Dave Nonis Fired!
by Waiting For Stanley on Apr 14, 2008 6:21 PM PDT
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With all apologies to Zanstorm for pushing his post down the page (though who really wants to see that photoshopped diver...), there is breaking news out of Vancouver today.Dave Nonis has been fired and is no longer GM of the Vancouver Canucks.
Wow. This is not what I saw coming at all. My gut reaction is "terrible move!" because the Canucks will be shedding a boatload of salary and will be in good shape to sign some free agents. I'd like to see what Nonis would have done. The guy pulled off arguably the best deal in Canucks history by nabbing Luongo from Florida. It's a shame he had to be given the boot.
However.
He's had three years at the helm and the one recurring theme has been a lack of scoring. That's three years to address this issue, with nothing to show for it but guys like Rucinsky, Bulis, Smolinski, and Carney who aren't even here anymore.
Soooooo... Pat Quinn? Brian Burke? Or does Aquilini do like the
T Tags: Dave+Nonis+fired Canucks
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Something kooky is going to be announced...
by Anonymous on Apr 14, 2008 8:34 PM PDT reply actions
Let me preface this by saying that I claim no special genius. I'm just a guy who loves hockey and who fell in love with the Canucks when he was a Los Angeles boy who was taken to Vancouver by his grandfather when he was twelve.
I have the Center Ice package because there is no NHL coverage where I live. I see a lot of hockey. Here is what I've seen recently:
-- The Canucks under Nonis have had no fire. Technical skill, but no grit, no determination. You watch for a night or two then watch the Flames or the Oilers and you can see the difference. This is what the Flames are showing against SJ right now. Grit. Spirit. Nonis' teams didn't have them at all.
-- The Sedins. The Sedins are AT BEST a second line. AT BEST. That this is not obvious to the GM is worrisome.
-- Defense doesn't win wars and, after the Devils caused major rule changes, it doesn't win in the NHL anymore. Winners don't build teams around goalies.
-- Trade deadline. I knew he wasn't going to do anything and he didn't.
-- Toughness...Burke has it, Nonis doesn't.
Like I've said, I'll trade some pure skill--on the ice or in a GM--for a guy who wants to win, period.
Let's hope the next guy has that.
by KevinV on Apr 14, 2008 9:02 PM PDT reply actions
No, not Trevor Linden! No damned way! He would have to work alongside a bonafide GM for a while first.
Can't see Viggy getting beheaded, Expat.
I still don't quite get this. Was it Nonis' inability to sign cheap forwards? How can you hang a GM when your goalie plays half-assed for more than half the year, and your #1 scoring unit dries up AND you have all of those injuries on the blueline? The only reason why we had any depth on the back end was because of Nonis and the scouting staff.
There must have been some difference in team direction going on behind the scenes.
Regardless, I'm still shocked. The new GM has a LOT of work to do!
by Sean Zandberg on Apr 14, 2008 9:03 PM PDT reply actions
"The decision to relieve Dave of his duties was difficult," explained Francesco Aquilini, Chairman, Vancouver Canucks. "We want to thank Dave for the many contributions he has made helping to build our organization during his tenure. However, I think this important change in leadership is critical to the future of the team and the direction we need to take. It’s not acceptable to our fans or to us as owners that our team isn’t in the playoffs."
"As owners we made a commitment to deliver the kind of hockey our fans deserve. At the same time, with leadership comes responsibility. So, our search begins today for a new general manager, and our focus going forward is on a winning season in 2008-09."
Nonis mentioned in the post season interview that the team was in better financial shape than it has been in a long time. Maybe management wanted him to be more aggressive instead, like Sisyphus pointed out.
by Sean Zandberg on Apr 14, 2008 9:11 PM PDT reply actions
http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/bob_mckenzie/?id=234318
by Sean Zandberg on Apr 14, 2008 9:15 PM PDT reply actions
I don't understand people that say a guy like Linden could not step right into a GM or Coach role...'without experience.' The NBA and MLB have proved over and over again (Terry Porter, Avery Johnson, Ozzie Guillen, Joe Girardi) that a player can step into the role and have an immediate impact on any given team. What makes hockey so special/different in that regard??
by GZ Expat on Apr 15, 2008 12:23 AM PDT reply actions
Hey, maybe he's been learning GM stuff on days that he wasn't playing. If not, then I think you can't just throw a guy into that role without a bunch of training.
Oh and by the way, I think Nonis was a fine GM! We'll have to disagree on this whole topic.
Watch Nonis sign in Toronto for double the paycheck.... we'll see!
by Sean Zandberg on Apr 15, 2008 7:31 AM PDT reply actions
And I typed "Capitals" but i clearly meant Islanders :-)
Heh... yergh.
by Temujin on Apr 15, 2008 8:17 AM PDT reply actions
The fact that this team will have a lot of cap room to acquire some free agents is due to the fact that Nonis did very little to improve the obvious scoring problems. People think he should be rewarded for this by giving him another year to do nothing.
I say great that we have all this cap room this summer but even greater that we may actually get a hockey mind behind the spend.
Dave - don't let the door hit you on the way out and please take the coach you hired with you when you leave.
by Anonymous on Apr 15, 2008 9:40 AM PDT reply actions
What more did you expect Nonis to do? Have a fire sale? Make another blockbuster deal?
If it wasn't for his wizardry, Vancouver would be stuck with half-assed goaltending and a shotty bunch of idiot defencemen. Instead, we have a world class goalie who underperformed, and great defence corps that was mostly injured all year, and a bunch of Swedes up front who under-performed as well.
Why does the blame fall on him then?
His biggest moves since the Luongo deal were just about to happen this summer because he had plenty of depth in prospects and plenty of cap space. He was fired prematurely.
Anonymous, you are sounding like a Leafs fan!
They want a fire sale every fucking spring! :)
by Sean Zandberg on Apr 15, 2008 11:52 AM PDT reply actions
At least Team 1040 agrees with me! Nonis did not his his 3-4 year plan come to fruition.
by Sean Zandberg on Apr 15, 2008 12:01 PM PDT reply actions
Ladies and gentlemen, the new GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs: Dave Nonis!
I've got no idea who the next Canuck GM will be. I think Holland is a bit of a pipe dream. Maybe Aquilini picked up someone from the European leagues while he was on holiday at the end of March!
by Temujin on Apr 15, 2008 1:02 PM PDT reply actions
Is the new GM going to support Viggy? What style of play is the new GM going to want?
by Sean Zandberg on Apr 15, 2008 1:34 PM PDT reply actions
by Sean Zandberg on Apr 15, 2008 5:29 PM PDT reply actions
How can anyone answer that question honestly though? We haven't been heading in the right direction all year (if "heading in the right direction" means making the playoffs or winning the Stanley Cup).
Firing the GM doesnt make you head in the right direction all of a sudden. It's not like Nonis' decisions have destroyed the team. Even though we aren't as good as we were four years ago.
by Temujin on Apr 15, 2008 6:17 PM PDT reply actions
Hey, the next guy could be GM Jeezus for all we know.
by Sean Zandberg on Apr 15, 2008 6:35 PM PDT reply actions
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