This is my biggest fear when/if Gillis gets fired.
- Nucker101

You can't make decisions based on fear. we've had a team in decline for a few years now and Gillis has either not realized it or realized it too late. Either way he's done nothing about it to help this team and caused a circus doing it.

We've bandied around a number of possible replacements. I'd expect the guys making millions with the vested interest in this franchise would know of a few more.

Gillis can absolutely be replaced. To hold onto him out of fear for a worse replacement is nonsense.

MAN..... The Gaglardi's would of been such better owners. The aquilini's are (franking) garbage.

You can't make decisions based on fear. we've had a team in decline for a few years now and Gillis has either not realized it or realized it too late. Either way he's done nothing about it to help this team and caused a circus doing it.

We've bandied around a number of possible replacements. I'd expect the guys making millions with the vested interest in this franchise would know of a few more.

Gillis can absolutely be replaced. To hold onto him out of fear for a worse replacement is nonsense.
- AlexF

I don't have a whole of faith in the Aquilini's, they're obviously not idiots when it comes to business but hiring the right hockey minds and resisting the urge to have a say in all moves is a completely different animal.

While I'd like to turf Gillis, the problem becomes who's to say that his replacement won't be WORSE. We know this franchise is slipping into irrelevancy and mediocrity with no real hope on the horizon. Unless you want to completely tank for McDavid next year, what can a new GM hope to do that Gillis can't/wont? Would the trade offers be that much better with a new GM? Would he get any better advice from scouts? Would he be able to take said advice without ego getting in the way? Would he have autonomy to do whatever is necessary without interference from ownership? These are just some of the questions that I'd be asking before letting go the GM. I think at this point, the style of play and coaching is a much greater need to be addressed than a GM at this point. I'd personally give Gillis one more year with a new coach but on an EXTREMELY short rope to be fired the second the Canucks go on a losing streak or a winless streak of more than 3-4 games and based upon the way they're playing.
- DariusKnight

Holy fug man, paragraphs!!

IMO - you don't run a business like that. You don't hang onto something because you're afraid it could be worse, you make changes until you find the right combination of what does work.

Holy fug man, paragraphs!!

IMO - you don't run a business like that. You don't hang onto something because you're afraid it could be worse, you make changes until you find the right combination of what does work.
- LeftCoaster

I get this, but making change for the sake of change could cost us big time. One step fw two steps back.

Milbury will be available. I still have those scars from that era.

I get this, but making change for the sake of change could cost us big time. One step fw two steps back.
- anavar

This. There has to be a plan. Throwing out names like Linden and Naslund the moment the team has been eliminated from the playoffs is not a plan. It is a total deflection move to get fans talking about anything else but the complete abortion this franchise has become.

Milbury will be available. I still have those scars from that era.
- Isles_since_6

A Milbury / Keenan tandem and the Canucks will find themselves in the ECHL by the end of next year.

I get this, but making change for the sake of change could cost us big time. One step fw two steps back.
- anavar

Making change for the sake of change would only be applicable here if we were still a contender at the top of the league standings. This team has undergone an incredibly swift decline in a just a few short years and we have a GM that's done nothing to address it but make a circus while he was doing it.

At this point we're advocating for change because it's absolutely required.

You can't make decisions based on fear. we've had a team in decline for a few years now and Gillis has either not realized it or realized it too late. Either way he's done nothing about it to help this team and caused a circus doing it.

We've bandied around a number of possible replacements. I'd expect the guys making millions with the vested interest in this franchise would know of a few more.

Gillis can absolutely be replaced. To hold onto him out of fear for a worse replacement is nonsense.
- AlexF

And to fire him when there's no real/good candidates available at this point, nor with the expectation that the new GM would have the authority and/or autonomy to do what is necessary is just as much nonsense. Again, what would a new GM do that Gillis can/won't? You have to ask yourself would a new GM get any better offers for the players currently on the roster that have trade value that Gillis did and would the advice he gets from his staff (whether or not he hires his own or keeps the ones there now) be any different/better and would he even take it or would his ego be involved?

