Mike Gillis, Master of the Blindside

[serge2k]

Last I recall you don't win games 0-0. Maybe game 3? We could have won 1-0. Or 2-1 in game 6. Or 0-0 in game 7.

no, but you generally have a pretty hard time when your goalie implodes and lets in 8. Or 3 in 9 minutes.

 

[me2]

no, but you generally have a pretty hard time when your goalie implodes and lets in 8. Or 3 in 9 minutes.

If you can't score 3 or 4 goals to bail your goalie out once in a series you deserve to lose. Boston bailed out Thomas. I understand the injuries were brutal so I can't blame the skaters either.

 

[Bleach Clean]

What exactly is a prime aged Booth? A guy that scores 1 meaningless goal in a meaningless game against a weak Oilers line and that's his only goal in the last 20 games of a season including playoffs? Is a prime Booth a guy that is always hurt? if it's not his head it's his groin or his knee or whatever. I guess that's what happens when you skate around the rink with your head down.

And yeah his contract sucks, this was a blindside in a bad way. Would've been better off keeping Sammy, letting him and Sturm walk and having 4.2 million to spend on a player/save going into next years lower cap. People are excited for him to come back like he'll actually make a difference, at his best last year he was simply decent and had no chemistry with Kesler, now after scoring 1 goal in a year he's going to come back and play well? odds are he produces nothing or simply gets injured again because that's what he does.

He's reached 60 points 1 time, 4 years ago, has played 1 full season and the rest he's missed at least 10 games. Terrible acquisition.

Terrible acquisition? No.


I know a lot of people dislike Booth, the way he plays, his overall production, or that cap-hit, but the league doesn't have enough talent to go around. Every marginal player that has hit UFA in the past few years has gotten paid. For instance, a 35 year old Samuelsson got paid 3m from a team he knew pretty well. A 36 year old Kuba got 4m...


There isn't a lot to choose from going to FA. So when you have the chance to acquire a top6 forward in his prime years, despite the warts, you do it. That's what Booth represents. This guy scores at a 1st line rate while powering (head down) to the net. It's the way this team wants to play and it took them over a year to mull over the possibility of getting him. Make no mistake, they knew what they were getting.


I'll repeat, this guy scores at a 1st line rate. By the numbers. G/60. Now you can hate Booth or the contract, but that efficiency is something Gillis would be hard pressed to replicate by trying to buy it in FA. It's just not going to happen. Not without multiple bidders making things difficult. Basically, Gillis got perhaps one of the most efficient scorers in the league for nothing. How is that bad? Can you name a more efficient top6er that went for less?

 

[BigBadBread]

What exactly is a prime aged Booth? A guy that scores 1 meaningless goal in a meaningless game against a weak Oilers line and that's his only goal in the last 20 games of a season including playoffs? Is a prime Booth a guy that is always hurt? if it's not his head it's his groin or his knee or whatever. I guess that's what happens when you skate around the rink with your head down.

And yeah his contract sucks, this was a blindside in a bad way. Would've been better off keeping Sammy, letting him and Sturm walk and having 4.2 million to spend on a player/save going into next years lower cap. People are excited for him to come back like he'll actually make a difference, at his best last year he was simply decent and had no chemistry with Kesler, now after scoring 1 goal in a year he's going to come back and play well? odds are he produces nothing or simply gets injured again because that's what he does.

He's reached 60 points 1 time, 4 years ago, has played 1 full season and the rest he's missed at least 10 games. Terrible acquisition.

The concussion and knee sprain were the results of dirty/suspendable hits. Porter got suspended and your can bet you ass if Mike Richards threw that same hit today he would be suspended. That hit pretty much sparked the flame on the blindside hit rule. How you can blame him for those injuries is mind-boggling.

 

[kanuck87]

There are very few GMs in the league, if any, who tip their hand regarding their next moves. This really isn't something that we should be praising Gillis on nor should this require a thread.

 

[vanuck]

The concussion and knee sprain were the results of dirty/suspendable hits. Porter got suspended and your can bet you ass if Mike Richards threw that same hit today he would be suspended. That hit pretty much sparked the flame on the blindside hit rule. How you can blame him for those injuries is mind-boggling.

Pretty much this.

 

[Diamonddog01]

Terrible acquisition? No.


I know a lot of people dislike Booth, the way he plays, his overall production, or that cap-hit, but the league doesn't have enough talent to go around. Every marginal player that has hit UFA in the past few years has gotten paid. For instance, a 35 year old Samuelsson got paid 3m from a team he knew pretty well. A 36 year old Kuba got 4m...


