Rumor: Botchford - " Aqualini veto'd a Kesler trade to Pitt "

[dwarf]

Jett woo

Lets hope.

 

[StreetHawk]

The story here isn't the potential return, it's the change in mindset and a setting of a new vision for the future of the team.

Agreed. But, the disconnect between Gillis and Aquaman was likely how quickly the mindset of Gillis changes from 2012 to 2013. Obviously something needed to change for the Canucks. They were not going to win a cup with that core group given the changing style to big and heavy.

Plus Aquaman has shown us since that he thinks so highly of the twins despite them declining. So long as they were on the roster he wanted to win.

Ideal situation would be to make a hockey deal for a core player going out and seeing what that 13-14 team had left in them. No push to sign the sedins until the season ends.

 

[Shareefruck]

I mean.. I don't think the outcome is really the point here. That there's more evidence piling up about Aquilini being actively a meddler is the point. We already kind of know that, but it's nice for speculation to be re-inforced.

We're pretty ****ed as long as he's around, IMO. The only way for this team to truly compete is basically by having a GM win a rigged uphill battle.

I'm pessimistic about the idea that he'll be gone any time soon, though.

 

[Nucker101]

This stings if the deal was Sutter, Dumoulin and a 1st.

Forget what we're left with now, I'd take that over what Benning originally acquired too.

 

[F A N]

The rumored offer for Kesler was Sutter, 1st round pick, choice of Dumolin, Harrington or Despres. Rumor was deal fell through because Gillis wanted Pouliot instead.

It's funny that people believe this story about ownership intervening in Gillis' moves and blame Benning for not getting anything for Hamhuis because they don't want to believe in the story that Benning had struck a deal only to return with a higher demand after speaking to ownership.

I don't believe Gillis would have accepted an all futures trade for Kesler. The asking price for Kesler always involved a young roster player, 1st round pick + prospect. That is in line with the asking price of other star-calibre players.

 

[Snatcher Demko]

The rumored offer for Kesler was Sutter, 1st round pick, choice of Dumolin, Harrington or Despres. Rumor was deal fell through because Gillis wanted Pouliot instead.

It's funny that people believe this story about ownership intervening in Gillis' moves and blame Benning for not getting anything for Hamhuis because they don't want to believe in the story that Benning had struck a deal only to return with a higher demand after speaking to ownership.

I don't believe Gillis would have accepted an all futures trade for Kesler. The asking price for Kesler always involved a young roster player, 1st round pick + prospect. That is in line with the asking price of other star-calibre players.

Yeah I think you are pretty close. I think it was one of Pouliot or Depres, a 1st and something like Sutter. I vaguely remember chatter around that time before Kesler was traded.

 

[VanJack]

Why is it that a team like Colorado can be patient for almost a year until they get the right deal for Duchene, and then pull the trigger on a three team deal that nets them a bounty of assets, including the possibility of the first overall pick this spring.

Meantime the Canucks, who were trading an asset in Kesler who at that point in his career was just as good as Duchene, can't get more than a fourth line center; a scrub blueliner and a pick at the back half of the first round?

If the reason is a 'meddling owner' than he should fire himself.

 

[me2]

According to Jason Botchford on tsn1040 this morning that he knows for a 100% fact that Gillis had an accepted offer to trade Kesler at the 2014 Trade Deadline to Pittsburgh but was ultimately Veto'd by Aqualini as the ownership did not want to embrace a rebuild. Gillis was of course fired a couple of months later.

It wasnt only until Kesler and his agent demanded a trade out of Vancouver on the summer of 2014 that forced Aqualini to give in and give the green light for new GM Benning to move Kesler...however Aqualini still wasnt up for a rebuild and instructed Benning and Linden to get roster players as a return.

Botchford did not give names on what the return would have been from Pitt for Kesler but alluded that the Canucks would be in a much much better position today had that trade gone through.

**Botchford specifically said that it wasn't for Derick Pouliot as Pitt considered him untouchable lol**

Looking at the 2014 Pens roster , I'm not sure who they would have offered for Kesler that would have been a home run return

It couldn't have been for Kasperi Kapanen because he wasnt drafted until that summer. Although that 1st rnd pick was surely offered to the Canucks.

- Matt Murray ?
- Olli Matta ?
- Brian Dumolin
- Scott Harrington
- Beau Bennet
- Brandon Suter . Lol

Non of these are home run picks


They had nice roster pieces but i doubt Pitt offers Letang or a then 25 yr old James Neal

I'm almost certain that the Pitt offer was a 1st rnd pick, multiple 2nds and a prospect.

Guentzel was #77 in 2013, having a good year in college. Would be an obvious target and the kind of name a team gives up (not massive hype/blue chip).

 

[F A N]

Why is it that a team like Colorado can be patient for almost a year until they get the right deal for Duchene, and then pull the trigger on a three team deal that nets them a bounty of assets, including the possibility of the first overall pick this spring.

