Former Canucks: Players & Management (Willie Desjardins fired by Kings, COO Victor De Bonis to SEA)

[Fatass]

How does the team go from a second presidents trophy in 2012 the year he signed his extension to 2013 and needing a complete rebuild? What was Gillis telling Aquaman in 2012 and how did that change a year later?

I will agree that The way the team was constructed and how the rules were going along with being in he same division as the big heavy California teams, the Canucks were not going to contend after 2013.

Looking back at the contracts they had at the end of 2013, they had 1 last shot at it since the twins were up in 2014. So Gillis would rather have torn it down than try to make a couple of hockey deals to shake up the core and give the twins one final shot? If they fall again then it’s over with them as they were ufa. I doubt they would have been traded. They never wanted to leave.

Iggy didn’t want to leave Calgary. If Gillis told the veterans in 2012 the team was going to rebuild around young draft picks I think even the Twins and Edler would have asked for out. Those guys could taste the Cup in 2011, and knew they still had juice to give on a competitive team. Kesler saw what was coming and demanded out. Now, here we are seven years later and our owner is saying we need to be patient and let the rebuild happen through the natural maturing of our draft picks. I’m glad he’s saying that, because the best way to rebuild is patiently though allowing young draft picks to mature into core pieces, and then build around them.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

I did not see that coming.


Well, actually I did. But Zippgunn must be apoplectic.

Had him on ignore for a while now. Did he ever get over his broken heart after Gagner was traded?

 

[StreetHawk]

Iggy didn’t want to leave Calgary. If Gillis told the veterans in 2012 the team was going to rebuild around young draft picks I think even the Twins and Edler would have asked for out. Those guys could taste the Cup in 2011, and knew they still had juice to give on a competitive team. Kesler saw what was coming and demanded out. Now, here we are seven years later and our owner is saying we need to be patient and let the rebuild happen through the natural maturing of our draft picks. I’m glad he’s saying that, because the best way to rebuild is patiently though allowing young draft picks to mature into core pieces, and then build around them.

Nothing that Gillis has ever said indicates that the off-season in 2012 that he wanted to rebuild. Would Aquaman have extended him in May 2012 if Gillis said that he wanted to do a complete rebuild right then and there? Aquaman, likely would have either fired him or let his contract run out in 2013, but no, Gillis got a 5 year extension because Aquaman clearly by his actions believed that the core was capable of winning (incorrectly of course) and no way he would have extended Gillis if he wanted to rebuild.

So, whatever was discussed between them in 2012 before the extension, must have changed come 2013 on Gillis' part.

Remember, with Edler his contract was expiring in 2013. He signed his extension in like February 2013, just weeks before the TDL of 2013. And in 2012, he didn't have a NTC as he was still in his RFA years. There was just a short window of up to July 1, 2013 for him to be moved before the NTC kicked in.

 

[me2]

Had him on ignore for a while now. Did he ever get over his broken heart after Gagner was traded?

He's hoping Willie D will reunite with Gagner and lead the Oilers to a cup.

 

[Zippgunn]

I did not see that coming.


Well, actually I did. But Zippgunn must be apoplectic.

Hardly; anybody with a brain knew that Willie was just a placeholder unless he managed to get them into the playoffs and win a round or two. He's getting a bit long in the tooth now as well so I'm betting he doesn't return to the NHL anytime soon but I wouldn't be surprised to see him back in the AHL sooner than later.

 

[timw33]

Hardly; anybody with a brain knew that Willie was just a placeholder

You don't give placeholder coaches 4+ year deals.

 

[VC]

You don't give placeholder coaches 4+ year deals.

?

Willie the intern wasn't given a 4 year deal from the Kings.

 

[timw33]

?

Willie the intern wasn't given a 4 year deal from the Kings.

Ah sorry, I misread as he was just a placeholder in Vancouver. My bad.

 

[megatron]

Hardly; anybody with a brain knew that Willie was just a placeholder ....He's getting a bit long in the tooth now as well so I'm betting he doesn't return to the NHL anytime soon but I wouldn't be surprised to see him back in the AHL sooner than later.

Couple of things #1 no need to say hes not returning "anytime soon" because he will never be a head coach in the NHL again and #2 its not because hes "long in the tooth" its because hes a s*** coach.

 

[TruKnyte]

Hardly; anybody with a brain knew that Willie was just a placeholder unless he managed to get them into the playoffs and win a round or two. He's getting a bit long in the tooth now as well so I'm betting he doesn't return to the NHL anytime soon but I wouldn't be surprised to see him back in the AHL sooner than later.

Weren't you the one that claimed Willie was a good NHL coach and that King's fans were less critical of him than Canuck fans are?

 

[geebaan]

Hardly; anybody with a brain knew that Willie was just a placeholder unless he managed to get them into the playoffs and win a round or two. He's getting a bit long in the tooth now as well so I'm betting he doesn't return to the NHL anytime soon but I wouldn't be surprised to see him back in the AHL sooner than later.

Way to change your opinion 360. At least own that your were wrong. I now realize debating you in anyway is not worth my time, so thank you.

 

[Nucker101]

Wasn't Willie named interim coach by LA? Seems bizarre to announce "firing" him, I assume he was only under a 1 year contract if he had the interim label.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Wasn't Willie named interim coach by LA? Seems bizarre to announce "firing" him, I assume he was only under a 1 year contract if he had the interim label.

maybe he was just that bad?

but seriously, did they actually announce they were firing him? i'm guessing they just announced that they are looking for a new head coach for next year.

 

[Zippgunn]

Wasn't Willie named interim coach by LA? Seems bizarre to announce "firing" him, I assume he was only under a 1 year contract if he had the interim label.

Yes but keep it quiet, there are a lot of people gloating about this here and I would hate to see anybody spoil the two minute hate...

