake up, some youth, as well as some much needed depth. I can't remember the last time this team actually had a legitimate 2nd line.

With that said, even if Torts got his wish and there were some major roster shake ups, his system still sucks and I don't think it will bring success to this franchise.

This is where Torts is right. The core is aging and it needs a shake up, some youth, as well as some much needed depth. I can't remember the last time this team actually had a legitimate 2nd line.

With that said, even if Torts got his wish and there were some major roster shake ups, his system still sucks and I don't think it will bring success to this franchise.
- fiveandagame

It would have been refreshing to hear Henrik admit the system isn't matched well to their game. or at least say something leaning in that direction instead of the, ever a Sedin, "we have to be better."

I don't have any real issue with their salary, but Hansen and Higgins shouldn't have any sort of ntc.

Can't change the core, so change some of the complimentry players... oops, they have ntc's.

Santorelli was greatly missed after he went down....

I can't imagine how the season would have played out without Santorelli.
- hillbillydeluxe

To be honest I don't think it would have been much different for a couple reasons.

Firstly, Tortorella played a system that it appears the team didn't entirely learn until mid-way through the season. From memory that's where the consistent chip and chasing started to occur.

Secondly, Santorelli's loss was a blow but around the time he got injured was around the time where everyone started to break down (most notably Henrik). Shot-blocking and regular TOI of 24+ minute nights for guys over 30 will take their toll. For long stretches of the season we seemed to be a 2 line team.

Canucks draft picks have the 3rd lowest amount of GP in the league since 2001 (the Ron Delorme era). He should be tossed out with the rest of the spring cleaning the new GM hopefully carries out.
- AlexF

Amen!

To be honest I don't think it would have been much different for a couple reasons.

Firstly, Tortorella played a system that it appears the team didn't entirely learn until mid-way through the season. From memory that's where the consistent chip and chasing started to occur.

Secondly, Santorelli's loss was a blow but around the time he got injured was around the time where everyone started to break down (most notably Henrik). Shot-blocking and regular TOI of 24+ minute nights for guys over 30 will take their toll. For long stretches of the season we seemed to be a 2 line team.
- AlexF

I may be connecting dots that aren't there, Santo had some hot stretches earlier in the season but may have cooled off like most, but he seemed like he was played everywhere and provided a bit of a spark where there was none.

That whole December run may have been them over achieving and playing some teams that were ripe for the picking.

Either way, the team that finished the season didn't look too different from the team that finished the year before. I don't think Torts is the right fit here, and I think everyone agrees the core is stale. Just looking forward to some change and not a "reset".

just a quick note, that under league rules cooke is still a repeat offender.

He will be gone for 15. I would say 20 if the MRI came back with a tear.

just a quick note, that under league rules cooke is still a repeat offender.

He will be gone for 15. I would say 20 if the MRI came back with a tear.
- KOS

Barrie will be gone 4-6 weeks, at least. I'd be surprised if he got anything less than 10 games, but with affect he has had on other people's careers, he needs to be taught a stern lesson, which should be 20+ games.

Glad to see that the bltching and complaining has eased up.

Publicly, Henrik stated in an interview on clean out locker day, that he thinks the team needs to get back to the style of hockey they had success with. Puck possession, etc.
- moondawg

There were other players tactfully hinting with comments as well. People have to remember that these same players(and fans) were heavily patting Torts on the back in the first half of the season. Its not so easy to throw someone under the bus after committing to those comments earlier. Bedsides, so few relevant players would do such a thing anyways(unlike us fans). Not to mention the fact that he's still their head coach presently.

Did he also state that the team needed a time machine? This team was boring and mediocre offensively under AV during the 12/13 season as well.
- Nucker101

Good point about last season... this has been developing before Torts arrived. His system just choked it even worse.


If we go back further before Gillis started erasing offense off this team for a tighter system, then I'm sure that's what Henrik was suggesting. Back when we had a useful second PP unit and a 3rd line C that could score, a Dman who set the Sedins up in a heart beat, another who could actually put a point shot on net and a physical 3rd liner who scored and kept the opposition's head on a swivel every shift. Its not that Gillis failed to replace these players when he lost or traded them... he never intended too. He claimed the NHL was changing again...

There was a time when Gillis challenged AV to play a more up beat offensive style. He convinced himself that it wasnt going to work a few seasons later.

Things didnt at all get tighter in the end, quite the opposite. The offense just disappeared. FAIL

Bring back the CROW!!
- vancity787

he can do to Kassian what he did to Bert

he can do to Kassian what he did to Bert
- numbear

What, send him out to get even for previous cheap shots on team mates?

