CANUCKS SIGN RYAN MILLER

[ClamRussel]

BTW, will Miller be the only Vezina winner to ever play for the Canucks?

Nope, Gary Smith.

[Island Nucklehead]

Hockey Widow wrote:
Miller gives us a chance to win every night. Lack provides very capable back up play and we get to see if he really is the goalie of the future. It buys the organization time while still allowing us to compete. We were never going to hit rock bottom. Ownership would not all that.

Miller isn't the saviour but he allows us to win. I have no illusions about this. We are no where near contender status but we can compete for the playoffs. And ya it's gonna be tough. I for one don't want to watch a shit team. I want to at least have the belief/illusion we can win each night.

Advocating tanking or throwing the kids into the fire to sink or swim has never been a recipe for success. Quite different letting an NHL ready franchise player have the ice from rushing players who still need to develop take over the reigns.

Pretty much exactly how I'm approaching this too. Well put, HW.

[Strangelove]

http://globalnews.ca/news/1426152/vanco ... an-miller/

Miller’s modified no-trade clause reportedly allows him to provide the Canucks with list of only 5 teams he’ll allow for trade.

Good to know, Canucks haven't made this kind of info available much in the past.

[Strangelove]

https://twitter.com/RyanMiller3039:

I'm so happy to join the @VanCanucks. What a great day! They keep telling me it's always this sunny here.

[Island Nucklehead]

http://globalnews.ca/news/1426152/vanco ... an-miller/

Miller’s modified no-trade clause reportedly allows him to provide the Canucks with list of only 5 teams he’ll allow for trade.

Good to know, Canucks haven't made this kind of info available much in the past.

hmmm Anaheim, LA, San Jose, Phx, Colorado?

[Strangelove]

hmmm Anaheim, LA, San Jose, Phx, Colorado?

Anaheim, LA, San Jose, Phx, Colorado Seattle.

Yeah no, sounds about right bro.

[the Dogsalmon]

https://twitter.com/RyanMiller3039:

I'm so happy to join the @VanCanucks. What a great day! They keep telling me it's always this sunny here.

I hope you enjoy rain Ryan.

[Hoss]

All that was needed was a veteran to provide Eddie some insurance. I think Eddie will be alright, love the goofy attitude. If he wasn't run into the ground by Torts I think he would've impressed even more.

Instead we blow 6 mil in cap space on Miller, who will probably "need" 60 plus starts.

I guess most fans also don't realize that besides Markstrom we have a little guy named Joacim Eriksson who had a pretty good first year of N.A. hockey too... The Swede trifecta isn't sure fire, but there's a lot of promise between them, and they're all what, 23-26 years old. I supposed they're all hoping for a ticket out of town or for Miller to tank now.

[herb]

FINE I moved this here!

Hockey Widow wrote:
Miller gives us a chance to win every night. Lack provides very capable back up play and we get to see if he really is the goalie of the future. It buys the organization time while still allowing us to compete. We were never going to hit rock bottom. Ownership would not all that.

Miller isn't the saviour but he allows us to win. I have no illusions about this. We are no where near contender status but we can compete for the playoffs. And ya it's gonna be tough. I for one don't want to watch a shit team. I want to at least have the belief/illusion we can win each night.

Advocating tanking or throwing the kids into the fire to sink or swim has never been a recipe for success. Quite different letting an NHL ready franchise player have the ice from rushing players who still need to develop take over the reigns.

Well put HW.

This pretty much sums up my sentiments. We are one good trade for a decent top six forward away from being a decent team next year.

[HockeyGeek]

Many are taking the stance that it would be foolish to think of this team as one that could make the playoffs. The data certainly would point to us likely missing the playoffs. However I would like to add that it's also foolish to just assume that because we sucked last year that we would automatically suck this year. You look at this team and it's not the team it was 3 years ago, but it is definitely not a terrible team either. Yes the core is getting old, but it's not ancient yet. And one can't forget just how bad our coaching was last year. Cancers have been cut out, and some youth and enthusiasm has been added. I may not be expecting this team to make the playoffs but I certainly wouldn't be surprised if they made them either.

[Meds]

What's the point in finishing 10th instead of 13th. This is not a rebuild, and yet they got no help offensively...so I'm not sure what they are doing.

