I don't want to sign a vet goalie. We have a vet goalie named Luongo. I'd much rather turn one of the swedish youngsters into a quality trade chip and bring the other one up next season.

It's the night before NHL Christmas.... and the Canucks' Mike Gillis has done jack s***! Aside from buying out Ballard (which was Gillis' bad deal in the first place), all the Canucks have done is lose our goalie of the future (Schneider), obtain some great players for the future in the draft, and piss off the alleged #1 goalie (Luongo). I don't think Canucks' fans Christmas is going to be all that wonderful.

As for your blog Ian, I like Broda, Brent, and Halischuk. I am also amazed at why Halischuk was given the boot. He is an underrated player.

The Canucks need to do a couple of big deals here: trades, UFA signings, whatever. Move Booth, who has been useless for his $4+million per year. We can afford to trade a defenseman or two. Edler's value is good. I'd hate to lose
Bieksa, but if we get a great player back, so be it. If Luongo decides to stay, there is no need to sign a veteran backup. I believe Lack and Eriksson can battle it out and make good backups.

Gillis needs to make a major move tomorrow. Should he fail to do
so, I will be creating a petition to the Canucks' owners to have him fired and replaced ASAP. I'm sure I could get 10,000 signatures in 7 days.
- canuck_fan_in_t.o.

Your petition will do Jack Sh!t. Get a grip on reality. We could all make a list of Gillis's mistakes the same could be said for pretty much every Gm in the league with the moves we have seen made. I could also provide a list of his successes as GM of the Canucks which can't be said of most GM's in the league. So we may not always like the moves he has made but recently he has made bold moves that nobody excepted and did unbelievable at the draft. Lets see what moves he makes this season and in the days to come before calling for his head.

I don't want to sign a vet goalie. We have a vet goalie named Luongo. I'd much rather turn one of the swedish youngsters into a quality trade chip and bring the other one up next season.
- golfingsince

Me either let him mentor he can teach a lot. Unless he give us the big F@ckyou. Which wouldn't be a far stretch.

I don't want to sign a vet goalie. We have a vet goalie named Luongo. I'd much rather turn one of the swedish youngsters into a quality trade chip and bring the other one up next season.
- golfingsince

Canucks have three NHL/AHL goalies under contract, that's plenty of competition for the backup job.

Your petition will do Jack Sh!t. Get a grip on reality. We could all make a list of Gillis's mistakes the same could be said for pretty much every Gm in the league with the moves we have seen made. I could also provide a list of his successes as GM of the Canucks which can't be said of most GM's in the league. So we may not always like the moves he has made but recently he has made bold moves that nobody excepted and did unbelievable at the draft. Lets see what moves he makes this season and in the days to come before calling for his head.
- thundachunk

It's not just that, he's been handcuffed by the new CBA. People can pretend he should have been more prudent leading up to the lockout but in reality it also would have been unacceptable to not spend high considering our window. I'd much rather suffer for a year and try to enter the playoffs as a lower seed while grooming a few younger players than make an outrageous deal that will cost us in the future without any immediate assurances. Hopefully, we'll have a bit of wiggle room at the deadline to pick up an inexpensive playoff asset.

Canucks have three NHL/AHL goalies under contract, that's plenty of competition for the backup job.
- 1970vintage

Exactly, no need to sign a vet backup. Maybe in a couple of years we can all scream Lack should be the starter, give him the job, let Lu demand a trade and ship out Lack for a 1st.

Canucks have three NHL/AHL goalies under contract, that's plenty of competition for the backup job.
- 1970vintage

I am really not trying to be negative but they maybe competing for a starting job.

It's not just that, he's been handcuffed by the new CBA. People can pretend he should have been more prudent leading up to the lockout but in reality it also would have been unacceptable to not spend high considering our window. I'd much rather suffer for a year and try to enter the playoffs as a lower seed while grooming a few younger players than make an outrageous deal that will cost us in the future without any immediate assurances. Hopefully, we'll have a bit of wiggle room at the deadline to pick up an inexpensive playoff asset.
- golfingsince

Thank you.

