Management Thread | Regular Season Edition

[Ita]

I've said it several times now, but simply not signing Forbort and Desharnais would have left us with enough money to give Tanev the exact contract Toronto did. At least according to PuckPedia. Including Myers or Heinen in that equation makes it even easier.

Just for the hell out it. I played around with PuckPedia and swapping out all four of them means we could have fit Tanev and Zadorov. Not saying either move is necessarily good, but it really highlights how poorly utilized our cap space was.

The only reason it's not anywhere near as damning as Benning is none of the contracts are long term.

You forgot Myers

Management would rather spend the cap on a bunch of scrubs instead of a proper top 4 damn. Not surprised at how the team is doing so far.

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

You forgot Myers

Management would rather spend the cap on a bunch of scrubs instead of a proper top 4 damn. Not surprised at how the team is doing so far.

That's the thing: I didn't. We had enough cap space left over that even with Myers the contract Tanev got still works. Now it could be PuckPedia miscalculating, but otherwise we had better options. Either they simply couldn't convince their prime targets to sign here or... they deliberately chose Desharnais and Forbort.

All that said, I still think Heinen was a waste of money and Myers should have gotten two years or less money.

 

[Glennis the Menace]

That's the thing: I didn't. We had enough cap space left over that even with Myers the contract Tanev got still works. Now it could be PuckPedia miscalculating, but otherwise we had better options. Either they simply couldn't convince their prime targets to sign here or... they deliberately chose Desharnais and Forbort.

All that said, I still think Heinen was a waste of money and Myers should have gotten two years or less money.

I imagine they targeted them. While I don't have the specific receipt I believe in his Christmas post-game Rutherford mentioned a "tall strategy" with Tocchet they could pivot from if it didn't work out—it sounds like they went after these two specifically.

I don't mind Forbort personally, his metrics are ok defensively, the issue is he's playing up rather in a pure shutdown/PK role rather than in the top-4. Vinny… yeah. Considering Kovacecic was on the market for a pittance, it's a shame and definitely error this off-season. Hope they pivot from this strategy ASAP, it clearly wasn't the answer.

 

[SillyRabbit]

I'm not against a scorched earth re-tool on the fly.

Boeser for a 1st rounder and a promising prospect at the deadline.

Pettersson for Necas, Kotkaniemi, Morrow and a 1st in the summer.

Trade Miller in the summer as well, you won't get an amazing return but it will be better than what you get if you trade him in season. You'll at least get a 1st rounder and a younger top 6 forward.

Use the cap space to sign Gavrikov and make a run at Rantanen if he's still on the market.

Float Demko on the market and re-sign Lankinen.

The team needs a big facelift.

Right now Hughes is the only guy doing anything, so trading all of the above players can't make us any worse, but it could absolutely make us better, while also making us younger and giving us multiple 1st rounders to work with.

 

[theguardianII]

I'm not against a scorched earth re-tool on the fly.

Boeser for a 1st rounder and a promising prospect at the deadline.

Pettersson for Necas, Kotkaniemi, Morrow and a 1st in the summer.

Trade Miller in the summer as well, you won't get an amazing return but it will be better than what you get if you trade him in season. You'll at least get a 1st rounder and a younger top 6 forward.

Use the cap space to sign Gavrikov and make a run at Rantanen if he's still on the market.

Float Demko on the market and re-sign Lankinen.

The team needs a big facelift.

Right now Hughes is the only guy doing anything, so trading all of the above players can't make us any worse, but it could absolutely make us better, while also making us younger and giving us multiple 1st rounders to work with.

Many GM's might be favorable to trading 2026 1rsts. That is supposed to be a decent draft.
But a year or two or maybe just for the 2026 draft of rebuilding, tear down without adding too many really good veterans might be better.

The core needs rebuilding.
There is a losing culture in the room, most of these core players have had only one winning season in their careers.

Boeser, Demko, Miller and Pettersson. Most fans go "oh but that will ruin the team" but will it?
Boeser isn't really a "driver", doesn't carry a line, a superior complimentary player and his contract is up.
Demko with one more year and his potential will get something decent
Miller should be rewarded for his years here, it was never his choice to come here in the first place.
Pettersson will do better in a new market.

So yes, all your ideas are more than worthy.
There is a much deeper issue than just a simple not winning, there is a why?
Some pieces just don't fit together or go out of alignment as they age.

Doing a full blown rebuild of the core will not be done over night, the start can be overnight and the end in a year or two but then waiting for the growth.