Bear in mind that they were seriously pursuing Iginla. But had they given Jarome a 3 year deal, would anyone have been happy? No.

Vanek and Moulson went to other teams.

Sometimes the UFA exercises his right to choose, and it comes down to factors that have nothing to do with what the GM of our team did or did not try to do.

[Hockey Widow]

What's the point in finishing 10th instead of 13th. This is not a rebuild, and yet they got no help offensively...so I'm not sure what they are doing.

Bear in mind that they were seriously pursuing Iginla. But had they given Jarome a 3 year deal, would anyone have been happy? No.

Vanek and Moulson went to other teams.

Sometimes the UFA exercises his right to choose, and it comes down to factors that have nothing to do with what the GM of our team did or did not try to do.

Ya but we should have signed Ehrhoff for one year at 4 million. And how come we didn't sign Stastny, it was only a four year deal and we had the cap. And why not Brad a Richards for one year at 2 million. And how come we didn't trade Kesler for Neal. And Jorge's hell he went for a second so how come Benning didn't trade for him? There were some good trades and signings and Benning missed them all. Hell how come he didn't draft Ekblad or one of the SAMs? And we need a top six and Spezza for one year would have been better than what we have.

He is so confusing. If he really wants to compete and to win he needs more than a proven number one. It's a half measure, a sham, they really want to tank don't they.

I could go on and on about all the deals he failed to make but I just want to know one thing. Why did he not do any of those deals????

Can anyone really tell me what this inexperienced management team is up to? Missing out on all those deals. Shame on them.

[bckev]

there are two sides to every story, we can think that the trades and signings were there to be had by the canucks but maybe they weren't. Players may not have wanted to come here. Why would we want gorges, I like him but at the same time how many defense men do we need. If we were to get a defenseman we need someone to move the puck better than gorges. this is a time for patience not to make a deal just to make a deal. We want to have room for our young guns to make the team. I think there are some good deals to be had between now and the start of the season and benning has shown he isn't afraid to make a deal.

[ClamRussel]

At least Lack still has his sense of humour through all this, referring to the fact he'll be 29 when this contract expires:

“On the other hand, (Roberto) Luongo had a deal til I was like 42,” Lack said over the phone Tuesday from Spain.

http://www.vancouversun.com/touch/sport ... rel=830270

...but not so fast Eddie, JB might have other ideas. This is to all those that think Miller is here to hold the fort until Lack is 100% ready to assume the mantle:

The Miller signing is a Jim Benning special. He originally scouted and drafted Miller in Buffalo and he contends Miller will help make the Canucks a playoff team. He even said if it goes well, he wants to sign Miller to an extension at age 37.

All of this should seem counter-intuitive for a team which says it needs to get younger, and then demotes Lack, who is arguably their best young player.

http://www.theprovince.com/touch/sports ... rel=894638

[ESQ]

Can anyone really tell me what this inexperienced management team is up to? Missing out on all those deals. Shame on them.

My opinion has been for a long time that Vancouver is a terrible FA destination.

1. Shitty fans and ridiculous media
2. High Canadian taxes
3. Brutal travel schedule
4. Not a contender [other than 2011-12]

I think one of Gillis' legacies is he is the only GM Vancouver has had that made Vancouver a desirable UFA destination - which is no small task. People have shit on the "player's agent", but when he had cap space, he signed:

1. Demitra -probably top-5 FA that year, maybe top-3 among forwards
2. Sundin, undeniably #1 FA that year (notwithstanding how it worked out)
3. Hamhuis, probably top 1 or 2 FA dmen that year
4. Malhotra, a top-15 or so FA but a perfect fit at the time

Granted, once MG ran out of cap space his moves were bad. But no question he had the best UFA pick-ups of any GM in Canucks history.

As for Miller:

A great pick-up. Remember what Luongo did for the Canucks his first year - took a bad team and carried them to the 2nd round. Miller is that calibre of goalie.

Tanking wasn't an option, especially with the work done by the Flames/Sabres/Oilers to shed all of their players already. The Canucks were never in the running for McDavid and that's fine. With Miller alone and no other moves they can make the playoffs. Worst case, they pick in the top-10 again next year, and I'd sooner stomach that then tanking all year for a 5th-overall type pick.