Canucks 2013 Offseason Thread

[johnnybluenose]

Instead of turning the playoffs thread into a disaster post-mortem, I thought I'd start a new thread commencing from my post here:

Need to change some of the core, which will be hard with no-move clauses and no-trade clauses.

Edler could be traded for some potential youth and a forward (Philly for instance will have troubles keeping their plentiful stock of young forwards and has issues on D and in net, see some package deal including Couturier for Edler)

Bieksa and Canucks could benefit from changes of scenery

Burrows I don't want going anywhere.

Turnover entire scouting department.

Trade Lu to gain cap space for nothing or trade Schneider for players. Just get rid of one of them.

I think the coach needs to go, but who will replace him?

If I'm being 100% honest the GM needs to go also, along with Lawrence Gillman.

The team suffers from constant issues surrounding drama with officials. A major makeover will go a long way to changing the perceptions of the Nucks being drama queen complainers and embellishing divers.

While the makeover is underway they could also get rid of the birthing whale logo once and for all too

 

[The Franchise]

AV Gone, replace with Lindy Ruff

Trade Chedder Nuts (glorified back-up)

Send Elder somewhere and get rid of Ballard Booth and Roy

 

[johnnybluenose]

I highly suspect that Boothe may be bought out, Ballard most assuredly will be bought out.

The only caveat to that imho would be if they cannot find a taker on Lui (assuming Schneider is their guy) then they buy Lu out...

they only get 2 compliance buyouts without suffering cap hit implications.

 

[cascadesoccer]

Can we also get rid of our corporate fans that turn our arena into a library except for the sections that pub bus trips aquire (which they can't be loud and cheer anyways) And to the bandwagon "our goalie cost us the season" you can take a long walk too.

 

[Dude]

Gillis was an absolute gutless pussy in his address.

"Just like everyone, we are going to evaluate Alain on his performance, and go from there."

FFS, this should have been a conference about cutting him loose, allowing the man to start his next career asap, and then saying, "From here, every player is on notice that they may find themselves in a different city come next season."

They owe the most winningnest coach of this franchise at least that much respect, because surely he's not returning. Can't see any scenario where he will be back, so make it quick, decisive, and in doing so, express the man your heartfelt thanks for his efforts.

From there, if ownership decides to fire Mike, then so be it. I don't think that happen...he hasn't Suttered this team quite yet, but one more season of being apathetic, and he will surely have.

Same old message...starting to agree w/ you on your Gillis opinion, JBN. Not quite there, because I think a top-to-bottom change of leadership will be more hurt than help, and I don't quite think yet that Gillis is a total idiot, but I tell you what, my patience for his style has run out.

 

[johnnybluenose]

Tried to edit the first post. For the sake of sanity and reality please have a gander at capgeek.com and their calculators etc. It should help keep stuff in reality. for instance:
Cap next year is 64.3M and the Nucks have almost 800k in cap space with 16 current players signed.

FORWARDS
Daniel Sedin ($6.100m) / Henrik Sedin ($6.100m) / Alexandre Burrows ($4.500m)
David Booth ($4.250m) / Ryan Kesler ($5.000m) / Jannik Hansen ($1.350m)
Chris Higgins ($2.500m) / Zack Kassian ($0.870m)
DEFENSEMEN
Alexander Edler ($5.000m) / Kevin Bieksa ($4.600m)
Jason Garrison ($4.600m) / Dan Hamhuis ($4.500m)
Keith Ballard ($4.200m) / Frank Corrado ($0.599m)
GOALTENDERS
Roberto Luongo ($5.333m)
Cory Schneider ($4.000m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled with the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $63,502,778; BONUSES: $0
CAP SPACE (16-man roster): $797,222

RFA's are: Weise, Sestito, Tanev, Joslin, Schroeder, Sweatt, Sauve, archibald, Rai, Rodin and Stefan Schneider.
UFA's are: Malhotra, Raymond, Roy, Lapierre, Ebbet, Pinizzotto, Alberts, Barker, Vandermeer, Gordon, and Desbiens.

 

[johnnybluenose]

Echo your comments Dude.

His words were along the lines of "it's apparent that the style to win in the league has changed and skill is no longer at a premium"

what the fcuk!?

The Nucks had a PP deficit of 24-10, had no puck possession and couldn't score in a brothel. They were not beat by a bigger badder team. They were out faceoffed, outskated, outhustled, outdisciplined, outskilled and outeverythinged, except they outhit the Sharks, then outdump&chased the Sharks and were still swept.

again...what the fcuk is he talking about!?

He should have said the following
- We need to review our scouting departments at the pro and amateur levels domestically and abroad. We are an aging team with little in the cupboards and have been drafting low over the last 10 years. Somehow Detroit has had success over the same period of time (and longer) drafting in and around where we have been.
- We will address the coaching staff and playing staff. Nobody will be given quarter. If improvements can be made we'll make them
- We will review the 3-5% hike on seasons tickets pricing because we realize that we aren't representing fair value for money which is apparent as we have a lot of empty seats on display during playoff games 1 & 2.
- I need to get better at my job.

Questions?