IF management did decide to redo the core and did make these players available any rebuild of the core might be much, much quicker than anything Vancouver has seen in it's history.
None of this one "meh" player per year with a few blown picks thrown in, Horvat was the poster child of "young" on this team for 6 years, Boeser for 6, Pettersson is still thought as young, he's 27 yrs old next year.
Draft picks on this team from 2016, three, only 3, Petterson, Hughes and Boeser.

What the team needs is two top picks a year for two years. Top 5 picks would be nice. That only two 1rst for any other the above named players.

And then there is the nuclear option of a Hughes departure which might be inevitable anyway. Hughes for the first overall in 2026, McKenna if the Canucks don't own that pick due to a judicious playing of what is the system.

Management had no issues with bringing in 8 new players. so why not this?
Changing the goal of the team from playoffs, playoffs, playoffs at all costs, to new, younger players with loads of cap space. Fans will still be sold Hughes dashing around getting points and Norris talk for another year anyway.

Not matter what is is past time that Allvin and the other three GM's with Rutherford altered what Rutherford knew from the beginning when he warned fans that they would do things the fans might not like

 

[Cancuks]

The honeymoon for this management group is finally over. I'm glad people have come back to their senses and judge this management objectively instead of always comparing to that shitshow Benning.

Everyone knew the problem going into this season was the d-core and what did they do? They spent money on Desharnais and hoped a bunch of career 7th defensemen in Juulsen and Forbort could suddenly become 4th and 5th defenseman. And then they splashed money to DeBrusk, who IMHO, was an unnecessary addition.

Tonight they showed absolutely ZERO fight back or resolve. Hell if I was Tocchet it would be bag skates tonight and tomorrow.

Who was that ex-Canucks that called the dressing a room "a country club"? He wasn't wrong.

They spent money on Debrusk because the solution to Pettersson's struggles were getting him a winger to play with apparently. I don't have a problem with Debrusk but the expectations are too high. He's a second line winger. He's not elite,but neither is Boeser and Debrusk is fine as a replacement for him at a lower salary.
That said, the team's main problem is still it's attitude, mental problems, and whatever is happening behind the scenes. There are many teams with much less talent and depth that win more hockey games than the Canucks. They need winning players. Pettersson isn't a winner, he's a loser. So is Miller. Tampa won the Cup once Miller was gone. Hughes is a winner. You can build teams around a player like this. I'd rather jettison both Pettersson and Miller, get as many ready to play top prospects/young players as possible. I don't want draft picks, because I don't trust the regime's drafting abilities. Rutherford's record in Pittsburgh was awful.
Get rid of Demko while he's "healthy" and offload Boeser, Suter, Lankinen as well. Goalies are a dime a dozen and we can replace both of them in the offseason with UFAs or via trade.
Fire Tocchet as well, because he's a one trick pony and his team looks like they have no brains behind the bench. Don't even know when to call a time out.

 

[David71]

when the sedins retired the canucks moved the c to horvat with only really tanev, edler, gudbranson (uhhh) and eriksson (blech) as the leadership group to back him up. i think we can all agree it went pretty badly and probably directly lead to horvat's departure

i think management need to recognize they've put hughes in a similar situation in his first couple years as captain where he only really has myers and miller backing him up. i'm not a big believer in mentorship but the team clearly needs some more experience and wisdom in the room right now

agreed. someone like cole type schenn type that could "deal with millers antics" probaly beat his ass practice. the mgmnt has to answer the media theyve been incognito for so long with the drama going on this year.

 

[theguardianII]

Allvin this morning

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

blow it up, trade the sedins, trade luongo, trade kesler

rebuild around schneider and hodgson

 

[AlainVigneaultsGum]

blow it up, trade the sedins, trade luongo, trade kesler

rebuild around schneider and hodgson

Don't forget Jensen and Schroeder

 

[Jack Burton]

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm



We still need that 3 D

 

[theguardianII]

If they ARE trading Miller to the Rangers I wonder for who? They are close to being capped out so is there a contract for a future player or just a sideways move?

I didn't think they would do a trade on Hockey Day in Canada because one of this magnitude would overshadow the day.

But today, well the NFL might carry the day, that and most Rogers/NHL/team employees are off on Sundays so details might not be discussed until Monday and then it could be a new "news cycle". So theinstant reactions will be old news already.

There is one more thought, what if the team is starting all these rumors to manipulate the fans and players?

 

[Grumbler]

I think should either:
1) Tank for the next few years and build the team around Hughes. He is young, so there is absolutely time.
or
2) Get rid of Miller + Pettersson before their value drops even further. Trade some of the other proven playoff nonperformers.

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

I think should either:
1) Tank for the next few years and build the team around Hughes. He is young, so there is absolutely time.
or
2) Get rid of Miller + Pettersson before their value drops even further. Trade some of the other proven playoff nonperformers.