There isn't a lot to choose from going to FA. So when you have the chance to acquire a top6 forward in his prime years, despite the warts, you do it. That's what Booth represents. This guy scores at a 1st line rate while powering (head down) to the net. It's the way this team wants to play and it took them over a year to mull over the possibility of getting him. Make no mistake, they knew what they were getting.


I'll repeat, this guy scores at a 1st line rate. By the numbers. G/60. Now you can hate Booth or the contract, but that efficiency is something Gillis would be hard pressed to replicate by trying to buy it in FA. It's just not going to happen. Not without multiple bidders making things difficult. Basically, Gillis got perhaps one of the most efficient scorers in the league for nothing. How is that bad? Can you name a more efficient top6er that went for less?

I like Booth and agree with what you've said, but as a minor correction - Booth scored last year at a 2nd line rate. He was on pace for 42 points, which is decent 2nd line numbers.

But apart from that you're right - free agency would not land us a better player, his advanced stats are good (despite what people claim him and Kesler are effective together), he has great speed and is one of the few forwards we have who actually drive to the net.

Considering we picked him up for peanuts I have no idea why people have an issue with him. Sure, he isn't a great playmaker, and definitely plays somewhat of a tunnel vision North/South game - but if he was a great playmaker apart from the other qualities he brings he would be a 6M player.

 

[y2kcanucks]

You don't think a team's head could feel like it's exploding when their goalie just let in a bunch of goals in the previous game? What happened in that series is that all of the canucks players became even more anxious. Hard to play offensively when you don't trust your goalie. When you are already pretty terrible offensively (besides the power play) that's a big problem. Shades of lu's meltdowns against chicago. It's like a vicious cycle. Lu knows he had to steal games so if he lets in one he goes headcase mode and then the players get nervous when the flood gates open and then they score even less. Oh Canucks. Got get a sniper.

Your theory is absolutely correct....except against Tampa Tim Thomas was lit up in 4 or the 7 games and the Bruins offense had to bail him out in one of them. So I guess your theory is wrong?

 

[arsmaster*]

I like Booth and agree with what you've said, but as a minor correction - Booth scored last year at a 2nd line rate. He was on pace for 42 points, which is decent 2nd line numbers.

But apart from that you're right - free agency would not land us a better player, his advanced stats are good (despite what people claim him and Kesler are effective together), he has great speed and is one of the few forwards we have who actually drive to the net.

Considering we picked him up for peanuts I have no idea why people have an issue with him. Sure, he isn't a great playmaker, and definitely plays somewhat of a tunnel vision North/South game - but if he was a great playmaker apart from the other qualities he brings he would be a 6M player.

He's talking pure goals.

Booth's goals per/60 minutes is at the rate of a top 90 NHL forward (30 teams, 3 players on a first line, thus top line goal scoring).

 

[y2kcanucks]

He's talking pure goals.

Booth's goals per/60 minutes is at the rate of a top 90 NHL forward (30 teams, 3 players on a first line, thus top line goal scoring).

Booth is also willing to crash the net. My biggest beef with him is he's been prone to injury, but if he were healthy I'm sure I wouldn't mind him at all. I do think it was a good acquisition because we didn't give up anything for him at all.

AV does need to realize though that Booth is much better on the left wing than the right. It's not Booth's fault that at times he's been utilized wrong.

 

[Fat Tony]

Your theory is absolutely correct....except against Tampa Tim Thomas was lit up in 4 or the 7 games and the Bruins offense had to bail him out in one of them. So I guess your theory is wrong?

That was the Bruins. With the Canucks, I can just see and feel them slump when a bad goal is given up. Is that a problem with the Canucks skaters' mental toughness? Most certainly. It's a big problem.

 

[y2kcanucks]

That was the Bruins. With the Canucks, I can just see and feel them slump when a bad goal is given up. Is that a problem with the Canucks skaters' mental toughness? Most certainly. It's a big problem.

I agree with this. And it also led to them leaving our goalie hung out to dry. This is something that's still a problem for this team to this day (Schneider's opening game blow out is evidence of this).

 

[Wisp]

Didn't Ehrhoff blind side everyone, too? Randomly at the end of the summer for a fantastic return?

 

[ddawg1950]

Wow. Did not see his thread coming at all.

 

[Alflives*]

Every time I see people attempting to predict the future moves of Mike Gillis, I can't help but think back to all of the times he has blindsided us. There have been a lot of threads on the main board lately about MG's travels, but I think most Canucks fans know better. Hodgson for Kassian was just the latest example. I can't remember a Gillis move that has been expected, except for Hamhuis and Garrison coming home.