It's easy to blame Gillis, hell, even I do, but I look at the Canucks now and what's available out there and I ask myself are we making an upward move this way or a lateral one. Torts to me needs to be fired first, getting a coach who can stabilize the locker room and adapt his system/style to the strengths and weaknesses of the roster is much more important at this point. You're right that Gillis can be replaced, but if you're going to turf him, replace him with someone else, get rid of Edler, Kesler and whoever else for new pieces but either keep Torts or hire someone like him, have we really fixed the problems or put a band-aid over them.

ANYWAYS...........


How about those CSS final rankings released today...... For once the canucks should take the kid from their own backyard and possibly draft Virtanen.

And to fire him when there's no real/good candidates available at this point, nor with the expectation that the new GM would have the authority and/or autonomy to do what is necessary is just as much nonsense. Again, what would a new GM do that Gillis can/won't? You have to ask yourself would a new GM get any better offers for the players currently on the roster that have trade value that Gillis did and would the advice he gets from his staff (whether or not he hires his own or keeps the ones there now) be any different/better and would he even take it or would his ego be involved?

It's easy to blame Gillis, hell, even I do, but I look at the Canucks now and what's available out there and I ask myself are we making an upward move this way or a lateral one. Torts to me needs to be fired first, getting a coach who can stabilize the locker room and adapt his system/style to the strengths and weaknesses of the roster is much more important at this point. You're right that Gillis can be replaced, but if you're going to turf him, replace him with someone else, get rid of Edler, Kesler and whoever else for new pieces but either keep Torts or hire someone like him, have we really fixed the problems or put a band-aid over them.
- DariusKnight

there can't be lateral moves to reshape the canucks roster. They have two choices - go after any available ufas and try to squeak into the playoffs for another year or two, or bottom out entirely by gutting the franchise of it's older established players and bring in youth and try to rebuild quickly.

I think the team is better than they showed this year, but nowhere near a cup contender. Maybe a 7th to 8th seed with a different coach/style. The question is whether or not to rebuild now.

Hey at least you're not in the situation the Isles are. Milbury left us with nothing in the system other than Franz Nielson and nothing on the roster to work with. Not only did we have to try and rebuild the NHL franchise, we had to rebuild the entire system.

Snow's been the butt of a lot of jokes, and I think it's time for him to go, but he has stocked us with youth and we do have a lot of upside. Our owner needs to sell, our coach needs to go and we need an NHL goaltender. Within a year, with those changes, we could be a legit playoff team for a long time.

Our issues are different than your issues, and I know this season sucked, but you're in a far better situation than we were the last time our GM got canned.

And to fire him when there's no real/good candidates available at this point, nor with the expectation that the new GM would have the authority and/or autonomy to do what is necessary is just as much nonsense. Again, what would a new GM do that Gillis can/won't? You have to ask yourself would a new GM get any better offers for the players currently on the roster that have trade value that Gillis did and would the advice he gets from his staff (whether or not he hires his own or keeps the ones there now) be any different/better and would he even take it or would his ego be involved?

It's easy to blame Gillis, hell, even I do, but I look at the Canucks now and what's available out there and I ask myself are we making an upward move this way or a lateral one. Torts to me needs to be fired first, getting a coach who can stabilize the locker room and adapt his system/style to the strengths and weaknesses of the roster is much more important at this point. You're right that Gillis can be replaced, but if you're going to turf him, replace him with someone else, get rid of Edler, Kesler and whoever else for new pieces but either keep Torts or hire someone like him, have we really fixed the problems or put a band-aid over them.
- DariusKnight

Don't agree with much of this, sorry to say. I've been advocating for Gillis to be replaced for over a year because he's either:

a) Not able to properly assess this team's current status and personnel
b) Unable to do anything about it

Throw in his poor draft record and his obsession with seeking out reclamation projects and that makes for all the case I need to look elsewhere.