And what makes you think Hughes sticks around for those few years of a full on tear down? He's a UFA in two years and can walk away.

 

[Grumbler]

And what makes you think Hughes sticks around for those few years of a full on tear down? He's a UFA in two years and can walk away.

There is a risk, but I think if we tank correctly and get the top picks, he won't leave. Players are more concerned with the future potential of the team.

Alternatively, with the way things are going now, he might just leave anyways. So I don't really see this as an issue.

 

[ExarKun80]

The core is in it's prime and doing a rebuild at this point only happens in EHM or other hockey games. Hughes is 25 and in his prime. He is not wasting 3-4 years because that's what a rebuild would take in the best case scenario. What must be done is improve the defence and maybe tweak the forwards a bit. We should have done a proper rebuild when Gillis wanted or at least when Linden wanted but here we are.

Only a kid or teenager who knows nothing about how the world works would think that a rebuild is possible at this moment for the canuks.

 

[LordBacon]

There is a risk, but I think if we tank correctly and get the top picks, he won't leave. Players are more concerned with the future potential of the team.

Alternatively, with the way things are going now, he might just leave anyways. So I don't really see this as an issue.

Rebuilding with Hughes, Petey, Boeser, Miller, Demko seems pretty silly to me.

Even if we trade Miller, Demko and Boeser, the management group will be looking to replace them with other players.

The time to compete is now, its not even up for debate.

 

[Nucker101]

There is a risk, but I think if we tank correctly and get the top picks, he won't leave. Players are more concerned with the future potential of the team.

Alternatively, with the way things are going now, he might just leave anyways. So I don't really see this as an issue.

No they really aren’t. Especially when they’re UFA’s in their late 20’s.

 

[F A N]

We should have done a proper rebuild when Gillis wanted or at least when Linden wanted but here we are.

I don't think Gillis wanted a "proper rebuild." I think it was more of a retool/reset and I agree that would have been the best course if things worked out as hoped. As for Linden, personally, I think Linden, the GM, is full of shit. Who knows what he says is the truth. Day -1 he lied. This is the same guy who refused to utter the word "rebuild" but many here thinks that's what he wanted. He also talked about rebuilding not being fair to the Sedins. He also fought for Benning's extension and the same people who thought Benning was dumb are the same people who think he somehow hid his true intentions from Linden and backstabbed him in the back when the opportunity arose? And if Linden was so principled and disagreed with the offseason moves he could have said so or easily leaked it to the press in that moment. That's what Gillis did. He told the media that he didn't know if he would be back and pretty much said that if he was coming back it's going to be his way. Then it was quickly "leaked" that Gillis wanted to retool in 2012.

Only a kid or teenager who knows nothing about how the world works would think that a rebuild is possible at this moment for the canuks.

I'm not a kid or teeanager but a rebuild is always possible. In fact, given that it looks like the team can trade Miller for significant assets, Petey, Demko, Hughes, Hronek, Garland, Sherwood etc. do not currently have an NTC. I'm pretty sure DeBrusk would be willing to waive as well. So in theory, the Canucks could trade some or all of their top players and rebuild.

 

[ExarKun80]

I don't think Gillis wanted a "proper rebuild." I think it was more of a retool/reset and I agree that would have been the best course if things worked out as hoped. As for Linden, personally, I think Linden, the GM, is full of shit. Who knows what he says is the truth. Day -1 he lied. This is the same guy who refused to utter the word "rebuild" but many here thinks that's what he wanted. He also talked about rebuilding not being fair to the Sedins. He also fought for Benning's extension and the same people who thought Benning was dumb are the same people who think he somehow hid his true intentions from Linden and backstabbed him in the back when the opportunity arose? And if Linden was so principled and disagreed with the offseason moves he could have said so or easily leaked it to the press in that moment. That's what Gillis did. He told the media that he didn't know if he would be back and pretty much said that if he was coming back it's going to be his way. Then it was quickly "leaked" that Gillis wanted to retool in 2012.


I'm not a kid or teeanager but a rebuild is always possible. In fact, given that it looks like the team can trade Miller for significant assets, Petey, Demko, Hughes, Hronek, Garland, Sherwood etc. do not currently have an NTC. I'm pretty sure DeBrusk would be willing to waive as well. So in theory, the Canucks could trade some or all of their top players and rebuild.

Man, Fredo did not want to do a proper rebuild when he had no other choice. He won't allow one now after he just made the playoffs and the core is around 25-26 years old. At best, they sell Miller and improve the defence. There won't be any rebuild.

Linden was an idiot at first but around 2018 he realized that a true rebuild is nedeed and that's why he was ousted by Aqua.