http://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/ed-willes-candid-willie-calls-out-the-canucks-talent

funny read. Benning and Willie certainly aren't on the same page. Benning has gone full tank Willie is 100% fired in a few weeks
- CanuckDon

I like the kid already, has a quick snap shot.

When you're winning there's nothing to complain about, except that you lost the Cup finals lol. When you're losing everyone thinks their solution to the problem is the right one.
- LeftCoaster

There was a lot to complain about back then . Canucks let the the problems become terminal and now is too late. They dug themselves in a very big hole .

The were not proactive at all even though a group on here said this is exactly what would happen

There was a lot to complain about back then . Canucks let the the problems become terminal and now is too late. They dug themselves in a very big hole .

The were not proactive at all even though a group on here said this is exactly what would happen
- VANTEL

Ya Gillis sold the farm (figure of speech) to win it all and never got it done. Now Benning is paying the price. He didn't have much to work with when he got here. Horvat and Hutton....that's it.

At least Chiarelli and Shanahan had some good player when they got there, made for a quicker turnaround.

Only a fool would believe that! You may find a good player at 18, but history dictates the best players come from higher in the draft, it takes the element of luck out of the deal...not all of it, but some of it.
- LeftCoaster

As I said to you weeks back you know nothing about this draft class. I bet you haven't watched any of the top 20 players play more than 5 games this year.

If I threw out any name i bet you couldn't answer their three best qualities.

As I said to you weeks back you know nothing about this draft class. I bet you haven't watched any of the top 20 players play more than 5 games this year.

If I threw out any name i bet you couldn't answer their three best qualities.
- VANTEL

ya ok...

ya ok...
- LeftCoaster

Now if Vantel was to ask you about buffets and pizza you would knock it out of the park

Reading those comments from Willie shows how dysfunctional the franchise is....sad times to be a Nucks fan

Now if Vantel was to ask you about buffets and pizza you would knock it out of the park
- CanuckDon

Now if Vantel was to ask you about buffets and pizza you would knock it out of the park
- CanuckDon

Damn straight....they don't have buffet's anymore because of guys like me

I was bugging them yesterday .

There poll question was was it a bad choice not taking Tkachuk

I sent them a message " I don't know if a company that chose Pratt and Jake Edwards over Scott Rintoul should be polling the public about bad choices"
- VANTEL

Right on!!

Well Colorado won two Cups using that system, so did New Jersey, so not bad! Winnipeg hasn't had a top five pick in a decade and Arizona shouldn't even be in the conversation considering the constant state of their (frank)ed up franchise.

Chicago, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Edmonton, the NYI's, Detroit etc also won Cups using the lose/draft/win method.
- LeftCoaster

How about Laine for Jets?!?

Also Isles, Avs, NJ, Wings and Oilers were decades ago and involved trades and free agent signings. Doing what you say alone hasn't produced anything for them since. Kings more recently made big trades and signings too.

There are more teams to add to Vantel's list like the Sabers and Florida for example.

The teams succeeding like that: just sucking for years to draft and winning the Cup are the Hawks and Penns. This is the exception not the rule you make it out to be. It helps but it's quality drafting and getting lucky really. Plus doing ALL the other things as well.

Reading those comments from Willie shows how dysfunctional the franchise is....sad times to be a Nucks fan
- LeftCoaster

There's nothing worse than a philosophical disconnect between ownership/management & coaching. How is WD supposed to have any credibility with his players when those kinds of messages are sabotaged...

ya ok...
- LeftCoaster

Most people on here are going by the Jr world tournament and the prospect games. They are basing their opinion off scouting reports and you tube highlights. Unless you are following a guy or team , you really don't know a lot about a player.

The mock draft sites are all over the map . You see a guy ranked 16 on one site and 4 on another. So most people are full of it.

I appreciate Manvanfan and I think it is White Lie and guys like Humongus that go to the junior games and watch.

Aside from the WJC and the prospect game I have probably watched about 10 other jr games and I couldn't tell you very much about most of them.