Getting rid of Gillis wouldn't be a knee-jerk reaction. You really think ownership just started to think of a possible replacement the moment the fans were booing at Rogers last night?

There are many candidates out there who we've discussed that have had an influential hand in drafting well and building strong teams. There are also many GMs that have been able to trade far better than Gillis has, so yes I do believe negotiation is a skill which Gillis struggles with.

It's time to move on.

there can't be lateral moves to reshape the canucks roster. They have two choices - go after any available ufas and try to squeak into the playoffs for another year or two, or bottom out entirely by gutting the franchise of it's older established players and bring in youth and try to rebuild quickly.

I think the team is better than they showed this year, but nowhere near a cup contender. Maybe a 7th to 8th seed with a different coach/style. The question is whether or not to rebuild now.

Hey at least you're not in the situation the Isles are. Milbury left us with nothing in the system other than Franz Nielson and nothing on the roster to work with. Not only did we have to try and rebuild the NHL franchise, we had to rebuild the entire system.

Snow's been the butt of a lot of jokes, and I think it's time for him to go, but he has stocked us with youth and we do have a lot of upside. Our owner needs to sell, our coach needs to go and we need an NHL goaltender. Within a year, with those changes, we could be a legit playoff team for a long time.

Our issues are different than your issues, and I know this season sucked, but you're in a far better situation than we were the last time our GM got canned.
- Isles_since_6

I think what would make me more willing to agree to a GM change is if FA came out and said at Gillis's firing presser, "Look, I screwed up, I got too involved in the day-to-day management of the Canucks organization. I recognize that my abilities do not lie in player personnel or hockey operations. I am committed to winning and as such, the next GM that is hired by myself will have full authority and autonomy to bring the organization back to greater heights as eventual Stanley Cup champions within his term." and more then that, ACTUALLY GO THROUGH WITH IT!

David McNab.
- Nucker101

Hextall.

Hextall.
- Michael_Stuart

Dudley.

I get this, but making change for the sake of change could cost us big time. One step fw two steps back.
- anavar

you don't think we NEED change???

Hextall.
- Michael_Stuart

Honestly not familiar with his work as a front office guy.

Dudley.
- As_I_See_It

No.

Hextall.
- Michael_Stuart

Yes. And If FA gets too close to his "crease", Hextall can give him a 2 hander to the back of the legs.

Gillis has been fired.

Gillis fired - it's officiall!!!

Honestly not familiar with his work as a front office guy.
- Nucker101

Did a ton of great work with the Kings.

Gillis fired - it's offcial!!!
- LeftCoaster

BOOM!!

Don't agree with much of this, sorry to say. I've been advocating for Gillis to be replaced for over a year because he's either:

a) Not able to properly assess this team's current status and personnel
b) Unable to do anything about it

Throw in his poor draft record and that makes for all the case I need to look elsewhere.

Getting rid of Gillis wouldn't be a knee-jerk reaction. You really think ownership just started to think of a possible replacement the moment the fans were booing at Rogers last night?

There are many candidates out there who we've discussed that have had an influential hand in drafting well and building strong teams. There are also many GMs that have been able to trade far better than Gillis has, so yes I do believe negotiation is a skill which Gillis struggles with.

It's time to move on.
- AlexF

Again, I'm not disagreeing with you that Gillis hasn't done a good job, and I'm not against letting him go or hiring someone else. I'm more concerned with the coaching staff and how badly the team has played under the current HC than with the pieces put in place by the GM. I look at Barry Trotz who for years has had a horrible roster to work with, yet still manages to stay competitive and tailors his style to his players skills.

There's also the fact that there is a huge question of whether a new GM would be granted the authority and autonomy necessary to do what it takes to rebuild the roster or whether he'll be simply a new mouthpiece for FA. Like I said before, if FA would come out in a presser and make it clear that he's not going to be involved any longer in the day-to-day player personnel/hockey operations beyond giving approval for any major changes to the plan decided when the owner/GM gets together to make one, and follows through, then sure, fire Gillis and drive him to airport ala Burke.