Gillis brought us one game from winning the cup, if they won it then he’d be a hero here forever.

I don’t believe 1 game should make the difference between “hero” and “he screwed us”.

He took his shot and came close, unfortunately the ammo he used was trading draft picks + not having a great draft strategy to begin with. He was hired to win a cup here and came very close.

I’d still classify his tenure here into 2 parts, I thought he was very good up until the SJ sweep series season. That’s when I started to dislike him.


I don’t think Benning is an idiot, I just think he’s in a role that’s too big for him. I wouldn’t be against keeping him around in a lesser role if he could swallow his pride and accept it.
- Nucker101

That was a gifted roster that Gillis got . The players he brought in did not do much in the cup run. Hamhuis being the exception

Vanek was an ideal signing . Should not be in the same list as Gagner.
- VANTEL

Gagner came off a 50 point season. He has a career ppg avg that would be somewhere around 45 per 82 games. He is so bad defensively though.

Alex Chiasson who signs for less then a million every year with a different team but puts up 20-30 points. Just got lucky to be on the right team at the right time.

That was a gifted roster that Gillis got . The players he brought in did not do much in the cup run. Hamhuis being the exception
- VANTEL

I don’t wanna open this can of worms again so after this post I’ll agree to disagree with you. Malhotra, Torres, Higgins, Lappierre were all solid role players.

Plus he signed players to good cap hits(at the cost of NTC’s though).

He also sat down with AV and hit him to change his defensive style and take advantage of zone-starts with his players. No way the Canucks make the SCF if AV was coaching like he did prior to Gillis.


Again, I thought he was good at first but had a bad ending as GM here.

Gillis brought us one game from winning the cup, if they won it then he’d be a hero here forever.

I don’t believe 1 game should make the difference between “hero” and “he screwed us”.

He took his shot and came close, unfortunately the ammo he used was trading draft picks + not having a great draft strategy to begin with. He was hired to win a cup here and came very close.

I’d still classify his tenure here into 2 parts, I thought he was very good up until the SJ sweep series season. That’s when I started to dislike him.


I don’t think Benning is an idiot, I just think he’s in a role that’s too big for him. I wouldn’t be against keeping him around in a lesser role if he could swallow his pride and accept it.
- Nucker101

Gillis had a great core to work with and made some amazing additions that resulted in that cup run. Credit where it's due. If we win nobody cares about the 9-10 NTC's that handcuffed us for years. Many other GM's were doing exactly the same thing. Flames did the same thing after their cup run in 2004...rewarded the players that got them there and expected to get back but sometimes it don't work out all that great lol

How is he replaced? None of those players scored at the same rate as Baertschi last season. Even him missing 20 some odd games.
- manvanfan

High drafted prospects.

IMO, Baer's point production is meaningless. If he had scored zero points over his last three seasons would it have mattered? Niet.

Baer's role on this team, at this exact moment, is negligible. Spare part as far as I'm concerned.

Anyway, Bear doesn't deserve this much attention. Let's talk about something else.

I don’t wanna open this can of worms again so after this post I’ll agree to disagree with you. Malhotra, Torres, Higgins, Lappierre were all solid role players.

Plus he signed players to good cap hits(at the cost of NTC’s though).

He also sat down with AV and hit him to change his defensive style and take advantage of zone-starts with his players. No way the Canucks make the SCF if AV was coaching like he did prior to Gillis.


Again, I thought he was good at first but had a bad ending as GM here.
- Nucker101

Good post.

There's a reason teams like Calgary throw in the towel on players like Baer and Granlund. They top out at 3rd line potential. Only reason Baer would be considered top 6 is because our roster really kinda stinks lol.
- LordHumungous

Baertschi is 22nd in scoring in his draft and Granlund is 30th.

William Karlsson was traded from Anaheim to Columbus and then allowed to leave in the expansion draft. Two teams viewed him as a 3rd line center and now Vegas is thanking them.

There's a reason teams like Calgary throw in the towel on players like Baer and Granlund. They top out at 3rd line potential. Only reason Baer would be considered top 6 is because our roster really kinda stinks lol.
- LordHumungous

Exactly. Let's move on. I'm not going to be convinced that Baer has a prominent role on this team now or in the future.

That was a gifted roster that Gillis got . The players he brought in did not do much in the cup run. Hamhuis being the exception
- VANTEL

Not to take anything away from the 'core' Gillis had to work with but he did bring in Ehrhoff, Samuellsson, Lapierre, Torres, Malholtra, Hamhuis, Higgins, Rome, all pretty essential in that cup run.

