Over at CDC, there's a minor discussion sparked by an article by Jeff Angus where he mentions that Lapierre will not be re-signed. Not a big loss, by the way. So that got me thinking about our 3rd and 4th C's (again). And, once again, my eyes are drawn to Detroit.
Look at who they have playing as their 3rd and 4th line C's. It seems Andersson and Nyquist fill both roles, play about the same TOI, both Euros, and both have proven themselves as scorers in the minors! Why wouldn't the Canucks want to go in that direction?
I thought Gillis was supposed to be fashioning this team on the Detroit model? If he has, then he has failed miserably! I think everyone knows that the Detroit system starts with scouting, then drafting, then player development. They never rush anyone. They certainly are not worried about the Swedes! But, most importantly, they emphasize skill, while at the same time balancing with size - but not sacrificing skill for size per se. The point, both tactically and strategically, is that every line can contribute to scoring! Their bottom six is filled with young studs, role players (Tootoo) and wily, battle-proven vets. Most of whom have come through their system. So who do we have in comparison? Really, who would you put up to match in quality? Hansen and Higgins are it! Pathetic, isn't?
Instead of signing plugs like Sestito, etc, we should be bringing more guys up from the minors (like Volpatti, who Washington just reupped!) Unfortunately, it looks like Gillis is going to take another wrong turn, now, and emphasize size over skill. So we'll be swaying from one strategy to the next, depending on how our near-sighted GM sees which way the current "wind" is blowing! If he really had confidence in his own vision, he would stick with what works over the long haul.
As you can see, I am becoming more and more disenchanted with GMMG. So much so, that I would not be opposed to a replacement! Of course, the danger with that, is that we could end up with someone even worse!