 

[geebaan]

Yes but keep it quiet, there are a lot of people gloating about this here and I would hate to see anybody spoil the two minute hate...

Just like you've been quiet about how such a good coach could be let go by LA.

 

[Zippgunn]

Just like you've been quiet about how such a good coach could be let go by LA.

What part of "interim' don't you understand? It would have taken massive improvement by the Kings for Willie to be hired as the actual "head coach". Everybody here is gloating about him being "fired". His contract ran out, now L.A. can take their time looking for the perfect coach. Willie was obviously a stop-gap for them. Anybody with a brain could see it.

 

[geebaan]

What part of "interim' don't you understand? It would have taken massive improvement by the Kings for Willie to be hired as the actual "head coach". Everybody here is gloating about him being "fired". His contract ran out, now L.A. can take their time looking for the perfect coach. Willie was obviously a stop-gap for them. Anybody with a brain could see it.

Wow, everyone except you, who kept talking about how smart LA was to hire him, kept using that against posters here with statements like "well obviously LA thought he was good enough for there team to hire him" or gems like "He'd get way more out of this team than Green does".

I like your attempt at revisionist history though. For you to claim anything other than you thought this guy was a great coach, and we were dumb for letting him go, is laughable.

The fact you now say, "obviosuly he was just a stop-gap", is not only disingenuous, but flat out wrong. Just take the L and move on. Stop with this bull crap.

 

[StreetHawk]

What part of "interim' don't you understand? It would have taken massive improvement by the Kings for Willie to be hired as the actual "head coach". Everybody here is gloating about him being "fired". His contract ran out, now L.A. can take their time looking for the perfect coach. Willie was obviously a stop-gap for them. Anybody with a brain could see it.

In this market, people will blindly hate for the sake of hating.

There are people that love Gillis and those who hate him. Ditto for benning. Same with Kesler. Sometimes you can even find those who would be hypocrites because they hate on Kesler but praise Gillis yet Kesler wanted out and Gillis wanted to rebuild. Same perspective. But because Kesler exercised his ntc that Gillis gave him Kesler is the villain.

 

[geebaan]

In this market, people will blindly hate for the sake of hating.

There are people that love Gillis and those who hate him. Ditto for benning. Same with Kesler. Sometimes you can even find those who would be hypocrites because they hate on Kesler but praise Gillis yet Kesler wanted out and Gillis wanted to rebuild. Same perspective. But because Kesler exercised his ntc that Gillis gave him Kesler is the villain.

Yea, no reason to hate Desardins. He was brilliant obviously

 

[Jyrki21]

Way to change your opinion 360.

180°, son, 180°. If you go 360° you've just rotated back to your original position.

 

[Zippgunn]

Wow, everyone except you, who kept talking about how smart LA was to hire him, kept using that against posters here with statements like "well obviously LA thought he was good enough for there team to hire him" or gems like "He'd get way more out of this team than Green does".

I like your attempt at revisionist history though. For you to claim anything other than you thought this guy was a great coach, and we were dumb for letting him go, is laughable.

The fact you now say, "obviosuly he was just a stop-gap", is not only disingenuous, but flat out wrong. Just take the L and move on. Stop with this bull crap.

I still think he's a good coach; I would love to see him with a decent team. You seem to think that he wasn't just a stop gap despite L.A. emphasizing the word "interim". You DO know what that word means, right?

 

[geebaan]

I still think he's a good coach; I would love to see him with a decent team. You seem to think that he wasn't just a stop gap despite L.A. emphasizing the word "interim". You DO know what that word means, right?

If I could look up your post history, boy oh boy....

 

[Zippgunn]

In this market, people will blindly hate for the sake of hating.

There are people that love Gillis and those who hate him. Ditto for benning. Same with Kesler. Sometimes you can even find those who would be hypocrites because they hate on Kesler but praise Gillis yet Kesler wanted out and Gillis wanted to rebuild. Same perspective. But because Kesler exercised his ntc that Gillis gave him Kesler is the villain.

I know it's like there are people here seemingly jumping up and down with joy at the news that WD has been "fired".I guess these people have little else to celebrate since it appears that FAQ isn't going to change anything in the front office so I console myself that these posters will have the high point of their season (or low point perhaps) at 5 PM tonight when the draft lottery determines where the hated JB will draft. Then they can get on with their miserable lives while the rest of us enjoy the playoffs...

 

[Hollywood Burrows]

What part of "interim' don't you understand? It would have taken massive improvement by the Kings for Willie to be hired as the actual "head coach". Everybody here is gloating about him being "fired". His contract ran out, now L.A. can take their time looking for the perfect coach. Willie was obviously a stop-gap for them. Anybody with a brain could see it.

No no, what people are gloating about is that even when weighing the (obvious) fact that Willie was a placeholder in a meaningless season he was still a disaster in LA. The reaction from the Kings fans, media, and players to Willie is exactly the same as it was in Vancouver: they are shocked at how terrible his performance was. He's getting absolutely buried on his way out, the same way it happened in Vancouver.

I actually think there's something wrong with Willie. He's stubborn to the point that it's a mental illness. He sort of reminds me of my dad, who is also a mustachioed prairie dumbass. They both double down on their bad decisions in the face of all available evidence. For my dad it means never asking for directions when driving, for Willie it means alienating his star players, elevating garbage plugs, etc etc.

 

[Zippgunn]

If I could look up your post history, boy oh boy....

Why can't you? I never said he was the best coach in the league, I just said he was a good coach, something his career record supports. I also don't think he deserves the blind hatred that he gets here especially seeing as TG is getting cut all kinds of slack here for being no better than WD. One thing is for sure: a LOT of people here take my refusal to join in the Willie hate VERY personally. These people need to find a better outlet for their frustration.