Even his signings come out of nowhere. Edler and Schneider's contracts were both pleasant surprises for both the contracts and the timing. Going way back, one of his first moves was signing the Sedins to bargain deals right after they hit the open market and everyone said they were gone.

My point is, the guy doesn't tip his hand. I strongly believe the Luongo deal will be another blindside, and I cannot wait. So far, we can't really complain with the results.

Or, will the Luongo deal be a "slap in the face"?
How will Luongo's ego handle being traded for little value, or even being bought out?

 

[Angry Little Elf]

Didn't Ehrhoff blind side everyone, too? Randomly at the end of the summer for a fantastic return?

San Jose had to shed some salary for Dany Heatley, it was expected that Ehrhoff would move somewhere.

 

[arsmaster*]

San Jose had to shed some salary for Dany Heatley, it was expected that Ehrhoff would move somewhere.

True, but we got him for Patrick White and Daniel Rahimi....moving those pieces of dead weight for a very good defensman was a boon for this club, and it also happened on my birthday so it 'blindsided' me

 

[Alflives*]

no, but you generally have a pretty hard time when your goalie implodes and lets in 8. Or 3 in 9 minutes.

And to turn the tide of momentum (and build confidence in teammates) this is where the team's captain (or another first line player) must drop the gloves and fight the other team's tough guy. (Lucic or Thorton in the Boston series) The Canucks did not have that player at that time. It would serve the current Canucks to add one more top six forward (or top 4 D) who can "go" with the other teams' toughest players. Kassian cannot shoulder that burden by himself. And their current captain is not that type of leader (if he is a leader - in a hockey sense - at all)

 

[kanuck87]

Wow. Did not see his thread coming at all.

Must be the 2 games this week. People need to find something else to talk about, unfortunately.

Edit: my mistake, they're playing 3, but only have played once in last 5 days

 

[BrockH]

What exactly is a prime aged Booth? A guy that scores 1 meaningless goal in a meaningless game against a weak Oilers line and that's his only goal in the last 20 games of a season including playoffs? Is a prime Booth a guy that is always hurt? if it's not his head it's his groin or his knee or whatever. I guess that's what happens when you skate around the rink with your head down.

And yeah his contract sucks, this was a blindside in a bad way. Would've been better off keeping Sammy, letting him and Sturm walk and having 4.2 million to spend on a player/save going into next years lower cap. People are excited for him to come back like he'll actually make a difference, at his best last year he was simply decent and had no chemistry with Kesler, now after scoring 1 goal in a year he's going to come back and play well? odds are he produces nothing or simply gets injured again because that's what he does.

He's reached 60 points 1 time, 4 years ago, has played 1 full season and the rest he's missed at least 10 games. Terrible acquisition.

Huh? Are we just making up numbers? He scored 3 goals in the last 20 games and has 8 goals in the past year (i.e. since February 7th 2013). Not only are you ranting off-topic and derailing the thread, but you're making **** up...

 

[DL44]

Wow. Did not see his thread coming at all.

That is good..
Made me chuckle... heh heh..

 

[Apple Juice]

Didn't Ehrhoff blind side everyone, too? Randomly at the end of the summer for a fantastic return?

Yup. Didn't expect Ehrhoff to be moved here. Honestly, I didn't know who Ehrhoff was when he was moved here mostly because I never noticed him when he was a San Jose Shark.

 

[Gormo]

Hes a master at BS alright.

 

[luongo321]

San Jose had to shed some salary for Dany Heatley, it was expected that Ehrhoff would move somewhere.

I still think it was super stupid of the sharks to trade him to a conference rival. Why even bother with the possibility of making a good team even better? If the Canucks gave away a player like that to a solid conference contending team, I'd take my pitchfork down to Roger's Arena. I dunno, maybe the Sharks GM was being classy and wanted Ehrhoff to go to a decent team or thought he really sucked so it didn't matter.

I always liked Ehrhoff though. We wouldn't have had such a sick team without him.

 

[Alflives*]

I still think it was super stupid of the sharks to trade him to a conference rival. Why even bother with the possibility of making a good team even better? If the Canucks gave away a player like that to a solid conference contending team, I'd take my pitchfork down to Roger's Arena. I dunno, maybe the Sharks GM was being classy and wanted Ehrhoff to go to a decent team or thought he really sucked so it didn't matter.

I always liked Ehrhoff though. We wouldn't have had such a sick team without him.

If you liked him, why do you write the Canucks were worse with him? With Ehrhoff, the Canucks were actually a much better team. I think they miss him, especially on the power-play.