It's not just that, he's been handcuffed by the new CBA. People can pretend he should have been more prudent leading up to the lockout but in reality it also would have been unacceptable to not spend high considering our window. I'd much rather suffer for a year and try to enter the playoffs as a lower seed while grooming a few younger players than make an outrageous deal that will cost us in the future without any immediate assurances. Hopefully, we'll have a bit of wiggle room at the deadline to pick up an inexpensive playoff asset.
- golfingsince

Exactly. I aint the biggest MG fan but he created a crappy situation but he did a great thing at the draft and turned it around. What more can you ask for. The new CBA screwed him and he is reacting to the new rules and trying to get this team to be better. Look at the leafs. People dont realize this but the leafs from 93 - 2004 were fantastic. They had close to 70 wins in the playoffs over a 10 year period. The canucks since 93 only have 72 playoff wins.

The leafs GM failed to adapt to the new CBA and they were the laughing stock of the league for 10 years and only now are they returning to respectability. If MG didnt do what he did we could have been headed in that direction but we have shink and bo to help lead us in 2 - 3 years.

I am really not trying to be negative but they maybe competing for a starting job.
- thundachunk

I think Lu will play more focused than we've seen in a loooong time.

It's not just that, he's been handcuffed by the new CBA. People can pretend he should have been more prudent leading up to the lockout but in reality it also would have been unacceptable to not spend high considering our window. I'd much rather suffer for a year and try to enter the playoffs as a lower seed while grooming a few younger players than make an outrageous deal that will cost us in the future without any immediate assurances. Hopefully, we'll have a bit of wiggle room at the deadline to pick up an inexpensive playoff asset.
- golfingsince

I'm not saying we need to sign a player 8 years at $6M per! I'm saying we need to move some assets on D for assets that can score. Gillis has made
some good deals, but I think the bad outweighs the good. At least he doesn't spend like $10M over the cap (wink wink Holmgren!).

Exactly. I aint the biggest MG fan but he created a crappy situation but he did a great thing at the draft and turned it around. What more can you ask for. The new CBA screwed him and he is reacting to the new rules and trying to get this team to be better. Look at the leafs. People dont realize this but the leafs from 93 - 2004 were fantastic. They had close to 70 wins in the playoffs over a 10 year period. The canucks since 93 only have 72 playoff wins.

The leafs GM failed to adapt to the new CBA and they were the laughing stock of the league for 10 years and only now are they returning to respectability. If MG didnt do what he did we could have been headed in that direction but we have shink and bo to help lead us in 2 - 3 years.
- Bluechip23

Ya, MG threw a lot of picks around for a few years. Oddly, the one that bothered me most was this season's 2nd. I tried to fool myself into thinking it was OK cuz it was a low price for Roy, but in reality I knew he was too 1 dimensional and didn't have the size to be the right addition to our team. It's pretty hard to fault a GM for being aggressive when the team is close however. Who would have thought Ballard would have turned out so badly?

I think AV shoulders much of the blame.. I think he'll have a bounce back season of sorts in Minny. It's hard to believe we could not have used his skating ability to help lead the rush on the PP since Erhoff's departure.

I'm not saying we need to sign a player 8 years at $6M per! I'm saying we need to move some assets on D for assets that can score. Gillis has made
some good deals, but I think the bad outweighs the good. At least he doesn't spend like $10M over the cap (wink wink Holmgren!).
- canuck_fan_in_t.o.

In theory it's nice, but if the cap is going to rise at all over the next few seasons then those D are all signed to palatable deals and Edler's could even turn into be quite the bargain. If the proper deal is there then you make it but i wouldn't try and force one for the sake of 1 season. I think you have to see what Torts gets out of the team and gage what you have in the system. Who knows, maybe Jensen will surprise and snipe quite a few goals.