I don’t wanna open this can of worms again so after this post I’ll agree to disagree with you. Malhotra, Torres, Higgins, Lappierre were all solid role players.

Plus he signed players to good cap hits(at the cost of NTC’s though).

He also sat down with AV and hit him to change his defensive style and take advantage of zone-starts with his players.


Again, I thought he was good at first but had a bad ending as GM here.
- Nucker101

I will agree with Manny who got injured and was ineffective for the cup run . The other three did not do much when it mattered .

Gillis brought in some stinkers too Booth and Ballard .

All GMs do good things and bad things and you hope they do more good than bad.

I thought when Benning came in he was okay to good in his first two years . As it turns out they were horrible years.

NYR, ARI, DET, NYI, MTL, VAN. Bottom 6 teams this year.
- manvanfan

No Ottawa?

I have been in this rebuild since 1980.
- thundachunk

We made the playoffs for a decade.

Not to take anything away from the 'core' Gillis had to work with but he did bring in Ehrhoff, Samuellsson, Lapierre, Torres, Malholtra, Hamhuis, Higgins, Rome, all pretty essential in that cup run.
- LordHumungous

Rome and Manny were two of my favorite . Hamhuis was good.

Samuelsson was okay

The rest didn't impress me. I know many here liked Ehrhoff, I didn't like him or Higgins. Lapierre didn't do anything nor Torres.

Not to take anything away from the 'core' Gillis had to work with but he did bring in Ehrhoff, Samuellsson, Lapierre, Torres, Malholtra, Hamhuis, Higgins, Rome, all pretty essential in that cup run.
- LordHumungous

Forgot about Samuelsson, man I miss the guy for his horrible CBC interviews.


Also he called it like it is. Told Kesler to pass the puck and told Team Sweden to go (frank) themselves

Not to take anything away from the 'core' Gillis had to work with but he did bring in Ehrhoff, Samuellsson, Lapierre, Torres, Malholtra, Hamhuis, Higgins, Rome, all pretty essential in that cup run.
- LordHumungous

Crazy thing, the team hasn't been able to replace him. He left in 2011.

Same goes for Lapierre and Torres. Those players either infuriated or terrified the other team. What player on our teams have done that since?

The canucks used to be a team that was tough to play against. I miss that.

Rome and Manny were two of my favorite . Hamhuis was good.

Samuelsson was okay

The rest didn't impress me. I know many here liked Ehrhoff, I didn't like him or Higgins. Lapierre didn't do anything nor Torres.
- VANTEL

Did he make the trade for Salo also?

Either way: Brian Burke is the reason we made the playoffs for a decade, deserves a lot more credit than Gillis or any other GM. Only comparibie is JB if this new core is a top team for that long in the future.

Rome and Manny were two of my favorite . Hamhuis was good.

Samuelsson was okay

The rest didn't impress me. I know many here liked Ehrhoff, I didn't like him or Higgins. Lapierre didn't do anything nor Torres.
- VANTEL

Ehrhoff was great on the PP but the PP sucked during the cup run.

Higgins was good before he declined. I remember a few of us were pretty meh on the Lappy/Higgins deadline pickups but ended up liking them that year.

People here loved Torres

Did he make the trade for Salo also?
- neem55

No

Crazy thing, the team hasn't been able to replace him. He left in 2011.

Same goes for Lapierre and Torres. Those players either infuriated or terrified the other team. What player on our teams have done that since?

The canucks used to be a team that was tough to play against. I miss that.
- bloatedmosquito

Volpati

Ehrhoff was great on the PP but the PP sucked during the cup run.

Higgins was good before he declined. I remember a few of us were pretty meh on the Lappy/Higgins deadline pickups but ended up liking them that year.

People here loved Torres
- Nucker101

Torres didn't do much in the cup run when Boston decided to get physical.

Volpati
- VANTEL

We've had so many Volpati's on this team I can't keep track of them all.

No Ottawa?
- neem55

They have some good players still. I would put them in the bottom 10.

We've had so many Volpati's on this team I can't keep track of them all.
- bloatedmosquito

I liked that he would fight but after that there was not much to like.

Torres didn't do much in the cup run when Boston decided to get physical.
- VANTEL

It’s a blur to me now so I can’t comment lol

Torres didn't do much in the cup run when Boston decided to get physical.
- VANTEL

Hamhuis was his homerun. Best dman on the team, great value contract. Erhoff was good too, P.P guy we haven’t had since.