Official Francesco Aquilini Thread
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mathonwy
Positively #toxic
- Jan 21, 2008
- 19,663
- 10,538
Aquilinis have dug themselves a very deep hole by gas lighting both the fans as well as the players for way too long.
Lying can be ok once in awhile if the intentions are noble.
Lying for 8 years while raping and pillaging future organizational assets over and over again is not.
This team is not worth following right now.
Why would any sane human being want to invest themselves emotionally into this clusterf***?
Wins don't matter. Losses don't matter.
f*** the Aquilinis you toxic f***s.
Lying can be ok once in awhile if the intentions are noble.
Lying for 8 years while raping and pillaging future organizational assets over and over again is not.
This team is not worth following right now.
Why would any sane human being want to invest themselves emotionally into this clusterf***?
Wins don't matter. Losses don't matter.
f*** the Aquilinis you toxic f***s.
Unlikely he would pass up this opportunity if offered as he has put together an insightful plan on how a hockey organization should be run. He would jump at the chance to put this in place
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Since Gillis has created an in depth proposal as to how a hockey team management group should be organized I am pretty confident he would jump at the opportunity to put this into place
Gillis: I'd like to go through my plan to quickly retool by keeping a good chunk of the core together but making some moves to bring in youth and rebuild the farm. While I do think we will have less success on the ice in the short term I will protect your investment through reduced payroll costs while the re-tool is happening. The payroll will increase as we build the team back up and we have some success. Here is my budget moving forward showing this... <advances to next slide>
FA: wait a minute. This is what you presented in like 2012 or 2013!
Gillis: Oops. Just a reminder on the direction you should have gone. I'll show myself out and good luck.
I don’t think he has to use the less success line you have. It would actually be hard to have less success than these guys have.
You really think that? I mentioned, this in another thread. When Gillis came on board he said this: "A couple of very good decisions, or a couple of really bold decisions, might put this team in a position to win immediately."
I don't see how Gillis would look at the current roster and think the team needs to take a step back. I also don't see a guy so invested in sports science and proposing a large staff would be selling owners on a reduced budget.
Regardless, I think Aquilini could bring Gillis back and sell that to the fan base.
EpochLink
Canucks and Jets fan
Gillis works for the NHLPA now, also he wants to come back as President of hockey operations not GM as he said before.
It's pretty clear some people misunderstood at this point. He's giving his 2013 or so presentation to ownership to rub salt in the wound (i.e. there is no way he comes back to this team to work for this owner). That's the team that needed to continue to take a step back to rebuild/retool. NOT the current team. This current team can't take a step back if they tried (I should be careful what I wish for...)
He pretty much said that right when he went out the door that there needed to be changes. There is a reason his goal when he moved Schneider was based on getting youth back because that is what they needed (in the same position I have no doubt Benning looks for an established player). His moves the last bit were moving in that direction. That included changing up the scouting to be more effective. The retool plan of Linden and Benning was high level the same as Gillis...they just executed it in the worst way possible.
Now all that isn't to say he should have retained his job. I think if the whole media hates him and the chanting hadn't happened that would be fine. But it did happen and as a result he needed to be removed. I do think he earned another year or two to execute what appeared to be a new plan but c'est la vie.
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I see what you're getting at. I don't think Gillis would be that unprofessional.
Agree with your other points. I do hold out the hope that Gillis is willing to come back if asked to finish what he started so to speak.
I see what you're getting at. I don't think Gillis would be that unprofessional.
Agree with your other points. I do hold out the hope that Gillis is willing to come back if asked to finish what he started so to speak.
Absolutely he wouldn't do that. I was just wondering what it may look like IF he came in to "interview". I figure it would be something like that. Just a big FU.
I'm sure he has an "out" to take up a GM or President of Hockey Operations job. If not, we're just talking about monetary compensation unless Gillis knows all of the PA's deep dark secrets and can't be allowed to work for an NHL owner ever.
I think ultimately, it's just the title. You can be a President of Hockey Operations who lets his GM make all the decisions or one that makes the final call. At the very least, the President of Hockey Ops should be providing the overall direction. The GM's job is to execute.
Gillis becomes the boss of PA and convinces the league to forfeit the Luongo recapture. After that he returns as president of the Canucks and fires Ron Delorme.
theguardianII
Registered User
- Jan 30, 2020
- 3,974
- 1,967
Any GM coming in here HAS to eliminate the losing culture and stock the team with a higher overall skill level. Too many mistakes have been made in evaluating this team and underestimating other divisional rivals.
This is going to be a Colorado/Ottawa/NYR rebuild, some fans will be upset because Miller, Boeser and Horvat have to go on the block, maybe even more.
At this time any of these guys will help in cap control and they all will get 1rst round picks in return and likely more in the way of prospects included.
A step back? What an odd question? Under Benning this team has averaged being a 26th place team in the regular season, so back to what? Actually getting two or three really good top 3 picks? Especially in the next two really good draft classes.
Fans flocked out to watch disappointment after disappointment year after year, I am sure this market will embrace a GM with a plan or definitive statement of a goal.