In theory it's nice, but if the cap is going to rise at all over the next few seasons then those D are all signed to palatable deals and Edler's could even turn into be quite the bargain. If the proper deal is there then you make it but i wouldn't try and force one for the sake of 1 season. I think you have to see what Torts gets out of the team and gage what you have in the system. Who knows, maybe Jensen will surprise and snipe quite a few goals.
- golfingsince

Agree, Jensen maybe not so much.

Agree, Jensen maybe not so much.
- A_SteamingLombardi

He looked a little slow last season, so hopefully he works on his skating. He is a pure goal scorer though, so he could surprise. I think Torts will put him in a position to succeed. If he plays a full season, i'd be disappointed with anything less than 20.

He looked a little slow last season, so hopefully he works on his skating. He is a pure goal scorer though, so he could surprise. I think Torts will put him in a position to succeed. If he plays a full season, i'd be disappointed with anything less than 20.
- golfingsince

If our development program is a fraction of what they've told us, Jensen should be working exclusively on his burst & stamina this offseason... If that part of his game catches up with his hockey IQ he could be a stud from day 1.

He looked a little slow last season, so hopefully he works on his skating. He is a pure goal scorer though, so he could surprise. I think Torts will put him in a position to succeed. If he plays a full season, i'd be disappointed with anything less than 20.
- golfingsince

Depends what line he plays on and how much ice time he gets.

If he were to put up 12-15 goals and similar assist totals while playing on the 3rd line and not being a defensive liability, I'd be pretty happy about that.

If our development program is a fraction of what they've told us, Jensen should be working exclusively on his burst & stamina this offseason... If that part of his game catches up with his hockey IQ he could be a stud from day 1.
- DrChristianTroy

What do you mean by development program?

Are you referring to summer/off-season training programs?

If you're referring to the team's AHL affiliate, it's been widely speculated that MG wasn't happy with it, which was one of the reasons they purchased Peoria.

I thought the Moose were decent, and the Wolves while Mac-T was at the helm.

It's pretty clear that Arniel was trying to land a big league spot the way he was riding his vets.

Funny thing is, that tactic probably screwed him in the end, because a few of the vets looked absolutely gassed by the end of the year, and a few didn't deserve the amount of ice time he fed them in the first place...

What do you mean by development program?

Are you referring to summer/off-season training programs?

If you're referring to the team's AHL affiliate, it's been widely speculated that MG wasn't happy with it, which was one of the reasons they purchased Peoria.

I thought the Moose were decent, and the Wolves while Mac-T was at the helm.

It's pretty clear that Arniel was trying to land a big league spot the way he was riding his vets.

Funny thing is, that tactic probably screwed him in the end, because a few of the vets looked absolutely gassed by the end of the year, and a few didn't deserve the amount of ice time he fed them in the first place...
- Fosco

I mean everything to do with prospect development. Which apparently we pour a ton of money into... although we've yet to enjoy the results of that investment.

I don't want to sign a vet goalie. We have a vet goalie named Luongo. I'd much rather turn one of the swedish youngsters into a quality trade chip and bring the other one up next season.
- golfingsince

Hedberg is being bought out...

3 out of the last 4 cups are Chicago and LA. You can't tell me those teams don't have a number of players who have fun and get on the rails occasionally.

Doesn't seem to be affecting their success.
- IanEsplen

Fixed

I think Lu will play more focused than we've seen in a loooong time.
- golfingsince

I really hope so I have always been a huge LU fan.

If our development program is a fraction of what they've told us, Jensen should be working exclusively on his burst & stamina this offseason... If that part of his game catches up with his hockey IQ he could be a stud from day 1.
- DrChristianTroy

This

I think Lu will play more focused than we've seen in a loooong time.
- golfingsince

Its hard to be focused when you\re in a market you hate

If anyone pays bozak more than 4 mill a year they are morons and he will be getting bought out in a 1 year. His stats are so inflated playing 1st line minutes in TO.
- Bluechip23

Buying out Bozak next year would still count against their cap.