If You're Mike Johnston...

[JTG]

I don't think MJ has the personality to be a head coach. I do think he could be an elite assistant coach behind the scenes like a Jacques Martin is for us. Martin has pull in this organization because he knows hockey very well. I think MJ has an awesome hockey mind, but he doesn't have the presentation skills.

 

[Jacob]

I don't think MJ has the personality to be a head coach. I do think he could be an elite assistant coach behind the scenes like a Jacques Martin is for us. Martin has pull in this organization because he knows hockey very well. I think MJ has an awesome hockey mind, but he doesn't have the presentation skills.

He's too timid, probably even more so than Bylsma. He'd be a better hire for a team that just got through a few years with a disciplinarian.

 

[plaidchuck]

The Canucks management needs to read this thread.

 

[Gunnar Staal]

The Canucks management needs to read this thread.

Desjardins was actually one of our first choices for head coach, as well. I believe he was close to being hired as well, but he didnt want Tocchet and couldnt bring Doug Lidster with him. In hindsight, Vancouver is alt-history Pens. Him and Jim Benning were two guys that were heavily considered for the Pens open vacancies.

 

[JTG]

Benning has destroyed that team.

 

[Jacob]

I think unless you're a team like the Canes or Devils and can afford to have a guy learn on the job, you'd better hire someone with prior NHL head coaching experience. Even a bad or mediocre head coaching record is better than none at all. EG Sullivan vs. Johnston

 

[Penske]

His second year he was coaching to cover the deficits of our players to fit his style. Essentially he didn't coach how he wanted to and that style did not work to the strengths of our best players.

He may have been fired anyway but at least coach the system you want then put it on the GM to get the type of players you need.

 

[Coach Travis]

 

[Darth Vitale]

Benning has destroyed that team.

All I can figure is he's basically starting a 2-3 year rebuild without saying he's starting a rebuild. You got like 5 or 6 guys on that team with very little experience, and then 4 or 5 guys who are ~ 35 years old. It's a weird mix. Not saying he's done a good job but it smells like a rebuild to me.

Not sure how long the Sedins will stay viable as a bigtime offensive threat in terms of them slowing down but at this point you make your choice and go forward with it. Seems like Benning didn't want to make the rebuild choice and just go with it so he's stuck in no-man's land.

 

[Shockmaster]

This is what happens when you settle for your 3rd/4th choice in hiring a coach. You get this.

Actually it's what happens when you hold onto the previous coach two years too long.

 

[Darth Vitale]

Actually it's what happens when you hold onto the previous coach two years too long.

*ding ding ding*

Winner winner pizza for dinner.

 

[radapex]

Good.

He's back at his old job and he got a huge 2 year pay raise.

It probably stings a bit to watch, though, but oh well.

Realistically, he's probably looking at some of the moves they made after he was replaced and wishing they had done it before (ex: Scuderi for Daley). I mean, Rutherford even admitted that he didn't exactly set Johnston up for success with the roster they were icing.

 

[radapex]

Eh, I wasn't really that pissed at Johnston. He was the wrong coach for the wrong team. There were a lot of things I didn't get (the extreme sheltering of the defense by the forward core, the treatment of Sprong, Scuderi being the equivalent of the Secretary of Defense, etc.), but the team in general was a total mess at the time to begin with. That and he's back where he was to begin with.

As for how he's reacting...

Two answer two of those things...

"the treatment of Sprong" -- it was pretty clear that Johnston never thought he was NHL ready, and Rutherford didn't agree. It wasn't until they brought in a new coach (Sullivan) who gave the same assessment that JR finally accepted it.

"Scuderi being the equivalent of the Secretary of Defense" -- that was his "Shero-Bylsma" wagon-hitching failure. He gave Gary Agnew full control over the defense; who plays with who, when, how many minutes, etc. Agnew was a big Scuderi fan.

 

[radapex]

He's too timid, probably even more so than Bylsma. He'd be a better hire for a team that just got through a few years with a disciplinarian.

Yeah. I remember reading about the shock when he actually lit into the team during an intermission earlier this season. Apparently, he rarely even goes into the locker room during intermission - so it really caught their attention when he walked in yelling and screaming.

 

[Lionel Hutz]

He has a clue, I really don't think that's fair to say. He's a great hockey mind and a good guy, but for some reason he just couldn't get through to the guys.

Agree with Jacob I do think having scuderi in a particular was part of the problem.

I think it probably hurts him to see, because he knows own it was his failure. But I'm sure he's pulling for his old team.

 

[WhiteWalker*]

I've always wondered if there was some unknown rule or if it's just their old school mentality. But why wouldn't Johnston or Disco want to play youth? Younger and faster players. I don't get it.

 

[djt153]

maybe with different styles, but werent a lot of the criticisms of sully in boston the same as for johnston here?

 

[JTG]

I've always wondered if there was some unknown rule or if it's just their old school mentality. But why wouldn't Johnston or Disco want to play youth? Younger and faster players. I don't get it.

No confidence.

 

[AquaticBirdman]

No confidence.

Bingo.

THe "experience" factor will always take precedence with more conservative coaches, as they see it as being the safer bet. I always found it to be kinda baffling to see from someone like DB though, seeing as how he was a younger coach himself and spent time coaching kids down in WBS. You'd think that he of all people would've embraced a youth movement even more than he did.

 

[Shady Machine]

Realistically, he's probably looking at some of the moves they made after he was replaced and wishing they had done it before (ex: Scuderi for Daley). I mean, Rutherford even admitted that he didn't exactly set Johnston up for success with the roster they were icing.

You can't have 6 Kris Letang's

 

[Shady Machine]

We do have to be honest. What youth did we really have to play? Disco failed with the defense for sure and Bennett should have gotten a longer leash, but was injured so often I can't really remember how bad he got screwed.

Rust, Wilson, Kuhn, Sheary, etc weren't ready until now and prior to those guys, we hadn't drafted an NHL forward since Dustin Jeffrey (does that actually count?).

Bylsma deserves **** for overplaying Gladams and Shero deserves **** for a garbage prospect pool.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

We do have to be honest. What youth did we really have to play? Disco failed with the defense for sure and Bennett should have gotten a longer leash, but was injured so often I can't really remember how bad he got screwed.

Rust, Wilson, Kuhn, Sheary, etc weren't ready until now and prior to those guys, we hadn't drafted an NHL forward since Dustin Jeffrey (does that actually count?).

Bylsma deserves **** for overplaying Gladams and Shero deserves **** for a garbage prospect pool.

Yep, agreed.

The WBS kids getting a chance is great, but we haven't had anyone like them for years. ****, there was a time when people were hopeful about KV, CPZ, etc. Dark times.

 

[Gurglesons]

You guys realize Shero is responsible for the vast majority of these "kids" that we didn't have?

Rust, Sheary, Kuhnhackl, Maatta, Dumo, Murray is not bad for a GM that supposedly was terrible at drafting and acquiring youth.

Once again, as I always have said. Hard to draft good players when you are consistently one of the best teams in the league and even in those years he pulled out gems like Despres with 30th overall.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Benning has destroyed that team.

Bruins sponsored false flag GM, tbh.

 

[Gurglesons]

I think it is pretty obvious ownership has been dipping their hand into running the Canucks since Gillis was fired.

So many stupid moves made to make them Boston after they were one win away from the cup.