Mike Gillis, Master of the Blindside

[Jay Cee]

Protip guys:

If we keep talking about the potential blindside, it probably is not gonna happen eh?

 

[Scottrockztheworld*]

 

[DustyMartellaughs]

Bravo!

 

[JanBulisPiggyBack]

The greatest blind side move of all time



Gillis trades Kassian for Hodgson

 

[Wizeman*]

Classic HF mentality where decent players have "negative" value. Great asset management by Mike Gillis. Whether or not Booth is a piece that fits the team is yours freely to debate but it was a great value move by Gillis.

The booth deal was excellent.

Last year our team was exhausted from the cup run the year before. Both Kesler and Raymond were shot. Sedins were tired. Same as Luongo. Two straight presidents trophies.

I think our team has more firepower with a rejuvenated Raymond and Kassian.

Having Ryan Kesler in the lineup not only transforms our whole team but also makes the opposing coaches have to adjust their whole strategy of how to get their scoring guys away from him.

I think we will start to really dominate once Kesler and Booth return , and we keep Schroeder as our second line Center .

Calling Kesler the 'third line' center is no insult and his line will get way more icetime than Schroeders.

 

[Archangel]

Luongo deal might be so blindside it might not even happen this season.

HockeyWidow mentioned this once that Giillis runs a very tight ship and there's a real possibility that any rumors floating out there is either speculation or planted.

I think it is something in Canucks organization. With the oilers and Steve T, when he makes a move, 9/10 times it is their twitter or Bob Stauffer (who works for them) who breaks the story. It is nice to know that sometimes those who claim to be in the know are in the dark. That is why I was suprised about Gillis comments about Luongo two weeks ago and why I think teams are not near his asking price and that is why he said some unknown team or player was involved. I think Gillis wants to do the trade, but no one is near his asking price and he wont move Luongo til he gets want he wants

 

[me2]

nov 20. long wait.

 

[Hammer79]

It's true, there isn't much, if any, insider info coming out of Vancouver. Any that does come out, usually gets to the reporters from the other franchise involved in trade talks. I'm fine with it. It's good to know that the talking heads on TSN, Sportsnet and CBC have no idea what is actually going on, and you can pretty much ignore anything they have to say about the Canucks. You can tell that it irritates the reporters/talking heads that MG is almost as secretive as Area 51.

 

[iCanuck]

It's nice to have a Luongo and Schneider tandem in net, but without some top six help/scoring help, we're not winning anything anytime soon. If we kept Luongo and Schneider this season, I just am not sold we go anywhere, unless Luongo/Schneider can start scoring for us.

For me, the decision to keep or trade Luongo this season is not so easy. We need some scoring.

I think it's fair to say we just need to wait until Kesler and Booth come back to make an accurate assessment of our scoring woes. For now, we are winning, and can't complain really.

 

[AmazingNuck]

We did this before in 2009 and 2010. Sure it's not ideal, but you can't win anything if you don't take a few risks here and there.

A risk has to make sense. Dealing Luongo is not in the cards right now. Honestly, having two starting goaltenders is, logically, the best thing a team can do. 50-32 is a great set up for a 1A 1B, riding whoever's hot and making sure there's no rust. If one goes down with injury, you're still set.

A #1 goaltender usually starts 65 games, which leaves 17 to the back up, as well as a couple of games here and there after the #1 has a bad start. Any more games for the #1 and he'll get worn out by the post-season. Imagine having your star player be injured for 17 games with only a third liner to replace his role? Having to play your back up could cause you to go, say.. 7-9-1 instead of 10-5-2 for those games if you had a starter-calibre goaltender in those games, which is 7 points, and in today's NHL, that's about the difference between Calgary/Dallas/Colorado making the playoffs and the Kings not making the playoffs.

It's nice to have a Luongo and Schneider tandem in net, but without some top six help/scoring help, we're not winning anything anytime soon. If we kept Luongo and Schneider this season, I just am not sold we go anywhere, unless Luongo/Schneider can start scoring for us.

For me, the decision to keep or trade Luongo this season is not so easy. We need some scoring.

The team, while not lacking in talented personnel, lack consistency among the players because the Sedins are too one-dimensional. That is the fundamental flaw with this team. With the goaltenders and the defense that we have, we should be playing a stifling defensive system that relies on turnovers and speed to create offense. We should be trapping, considering the lack of calls nowadays. The trap plays to the defense' strengths (big, mobile, good puck-handling) and covers the defense' weakness (speed, ability to break into the offensive zone). The trap also plays into our bottom 9's strengths (gritty, fast, good at causing turnovers, offense off the rush, good positioning) while minimizing the weaknesses (puck-handling, creativity, overall offensive skill). However, the trap isn't great for players like the Sedins, who aren't fast, gritty, or good defensively.

I have thought about what system is perfect for the Sedins, and really, it's the current system right now/ the one in 09-11.. but the system doesn't work because we don't have a fast defenseman who can push the pace. Don't give me "We have Ballard but he sucks." I know we have Ballard, but he sucks, which is why we have the problem in the first place. Trading for Ballard, then keeping Ballard, then not trading Ballard when we could've re-signed Ehrhoff has been Gillis' biggest mistake.

 

[StringerBell]

I think it's fair to say we just need to wait until Kesler and Booth come back to make an accurate assessment of our scoring woes. For now, we are winning, and can't complain really.

Definitely. Kassian and Schroeder's development gives this team more options when it comes to the lineup, and we need to know what fits best where before we know what to target.

