If Not Benning (Your GM Candidate)

[F A N]

Hoping for a serious discussion about GM candidates.

I think we had a discussion several years ago. Julien Brisebois was my choice before Yzerman unexpectedly stepped down. Hextall was another guy I liked but he currently has a GM job.

Dean Lombardi, who has reportedly spurned the Canucks multiple times seems content to live his life as an advisor but I am much more comfortable having him as a GM in a scorch earth rebuild than a GM tasked to take a team to the next level. Then again, he has never taken over a team where he was tasked to take a team to the next level so falling in love with players he drafted wouldn't be an issue.

A lot of "up and coming" GM candidates did get a job or crashed and burned. Don't want Mike Futa. I don't think Gilman will make a good GM. What are some good up and coming GM candidates?

What about the established guys? Dale Tallon seems like a sideways move. George McPhee? Is he content with his current role? Would certainly be a big splash hiring - the prodigal son returns? Was never a fan of Don Waddell but it doesn't sound like Waddell is happy with his current arrangement. Nashville has played their way back to playoff contention so I don't think Poile would be available. There's also Mike Gillis.

What about guys who may become available? Let's face it, GMs who are let go tend to have managed their team to the ground. Treliving might get fired. I think he's pretty good at RFA signings and even trades, but the results speak for themselves. He's not very good at building a winning team.

So if not Benning, who is your preferred GM candidate? For me, I would be happy with Lombardi, McPhee, or Gillis.

Click to read more...

 

[vanuck]

Gillis, Gilman or MacFarland for me.

 

[Fatass]

Gillis.

 

[Canucker]

Eric Tulsky would be #1 for me....I don't mind the idea of bringing Gillis back but the baggage surrounding his previous exit gives me pause.

 

[Peter10]

Would like to see Gillis with his whole new setup, except for amateur scouting maybe, but that is not going to happen. Guess Tulsky or Gilman would be nice but let's be realistic, there is not enough information out there on most candidates that would allow for anything more than a good guess.

 

[Fatass]

There is the FA factor to consider. A quality, experienced person is likely not going to work for our owner. Going to be a new guy, who wants to make a name, and believes he can work under FA’s directives.

 

[Hit the post]

There is the FA factor to consider. A quality, experienced person is likely not going to work for our owner. Going to be a new guy, who wants to make a name, and believes he can work under FA’s directives.

Yup. Any high profile quality guy will want full autonomy. Ain’t going to get that with Fredo.

 

[Brock Boeser Laser Show]

Try to poach a good gm by offering them a "promotion" to president of the Canucks. Have the new president bring in a young up and comer to work with. I doubt it would work though since nobody in their right mind would want to work for our terrible owner.

 

[hookshott]

Gillis/Gilman duo (guys who we could be proud of at a news conference!) with Ferraro as Assistant GM...excellent talent evaluator and knows the players.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Would like to see Gillis with his whole new setup, except for amateur scouting maybe, but that is not going to happen. Guess Tulsky or Gilman would be nice but let's be realistic, there is not enough information out there on most candidates that would allow for anything more than a good guess.

i’d like to cryogenically reanimate pat quinn’s corpse, or at least hire burke and george mcphee to weekend at bernie’s him

 

[Jack Burton]

I would have fired the entire front office when Ron Francis became available but that ship has sailed so I'd hang back a bit and watch the SJ situation. Really hoping Doug Wilson becomes available this summer.

 

[Jack Burton]

I'd also call up Dale Hunter and offer him a blank cheque with full autonomy to run a NHL franchise.

 

[Brock Boeser Laser Show]

i’d like to cryogenically reanimate pat quinn’s corpse, or at least hire burke and george mcphee to weekend at bernie’s him

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Definitely not Gillis! There’s better candidates out there.
I’d like to get an up and comer rather than an old retread myself. But the advantage of an established guy is that he would likely insist on full autonomy from ownership before taking the job.

 

[I am toxic]

If?

What kind of a joke is this?

 

[Breakers]

Somebody from Carolina or Colorado

 

[M2Beezy]

Wiesbrod

 

[hefsbeaver]

Pat Roy, would be someone I could see interest in

 

[RussianRacket]

Gillis is gross. People here forget the circus of mismanagement that led to his justifiable firing. There's a reason no one else in the NHL has hired him.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Anyone who can answer the following skill testing question without running out of time.

(2 × 5) + (10 × 3)

 

[Sweetpotato]

I've felt for a long time Hunter deserves a shot somewhere, maybe pick up a Waddell or other get GM as president of hockey opps. Him and a vet coach like Boudreau/Gallant/etc would be a huge win.

 

[M2Beezy]

Anyone who can answer the following skill testing question without running out of time.

(2 × 5) + (10 × 3)

20

 

[Lupuls Grit]

The question should not be who will serve as the best GM - the question should be whether or not that GM will be given the autonomy and independence to actually do what is required to make this a better team. While none of us really know the inner workings of this organization, I think we have all seen enough to know that the Owner is constantly meddling with the decision-making process. While it is the Owner's money, if the Owner wants the team to do well, he should set the budget, establish some basic financial parameters and get the hell out of the way. Otherwise, the new GM will likely share the same fate as the incumbent.

Now, if the Owner is tired of losing and is willing to grant that independence, the first hire should not be a GM. It should be a President of Hockey Operations. There may be a number of good candidates and, while I know this is pie in the sky, I'm only half-joking when I suggest Masai Ujiri as the ideal candidate for that position. Ultimately though, the person does not matter as much as the mandate.

 

[StreetHawk]

Definitely not Gillis! There’s better candidates out there.
I’d like to get an up and comer rather than an old retread myself. But the advantage of an established guy is that he would likely insist on full autonomy from ownership before taking the job.

I would agree with going with someone new, but would have to be someone like Zito who has put in his time, in the management role.

But, everything comes down to the owner. He can cast whatever net he wants but, will he actually listen to candidates who provide him with an analysis of how the Canucks were run over the past several years and where they went wrong and what he/she now needs to do to correct it?

Gillis train is over and done with. He is never returning to the NHL. Over half the GM roles have changed over in the 7 years since he was last employed. Out of sight, out of mind now. Did he even get interviewed by Pitt when Burke/Hextall landed the President/GM role?

 

[logan5]

Very strange to see the same people who rip into Benning, would hire Gillis as his replacement. He left the organization in such a shambles, that has taken many years to recover from.

As mentioned, no one has hired this guy since. Normally a GM that goes to the SCF would be snapped up immediately.