Canucks draft picks have the 3rd lowest amount of GP in the league since 2001 (the Ron Delorme era). He should be tossed out with the rest of the spring cleaning the new GM hopefully carries out.
- AlexF

Glad to see someone else has caught on to the Ron Delorme scouting fiasco. I've only been pointing out the shiite drafting under his watch for awhile now.

Glad to see someone else has caught on to the Ron Delorme scouting fiasco. I've only been pointing out the shiite drafting under his watch for awhile now.
- kaptaan

In the end of the day the head of scouting is accountable to the GM so I think most around here were targeting Gillis in regards to poor drafting, and rightfully so.

Really don't understand why he didn't make offers to certain key scouts and offer to double their salaries. They get paid a fraction of what NHLers do and think of the benefits of not wasting as much time to develop drop kick fringers for years before letting them walk for free.

MG screwed up by not handling the goalchies situation.the team can still win but needs the right coach.the gm should hire the coach, so torts better hope the Bruins, flyers get eliminated quickly. Benning or Hextall would be good choices since both have put in some time learning.

For the love of god, fire Torts. Please.
- Marwood

THis.

Has anything leaked out?

I wouldn't be surprised if those interviews are not as bad as people have predicted. The reason being the players on stage for the q & a at the end of the year tip-toed around Torts' system directed questions and sounded like they were defending Torts and accepting a lot of the blame. I don't know if that is the hockey player(s) giving the desired humble answer or the truth? (Then Torts rips the team for having a stale core )
- hillbillydeluxe

They don't hate the guy. I am sure he was well liked away from the rink. Also you don't want to be branded the guy who calls out his coaches system to the media unless you don't want to play in this league anymore. Every one does deserve some of the blame. That said his system does not work I believe it is outdated in todays NHL and he was unable to adapt as well as get the full potential from individuals. I like the guy and his family values and the things he did away from the rink. He is great guy. Not my first choice of coach.

Good point about last season... this has been developing before Torts arrived. His system just choked it even worse.


If we go back further before Gillis started erasing offense off this team for a tighter system, then I'm sure that's what Henrik was suggesting. Back when we had a useful second PP unit and a 3rd line C that could score, a Dman who set the Sedins up in a heart beat, another who could actually put a point shot on net and a physical 3rd liner who scored and kept the opposition's head on a swivel every shift. Its not that Gillis failed to replace these players when he lost or traded them... he never intended too. He claimed the NHL was changing again...

There was a time when Gillis challenged AV to play a more up beat offensive style. He convinced himself that it wasnt going to work a few seasons later.

Things didnt at all get tighter in the end, quite the opposite. The offense just disappeared. FAIL
- boonerbuck

I have to agree with most of this.


Gillis' biggest downfalls were:
1) Flip-flopping on how he wanted to build this team
2) Underestimating the value of players he let go and not properly replacing them(Ehrhoff/Torres/Malhotra/Demitra/Samuelsson/Etc)
3) Not quick enough to realize his mistakes on guys like Booth/Ballard and trying to move on(this one is pretty difficult as it can make a GM look bad)
4) Handing out too many NTC's, basically handcuffing him as he publicly stated he would not ask players to waive(who knows if this was BS or not though)
5) The whole goalie fiasco


Since the cup run this team has lost more speed and skill each and every year IMO, due to some of his moves, along with the core ageing. I think Gillis came in and made some great moves as he had no attachment to the team at the time, had an outsider's view/perspective on the team, and a plan to go along with it. The other factor is that Gillis was definitely not a likeable guy, in the media and even behind the scenes apparently as some other GM's didn't like him. Gotta wonder if that made it harder for him to hammer out deals with a certain percentage of the league.


He did improve the drafting, but really the team was so terrible with it before he arrived that he really had no where but to go up. It still needs improvement and I really think the Canucks development system has some issues, whether the head coaches(NHL and AHL) have played into that or not, I'm not really sure.

Hopefully the young players he brought in at least pan out moving forward. Hodsgon-Kassian doesn't look so bad in the long run, although the timing was bad IMO. Book is still out on Kassian's upside, along with the other guys like Jensen, Horvat, Shinkaruk, Corrado, Gaunce, Cassels, Hutton, etc. I don't think he was a terrible GM overall like some think he was, but he definitely wasn't great either and seemed to really go off the rails a bit after the SCF. Up until then he was one of the better GM's in the league IMO.


I just hope that the new GM along with Linden bring in the same different perspective that Gillis did when he first arrived and make the moves Gillis would have had a hard time with(asking core players to waive their NTC's, hiring/firing scouts/developmental coaches.