Instead we got excuse after excuse, said he wouldn't have a moan about officials and then had a moan about officials. He said that injuries were an issue and then said that Schneider said he was good to go and the coaches still stapled Luongo to the bench after solid outings in games 1 & 2. He said that he reset the team when he took over, really? I remember him saying bold moves and we got Sundin for half a season and 8 playoff games... with the same core that Burke and Nonis installed. He says that we need to get younger, and that we will see Lain, Corrado and Gaunce, yet AV Sent CoHo packing because he was trying to stifle him and CoHo didn't want to turn into James Shepherd/Andrew Cogliano 2.0

He's so full of shite his eyes are brown.

 

[Dude]

Your quote from the other thread:

Presser is in 30 minutes, not to rehash the last 2 days of Team 1040 coverage, however:
1. Gillis will announce that AV is gone... or...
2. Gillis will say that they need time to get over emotions so as not to make an emotional decision on the coaching staff.

I don't think they should fire AV unless they have a proper suitable replacement for him. No need to make a change for the sake of change when there's other systemic issues present such as GM, Core Players, no depth in minors etc.

Franny, while I agree with your post- that being said AV also had his hands tied. He had Ballard (4.2M hit), Booth (4.25M) and Luongo (5.3M) in cap space unavailble for other players... Booth was an injury, but I digress.

If Gillis had got the finger out on a trade for one of the tenders he'd have had that cap space for another player at the deadline, and for this off season, notably July 1. Gillis also has drafted horrifically. I've posted it before, no need to rehash it... but essentially Corrado Jensen Sauve and Schroeder are the only drafted players other than Hodgson who've skated for the Nucks for a grand total of 41 games between them. Gillis has under performing Ballard under his watch, oft injured and under performing Booth on his watch and other than a few good re-ups and July 1 acquisitions Gillis hasn't changed this team at all. I heard a nice analogy from Moj on the radio stating That "This is the house Burke and Nonis built and Gillis & Gillman simply accessorized it"

Too many guys with NMC's and NTC's. No depth in the minors aside from Gaunce in Junior.

The Scouting department was never turned over from Burke and Nonis (Who also drafted astonishingly bad aside from Luc Bourdon (RIP)) under Gillis, and what's the definition of insanity again Mr. Albert Einstein?

Boy, did you ever nail prediction #2...again, shamefull.

Totaly disagree, as you know, on firing the coach. He's a MAJOR factor in team success, or lack thereof. He's lost the room. Weather the whole room or part of it gets changed over in the process is irrelevant, there needs to be a wholesale change in the coaching staff.

As for your capgeek stuff, of the UFAs, I'd only bring back Lapierre & Alberts.

 

[Sir M]

I would get rid of Gillis before I thought about getting rid of AV. Gillis steered a team that was built by others who was very successful into the ground by bad trade/draft decisions, especially the former. That is his fault. I hate to say it, but look who was bright enough to bring the real impact players over the team...and it was not Gillis, but rather his predecessors. What happened under his watch was that he traded away the future for the Ballards, Roys, Kassians etc. Now they have do not have any quality new blood to replace the veterans, and have raped their farm system of prospects for a bunch of stiffs. The buck stops with Gillis on that.

 

[Captain Shamrock]

Bwahahahahahahahaha

 

[johnnybluenose]

Captain, I think you are going to see one, if not more, of the current Nucks on the Roster next year.

While you fecetiously giggle and post about our issues, Philly requires some surgery also.

Philly will likely use one or both of their compliance buyouts on Briere and Bryz and Prongers cap hit will be put to LTIR... but they have a glaring hole in net and shortage of Defensemen...essentially have an aging Timmonen and then there's Coburn, Schenn, Grossman and Meszaros. I like those 4 but it's eerily similar to the Nucks where it's looked better on paper than whats been on display on the ice.

I'd truly consider some package of players which would see Couturier come to Van with Edler going to Philly. Also if Gillis ultimately decides to move Schneider if there's no market for Luongo, Philly is a very realistic landing spot...again they'd need to ship additional cap hit to Van to make that move- but it's certainly a potential destination for either of the Nucks tenders.

 

[Mr Base]

I said long time ago that Shids will be moved before Luongo. Now it's Luongos turn to prove that he is number one. Lack will be just as good as Shinds if he plays twenty games a year. I hope Horvat can step in and make the team. Not sure he can. In my opinion Jenson will be the guy that Torts will use a lot. Edler will stay here, if anybody goes it will be Bieksa and Raymond to Toronto or Philly. Philly needs a speedy third line winger. We need a mean guy on our D Toronto and Philly need a good power play D. I see Canucks drafted a five foot nine D. For god sake how the heck is that kid going to play against St Jose forwards or LA forwards. We all know he has skill but the other part I am not so sure. What makes me mad the most that Gillis would not go for a kid Like Coby Cave. Kid is full of grit. Coby can fight and he can move side to side defense is also good and he can score. For some un know reason Edmonton and New YK always take kids with speed and grit. There was three Slovaks that could step in ASP and help the team. Martin Bobos is 6'6" 225 just like Chara no one on Canucks spends time to find the guys we need.