 

[vanuck]

Interesting tidbit from a former Wolves coach:

OilersNow @OilersNow

MacT says Canucks GM Gillis is always looking for new ways to get a competitive advantage. Says sometimes that can be counterproductive.

I don't think it was meant in a disparaging way or anything, more a comment on how the Nucks do things and possible upsides as well as downsides to it. Thoughts?

 

[Virtanen2Horvat]

Like I said if we are trading Luongo then wait till next season and then Start Schneider and Lack as Backup.

 

[Yossarian54]

Interesting tidbit from a former Wolves coach:


I don't think it was meant in a disparaging way or anything, more a comment on how the Nucks do things and possible upsides as well as downsides to it. Thoughts?

Perhaps true, although with the amount of stuff that Gillis has looked into to give players an edge (i.e. sleep doctors and the like), one might expect a bit of resistance from the 'old-school' Cherry-esq commentators. Or he may be referring to the Hodgson situation - simply getting rid of a player who is causing a distraction, even if they might have a role in the future.

Given that MacT is now an Oilers employee, i'm really not surprised to see such soundbytes. Would be interesting to see the context.

 

[pitseleh]

Canucks Army has the full quote on that interview with MacTavish: http://canucksarmy.com/2013/2/8/for...s-mike-gillis-progressive-management-approach

 

[DomY]

Perhaps true, although with the amount of stuff that Gillis has looked into to give players an edge (i.e. sleep doctors and the like), one might expect a bit of resistance from the 'old-school' Cherry-esq commentators. Or he may be referring to the Hodgson situation - simply getting rid of a player who is causing a distraction, even if they might have a role in the future.

Given that MacT is now an Oilers employee, i'm really not surprised to see such soundbytes. Would be interesting to see the context.

Makes sense. My hockey management experience starts and ends with my fantasy hockey team, but over tweaking your lineup can be counterproductive and just cause undue stress on people involved. It does in the workplace at least.

 

[ddawg1950]

Interesting tidbit from a former Wolves coach:


I don't think it was meant in a disparaging way or anything, more a comment on how the Nucks do things and possible upsides as well as downsides to it. Thoughts?

Makes sense. My hockey management experience starts and ends with my fantasy hockey team, but over tweaking your lineup can be counterproductive and just cause undue stress on people involved. It does in the workplace at least.

The most obvious example of this, in my view, was naming Luongo captain.

It was an outside the box move and as intriguing as it was, it was ultimately counter productive.

But I'd rather have a GM like that than one who just keeps repeating the same old tired formulas over and over.

Fortune does favour the bold.

 

[iCanuck]

A real blindside would be Mike Gillis dealing Schroeder this year, but, unfortunately, I could actually see it happening. We're too deep in the center position and this extends even into our prospect group.

 

[shortshorts]

A real blindside would be Mike Gillis dealing Schroeder this year, but, unfortunately, I could actually see it happening. We're too deep in the center position and this extends even into our prospect group.

We're deep at center?

 

[DomY]

I would like to see GMMG (or AV) continue to try and play players out of position. Edler is far more valuable (not necessarily effective) if he can be 90-95% of the player he is at LHD while lining up at RHD since top 4 LHD are so much easier to find. Now we know that Ballard can play right side in a pinch if he has to, and now Edler can as well, which gives the team inherent depth and D should one of our RHD go down. Should make it an organizational requirement just like defensive acumen is for forwards.

The black hole at RHD isn't just on our team, but a league-wide (hockey universe wide?) phenomenon.

Similarly, I'd like to see Burrows experiment with playing C again. Just like Zetterberg, Burrows would be so much more valuable if he were able to anchor his own 2nd or 3rd line. Frees up Kesler or Schroeder to play on the wing in pure offensive roles

 

[Yossarian54]

A real blindside would be Mike Gillis dealing Schroeder this year, but, unfortunately, I could actually see it happening. We're too deep in the center position and this extends even into our prospect group.

I assume you mean in terms of 4th line centres yes? Otherwise, wat.

 

[timw33]

A real blindside would be Mike Gillis dealing Schroeder this year, but, unfortunately, I could actually see it happening. We're too deep in the center position and this extends even into our prospect group.

Deep at centre?

Pre-eye injury Malholtra, maybe.

 

[Aphid Attraction]

Perhaps true, although with the amount of stuff that Gillis has looked into to give players an edge (i.e. sleep doctors and the like), one might expect a bit of resistance from the 'old-school' Cherry-esq commentators. Or he may be referring to the Hodgson situation - simply getting rid of a player who is causing a distraction, even if they might have a role in the future.

Given that MacT is now an Oilers employee, i'm really not surprised to see such soundbytes. Would be interesting to see the context.

Yea I was thinking when I read that quote, Ok, however lets look at our respective clubs and see if it has been counter productive. And the Hodgson trade was a short term pain for long term gain, (long term being like half a hockey season), The same principal apples to tanking for 1sts, however the oil have yet to see any real gain in the W department.

 

[Karter]

It makes wayyyyy more sense for us to go all in on a cup run this year. Our chances are much better with 2 quality goalies.

We're missing Kes and Booth and you wouldn't even know because the team is flowing so well together. I believe a big part of that is the goaltending situation.

 

[JAK]

GMMG might be the best GM in the Canucks history when it's all said and done.
His background as a player's agent really has allowed him to use his understanding of negotiations and player's needs, to build our team into a long term winner.