I have to agree with most of this.


Gillis' biggest downfalls were:
1) flip-flopping on how he wanted to build this team
2) underestimating the value of players he let go and not properly replacing them(Ehrhoff/Torres/Malhotra/Demitra/Samuelsson/Etc)
3) not quick enough to realize his mistakes on guys like Booth/Ballard and trying to move on(this one is pretty difficult as it can make a GM look bad)
4) Handing out too many NTC's, basically handcuffing him as he publicly stated he would not ask players to waive(who knows if this was BS or not though)
5) The whole goalie fiasco


Since the cup run this team has lost more speed and skill each and every year IMO, due to some of his moves, along with the core ageing. I think Gillis came in and made some great moves as he had no attachment to the team at the time, had an outsider's view/perspective on the team, and a plan to go along with it.


He did improve the drafting, but really the team was so terrible with it before he arrived that he really had no where but to go up. It still needs improvement and I really think the Canucks development system has some issues, whether the head coaches(NHL and AHL) have played into that or not, I'm not really sure.

Hopefully the young players he brought in at least pan out moving forward. Hodsgon-Kassian doesn't look so bad in the long run, although the timing was bad IMO. Book is still out on Kassian's upside, along with the other guys like Jensen, Horvat, Shinkaruk, Corrado, Gaunce, Cassels, Hutton, etc.


I just hope that the new GM along with Linden bring in the same different perspective that Gillis did when he first arrived and make the moves Gillis would have had a hard time with(asking core players to waive their NTC's, hiring/firing scouts/developmental coaches.


The other factor is that Gillis was definitely not a likeable guy, in the media and even behind the scenes apparently as some other GM's didn't like him. Gotta wonder if that made it harder for him to hammer out deals with a certain percentage of the league.


I don't think he was a terrible GM overall like some think he was, but he definitely wasn't great either and seemed to really go off the rails a bit after the SCF. Up until then he was one of the better GM's in the league IMO.
- Nucker101

This is the perfect summary of the past 3 seasons.

Weise on the scoresheet again... So... If it wasn't painfully obvious that Torts doesn't know how to use the entire bench... Can we just lynch him to guarantee his departure?

Weise on the scoresheet again... So... If it wasn't painfully obvious that Torts doesn't know how to use the entire bench... Can we just lynch him to guarantee his departure?
- rugdnit

not a torts fan but that is a weak ass argument bro. Weise sucked.

I have to agree with most of this.


Gillis' biggest downfalls were:
1) Flip-flopping on how he wanted to build this team
2) Underestimating the value of players he let go and not properly replacing them(Ehrhoff/Torres/Malhotra/Demitra/Samuelsson/Etc)
3) Not quick enough to realize his mistakes on guys like Booth/Ballard and trying to move on(this one is pretty difficult as it can make a GM look bad)
4) Handing out too many NTC's, basically handcuffing him as he publicly stated he would not ask players to waive(who knows if this was BS or not though)
5) The whole goalie fiasco


Since the cup run this team has lost more speed and skill each and every year IMO, due to some of his moves, along with the core ageing. I think Gillis came in and made some great moves as he had no attachment to the team at the time, had an outsider's view/perspective on the team, and a plan to go along with it. The other factor is that Gillis was definitely not a likeable guy, in the media and even behind the scenes apparently as some other GM's didn't like him. Gotta wonder if that made it harder for him to hammer out deals with a certain percentage of the league.


He did improve the drafting, but really the team was so terrible with it before he arrived that he really had no where but to go up. It still needs improvement and I really think the Canucks development system has some issues, whether the head coaches(NHL and AHL) have played into that or not, I'm not really sure.

Hopefully the young players he brought in at least pan out moving forward. Hodsgon-Kassian doesn't look so bad in the long run, although the timing was bad IMO. Book is still out on Kassian's upside, along with the other guys like Jensen, Horvat, Shinkaruk, Corrado, Gaunce, Cassels, Hutton, etc. I don't think he was a terrible GM overall like some think he was, but he definitely wasn't great either and seemed to really go off the rails a bit after the SCF. Up until then he was one of the better GM's in the league IMO.


I just hope that the new GM along with Linden bring in the same different perspective that Gillis did when he first arrived and make the moves Gillis would have had a hard time with(asking core players to waive their NTC's, hiring/firing scouts/developmental coaches.
- Nucker101

Damn near perfect summary! Well done.







I pray to the dark lords of spider monkeys on bad acid, to please fire the f*ck out of Torts.