Gillis. Who is He?

[Meds]

Guys who I see as core players.....

Hank, Dank, Burrows, Kesler, Hamhuis, Bieksa, Luongo, Schneider, Lapierre.

Guys who should be.....

Edler

Guys who may become.....

Garrison, Kassian, Hansen.

Guys who were core players.....

Malhotra.

I see the core as players who play with confidence and don't take shifts off. Now Bieksa does take shifts off, but there is no question he is a key guy on the core of this team. Lap makes it because he never quits. He isn't a guy you build a core around, but he definitely brings it every night and slots in all over the lineup. He is a downgraded Burrows, but he plays with an edge, and he is probably the best 4th line center this team has seen in a long time.

Edler should be a core player. I would imagine the guys in the room see him as part of the core, and I do see him as a guy that would be an important part of it if he played with a high degree of confidence even as much as 85% of the time, my question mark on Edler is that I sometimes get the sense that he doesn't see himself in that role yet, but he has the tools, just needs to become consistent and then it's a no brainer.

Garrison may become an important part of the core of this team, or he may be another Ballard. Kassian should develop into a core player, that is clearly the hope of management and coaching, and the reports on him from the room seem to support that. Hansen brings it every night, he may be replaceable but I think he's among the best bottom 6 skaters out there when it comes to hustle and effort. On a team where AV is coach that goes a long ways to making you part of the core.

Manny was part of the core for sure last year. After his injury he still has that place in the room, but he sure doesn't have that place out on the ice.

After looking at the roster I'm not at all happy with our blueline right now. Too many question marks.

[Tiger]

Mitchell was a big loss for this team, IMO. As you could see how important a player like Mitchell could be in the playoffs, with L.A. He was huge for the Kings. Sure would have loved to have had him in the finals against the Bruins.

Between Hamhuis and Mitchell, I pick Hamhuis. Mitchell wasn't going to be part of the Canucks' long term plans. The Canucks needed to get younger, quicker, and healthier. Personally, I feel Bieksa and Hamhuis are a better pairing than Bieksa and Mitchell were.

No kidding, but it wasn't between Mitchell & Hamhuis, it was between a 1 or 2 yr deal. Willie wanted 2 and Gillis wouldn't budge off 1. Mitchell deserved 2 and could have been the difference in the Cup run that year. The D core was never the same after he left, we didn't have that defensive type back there who could play tough, block shots etc. Instead we got Rome/Alberts/Tanev etc. Why did we need to get "younger"? Mitchell can *still* play as far as I'm concerned. Bieksa & Hamhuis could have been a pair and Mitchell would have been the no.5.

Would have been great to have both Hamhuis and Willie on the back end.. instead Gillis lowballed Willie with a 1 year 1.8 million offer and brought in Ballard at more than double that..
for Fan .. quote from wiki
"On August 25, 2010, Mitchell signed a two-year deal worth $3.5 million per season with the Los Angeles Kings.[56] He had interest from several other teams, including the Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks.[57] The Canucks were also offering a one-year contract between $1.8 and $2 million, but were not willing to match the Kings' deal"

[RoyalDude]

Would have been great to have both Hamhuis and Willie on the back end.. instead Gillis lowballed Willie with a 1 year 1.8 million offer and brought in Ballard at more than double that..
for Fan .. quote from wiki
"On August 25, 2010, Mitchell signed a two-year deal worth $3.5 million per season with the Los Angeles Kings.[56] He had interest from several other teams, including the Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks.[57] The Canucks were also offering a one-year contract between $1.8 and $2 million, but were not willing to match the Kings' deal"

...the horror, the horror, the horror...

Not only that, the fact that Gillis would not have to have give up anything for the services of Mitchell, is that we gave up some pretty good assets for the much more expensive yet much more useless Ballard.

So instead we are left with an expensive porky American when we good have had a good ol B.C. boy who plays his heart out every shift. BTW, is Lord Stanley still in Tofino?

[RoyalDude]

Guys who I see as core players.....

Hank, Dank, Burrows, Kesler, Hamhuis, Bieksa, Luongo, Schneider, Lapierre.

Guys who should be.....

Edler

Oh Lord, did Meds just put Lapierre in the 'Core' category and not Edler??? Did I read that right?

[Cornuck]

This is some great 20/20 hindsight now that Mitchell's recovered from his concussion. I would have offered him one year as well at the time.

[Topper]

Would not keeping Willie be more of re signing players from the previous administration? The very thing you continuously berate Gillis for.

[Fred]

This is some great 20/20 hindsight now that Mitchell's recovered from his concussion. I would have offered him one year as well at the time.

+1

[the Dogsalmon]

This is some great 20/20 hindsight now that Mitchell's recovered from his concussion. I would have offered him one year as well at the time.

his mellon is one good hit from scrambled eggs...

[Tciso]

This is some great 20/20 hindsight now that Mitchell's recovered from his concussion. I would have offered him one year as well at the time.

I would have looked at a 2 year around the $3mil mark. Not so much because I wanted to take the risk that his eggs were still in the basket, but the team could afford the money, and the players do pay attention to how teams respect and treat their team mates. Worst case, we would have had both Salo and Wille on LTIR.

Still, I like the moves Gillis has made. Even Ballard as the worst mistake is not all that bad.

[dbr]

If I remember correctly, Willie had not even skated yet when the Canucks acquired Ballard and signed Hamhuis.

[Madcombinepilot]

heck, if willie had any loyalty at all, he would have signed for 1 year, at a lower than market value, just to get his 'home town discount'.. What a traitor to the provice of BC, and the country of Canada. We should lump that POS in the same bucket as Loius Riel and Brett Hull.



*pfft!*

[Jovocop]

heck, if willie had any loyalty at all, he would have signed for 1 year, at a lower than market value, just to get his 'home town discount'.. What a traitor to the provice of BC, and the country of Canada. We should lump that POS in the same bucket as Loius Riel and Brett Hull.

*pfft!*

Home town discount is only for players who were born outside of BC but have played in Vancouver long enough... Just to name a few, the Sedins, Burrows, and Kesler... Players who were born in BC would only play here if the money is right, except for Hamhuis... Some BC-born players would not even want to play for the Canucks... remember Mr. Kariya?? Not Steve but Paul...

[rats19]

what if he signed him and the outcome was different...ie couldnt play..then what? If i recall willies outcome prognosis was at best 50/50 and like has been said he wasnt skating yet i dont think..

[Madcombinepilot]

lol...

sorry i guess the sarcasm didnt come through.

Fans give 'home town' discouts WAY too much credit...

[Todd Bersnoozi]

I think with Paul Kariya, it was more that he didn't want to play for Burke than the fact of not wanting to play in Vancouver.

Home town discount is only for players who were born outside of BC but have played in Vancouver long enough... Just to name a few, the Sedins, Burrows, and Kesler... Players who were born in BC would only play here if the money is right, except for Hamhuis... Some BC-born players would not even want to play for the Canucks... remember Mr. Kariya?? Not Steve but Paul...