It that the little guy that comes out of the pizza box on ads? Guissepi
- VANTEL

Dr Oetker? Those pizzas are sh!tty.

Dr Oetker? Those pizzas are sh!tty.
- LordHumungous

Really? I would have thought Save on Foods would be ranked top 10

There's nothing worse than a philosophical disconnect between ownership/management & coaching. How is WD supposed to have any credibility with his players when those kinds of messages are sabotaged...
- DrChristianTroy

At this point I don't think Benning and Linden care about what Willie wants. It's a stealth tank/ showcase for the kids and WD isn't onside. He is finished in Van

please do not put words in my mouth.

Not every player will be better under said coach. Some will, some no different and some may be worse. Depends on him seeing the right use for certain players or using them in the correct scenarios.

On the canucks Id say thats the sedins, edler, tanev and even tryamkin might reach new heights too (pun intended)
- SMBDragon

Tanev and Tree maybe…but Sedins and Edler are in decline I highly doubt there is a coach in the league that could squeeze more out of them.

Tanev and Tree maybe…but Sedins and Edler are in decline I highly doubt there is a coach in the league that could squeeze more out of them.
- LordHumungous

The tank is empty with the Canucks and it pisses me off that they have the NTCs . I would love assets and cap space .

There's nothing worse than a philosophical disconnect between ownership/management & coaching. How is WD supposed to have any credibility with his players when those kinds of messages are sabotaged...
- DrChristianTroy

Right from the ownership to coaching it's embarrassing they speak publicly like this. There's a serious lack of leadership from Linden.

Really? I would have thought Save on Foods would be ranked top 10
- VANTEL

lol

Right from the top to coaching it's embarrassing they speak publicly like this. There's a serious lack of leadership from Linden.
- LeftCoaster

I think that's a slight stretch...Benning has undoubtedly told Willie to focus on the kids and willie keeps throwing out his pet projects in Megna and Chaput. Would insubordination be a more appropriate term here? Willie knows he is about to be canned and he is auditioning for a new job. Of course he will be pissed off that he is being forced to rely on kids. frank willies little feelings

I think that's a slight stretch...Benning has undoubtedly told Willie to focus on the kids and willie keeps throwing out his pet projects in Megna and Chaput. Would insubordination be a more appropriate term here? Willie knows he is about to be canned and he is auditioning for a new job. Of course he will be pissed off that he is being forced to rely on kids. frank willies little feelings
- CanuckDon

I'm not a fan of WD. As a business owner and someone who works high up in other companies I'd can his ass immediately for such comments. Zero tolerance for that kind of B.S.

Tanev and Tree maybe…but Sedins and Edler are in decline I highly doubt there is a coach in the league that could squeeze more out of them.
- LordHumungous

remember a year back when I said edler will bounce back when they have a playbook on D? THey got one this year and he responded exactly as I said

Sedins are similar....because theres 2 of them they need a tactical playbook, otherwise you can just put a player in between them and shut down the line easy. A coach who has that playbook and ability to tweak situations will bring them back to life.
Even more so a coach that will rid them of certain bad habits. Since they tend to be predictable when left to their own devices The secret to the sedins is to keep them moving instead of parking themselves. Its been the trouble with the PP for a long time.
The thing that is stale is the old system they use. Change that and the sedins got new life.

Right from the ownership to coaching it's embarrassing they speak publicly like this. There's a serious lack of leadership from Linden.
- LeftCoaster

Agreed. My biggest complaint about the team is exactly this. Mixed messages aired publicly.

I think that's a slight stretch...Benning has undoubtedly told Willie to focus on the kids and willie keeps throwing out his pet projects in Megna and Chaput. Would insubordination be a more appropriate term here? Willie knows he is about to be canned and he is auditioning for a new job. Of course he will be pissed off that he is being forced to rely on kids. frank willies little feelings
- CanuckDon

because he's made a career out of coaching children. Made a lesson in playing the hard working grinders with little talent.