Gillis? Why not? He was the best, next to Quinn, at building this team into a winner. If he had continued who knows, without Luongo the team is in for McDavid, Mathews and the other 6 top picks those years, Larkin instead of Virtanen, that would have been his draft.
If more spending resulted in more revenue from paraphernalia, playoff appearances, Free Agents wanting to come here at a discount I am positive that the Aquilini's would have no issues.
Gillis as President, Gilman as GM and a purge of overpaid yes men from the front office. Gillis would not can Green right away, not like Linden/Benning did with Tortorella. How they did that while agreeing that the team needed rebuilding/re-tooling/re-whatevering is a demonstration of just being narrow minded and political rather than being "hockey wise". Torts had the best record in the NHL for bringing young players up to impact NHL players and team success, the ideal coach for young players.
Give Gillis the same unfettered cap control and running the team and they are back near the top in 5 years with 5 young star players and Pettersson, if he comes back, as a leader and Hughes, if he is here and becomes a true 2 way NHL defenceman.
I have no issue with Gillis but his next regime has to keep more control to the on ice product he can't have a coach make last minute trades because the coach didn't like a player.
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Dab
Registered User
- Apr 17, 2017
- 3,193
- 3,001
If you want to be mad and blame someone blame me- Francesco
Then proceeds to trot out the same old, tired horse that’s unable to communicate or make any kind of clear assessment of the team other than they go “day by day” which is f***ing clear from their lack of plan B in case things went to shyte early on in the season.
Then proceeds to trot out the same old, tired horse that’s unable to communicate or make any kind of clear assessment of the team other than they go “day by day” which is f***ing clear from their lack of plan B in case things went to shyte early on in the season.
Haha that's a good plan but Luongo's recapture penalty goes away after this season so not much use there.
Intangibos
High-End Intangibos
If I'm Gillis I'm avoiding this nightmare. A few years ago it would have been okay because the team had a few good pieces and wasn't totally f***ed, but now the Canucks are in a shitty spot.
Casual Canuck fans want Benning fired because he's wasting the cup window with Pettersson, Hughes, Horvat etc. They don't realize that window has already been slammed shut and everything needs to be torn down again. Gillis will just end up enemy #1 of the fanbase once again when we're not cup champions in 2024. This fanbase is toxic and worth avoiding.
Combine that with having to answer to Aquilini and I could definitely see Gillis passing.
EpochLink
Canucks and Jets fan
Gillis will be the enemy of every president and GM of the league who has hated him for years.
They won’t admit it publicly but they know.
DustyMartellaughs
Flashing the leather.
Somewhere, Aquilini watched that press conference and thought “THAT’S what I needed to hear!”
What if you're Gillis and Aquilini offered you a 6 year contract for $$$ and promised full autonomy and open checkbook to be the team's President of Hockey Ops? Obviously given the previous working relationship you don't quite believe in his promises but there's not a whole lot to lose with a 6 year contract for $$$. Sure there's the PA role but you don't quite get the same opportunity to apply your sports science knowledge. Plus you have interviewed a couple of times for the job and got bypassed. You're now almost 63 years old. In comparison, Brian Burke has been around for a long time but he's only 3 1/2 years older.
This entire scenario is really the inevitable result of an owner who knows bumpkiss about building an NHL hockey team, but refuses to turn the franchise over to somebody who does.
So mediocre season gets piled on mediocre season......and the only thing that changes is the message (excuses). But this off-season takes the cake.
Acquilini finally went on the air on Sportsnet 650 to take puff-ball questions from the hosts. And basically offered up a host of lame excuses for last season's disaster. Re-listening to that interview in the light of the first 17 games this year, is enough to cause you to either cry or laugh hysterically, depending on your point of view these days.
To quote Clint in Dirty Harry, "Every man has to know his limitations". But that won't ever happen with this owner. So get used to it. For Canuck fans it's either 'endure the pain' or just 'check out'.
So mediocre season gets piled on mediocre season......and the only thing that changes is the message (excuses). But this off-season takes the cake.
Acquilini finally went on the air on Sportsnet 650 to take puff-ball questions from the hosts. And basically offered up a host of lame excuses for last season's disaster. Re-listening to that interview in the light of the first 17 games this year, is enough to cause you to either cry or laugh hysterically, depending on your point of view these days.
To quote Clint in Dirty Harry, "Every man has to know his limitations". But that won't ever happen with this owner. So get used to it. For Canuck fans it's either 'endure the pain' or just 'check out'.
Absolutely...and that is what we need and should hire NOW! Then, over the course of the season he could determine team needs and, perhaps, make some trades to gather more draft picks. Benning would not be allowed to make any trades. Next summer he could hire a competent GM and coach.
In their minds yes. There is nothing that was said that would turn a negative fan to a positive one and it all just confirmed he doesn’t know what he’s doing. The only plan he ever has is the “everything goes the best it can” plan. And only then it’s a playoff competitive team.
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Hit the post
I have your gold medal Zippy!
Nice counterpoint to DimJim who is loved be every GM & President of the league.