Meantime the Canucks, who were trading an asset in Kesler who at that point in his career was just as good as Duchene, can't get more than a fourth line center; a scrub blueliner and a pick at the back half of the first round?

If the reason is a 'meddling owner' than he should fire himself.

You do realize that Duchene was 26 years old with no NTC. Kesler was soon to be 30 years old with full NTC right?

 

[PetterssonSimp]

You do realize that Duchene was 26 years old with no NTC. Kesler was soon to be 30 years old with full NTC right?

Not to mention Bonino was a clear cut 2C here and again in Pits while Malkin was mostly hurt his first season there.

 

[TruGr1t]

I thought this rumor was already out there? Maybe I'm just recollecting something similar.

Anyways, this is all just par for the course for this dysfunctional organization. In retrospect it's probably why the Aquilini's keep hiring inexperienced executives. They won't automatically resign when ownership starts messing around with hockey ops. Doesn't excuse Benning, who's not playing with a full GM skill set, but it does all make sense.

 

[JuniorNelson]

Canucks have been through several basic misunderstanding of the game situations. All the Coaches and GMs can't be dumb.It has to be Aquilini. Nobody else has been there that long. I feel this dooms the franchise.

 

[Fatass]

Canucks have been through several basic misunderstanding of the game situations. All the Coaches and GMs can't be dumb.It has to be Aquilini. Nobody else has been there that long. I feel this dooms the franchise.

Aquilini is the reason we are stuck with rookie coaches, GM’s, and Presidents. What quality experienced person (in one of those positions) would work for our meddling owner?

 

[me2]

I thought this rumor was already out there? Maybe I'm just recollecting something similar.

For a long time, basically came out at the time. The new part is that the return would have turned out good.

Anyways, this is all just par for the course for this dysfunctional organization. In retrospect it's probably why the Aquilini's keep hiring inexperienced executives. They won't automatically resign when ownership starts messing around with hockey ops. Doesn't excuse Benning, who's not playing with a full GM skill set, but it does all make sense.

How many GMs resign? They wait to get fired for the cash.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

I wonder where this team would be if we were in the timeline where Gillis stayed and was allowed to rebuild.

Judging by his drafting record..I’d shudder to think.

 

[EpochLink]

Judging by his drafting record..I’d shudder to think.

Gillis drafting was not great, that's a given.
Pittsburgh won 2 cups since this alleged 'trade' dropped...so not all is lost.

 

[TruKnyte]

Judging by his drafting record..I’d shudder to think.

Watching the game on Sunday I shuddered so hard I had a seizure.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

This was reported at the time, here's a source:

"a proposed deal would send Kesler to the Penguins in exchange for center Brandon Sutter, two 2014 draft picks — likely a first- and third-round — and the Canucks’ choice of defensemen Simon Despres or Brian Dumoulin, the sources said."

Penguins identify Canucks’ Kesler as top trade target | TribLIVE.com

That 1st round pick became Kapanen, but I imagine the Canucks still pick McCann there.

I believe it.
We also know that Sutter was one of the players that Gillis had targeted when looking to deal Hodgson. So this makes sense to me.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

Judging by his drafting record..I’d shudder to think.

Horvat and Hutton have been pretty useless lately eh?

 

[EpochLink]

Horvat and Hutton have been pretty useless lately eh?

That's 2 out of a countless dozen, I still feel meh about Nik Jensen I thought he was gonna be a good player

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

That's 2 out of a countless dozen, I still feel meh about Nik Jensen I thought he was gonna be a good player

Yeah, Gillis did take too long to revamp the scouting department - that's always been his biggest knock. But when he did in 2013, including hiring Judd Brackett, we've looked pretty good since. Benning just stumbled into the job and reaped the benefits, but even then he found a way to screw up easy picks in Virtanen and Juolevi. Pretty much all of our good picks have come from Benning deferring to scouts that existed during the Gillis regime.

 

[mathonwy]

Yeah, Gillis did take too long to revamp the scouting department - that's always been his biggest knock. But when he did in 2013, including hiring Judd Brackett, we've looked pretty good since. Benning just stumbled into the job and reaped the benefits, but even then he found a way to screw up easy picks in Virtanen and Juolevi. Pretty much all of our good picks have come from Benning deferring to scouts that existed during the Gillis regime.

He was too busy winning President Cups trophies.

 

[Paulinvancouver]

We already know this. Move on.

 

[mathonwy]

We already know this. Move on.

Move onto what?

 

[EpochLink]

Yeah, Gillis did take too long to revamp the scouting department - that's always been his biggest knock. But when he did in 2013, including hiring Judd Brackett, we've looked pretty good since. Benning just stumbled into the job and reaped the benefits, but even then he found a way to screw up easy picks in Virtanen and Juolevi. Pretty much all of our good picks have come from Benning deferring to scouts that existed during the Gillis regime.

Also, that same 2011 draft...Tampa drafted some guy who's now leading the league in scoring and will probably win the MVP in the second round.