I don't see how claiming Wellwood, a 25 year old with skills, off waivers is a Nonis move. Wellwood, for all his faults, has much, much more upside than Ritchie or Goren or Bouck or Cowan or any of Nonis's pick-ups.
As long as it's not in the top, say, 5 moves he makes this off-season it's alright.
It's also possible Gillis is looking for a PP specialist type player (think Hudler in Detroit). Maybe he realizes the PP QBs (Liles, Streit, Hainsey) will be very overpriced on the market, so he wants to bring someone who can make things happen in that aspect.
Remember Wellwood a couple of years ago with the St John's. Guy was all world and probably the best offensive player in the AHL.
There has never been a question about Wellwood's ability. Biggest question has always been the size issue and whether he could stand up to the pounding at the pro level. So far he has left that question open to debate.
Guy has the potential to be the second coming of Cliff Ronning. But also has the potential spend most of the season on the IR.
I'm not a Canucks fan or a Wellwood fan for that matter but I hope Wellwood gets his act together and does really well for you guys especially since most here seem hell bent on not giving the guy a chance. A lot of decent players have been placed on waivers to be picked up by another team and have a decent career. (ie, Straka, Huselius to name two of the top of my head)
It is a no risk move. If he can turn things around he can certainly help your PP which the Canucks desperately need. If he bombs, he is gone and you gave up no assets to acquire him.
Way to give hell to your new GM for making a minor move to try build some depth while losing nothing. If Wellwood played in any other city and he was claimed off waivers he wouldn't get half the press he is getting. Yes, he is out of shape (very) but those are things he can improve on between now and training camp especially since a week ago it was reported he could begin skating in two-three weeks. For his sake this whole ordeal may have made him humble and realize his NHL career is slipping away. IF Wellwood turns it around Gillis will be called brillant but if Kyle's career is over then people will be calling for his head.
If it's any consolation, he's now saying that we're interested in picking up Raycroft as well. Couldn't just leave well enough alone...
Hahah, that just reeks of "Canucks fans are all a buzz about this latest move, I better push out more Nucks news!" Though if two Eklund things came true in one day....well.....that's just insanity.
Raycroft at 1 million if we get him on re-entry, would that be better than tossing an Alex Auld 600,000 for a year?
Edit: I am pretty pessimistic myself, but seriously, some people on here acting like it's the end of the world that we picked up Wellwood, and that it's just a slap in the face that Gillis hasn't done some insanely huge deal to bring in a forward is, well, annoying. We had Calgary and Montreal exchange assets, and that's been about it. I have no idea what expectations people have on Gillis, or why they feel the need to throw the whole "OMG why not Jokinen/what about intelligence/moneyball" in MG's face when he has barely implemented any of his plans yet. Wait for training camp at least, before the "I'm going to kill myself/I hate this team" threads pop up.
My god.. only in Vancouver would people call the Vancouver management a fraud for picking up somebody on waivers.. some of you really need to get over yourselves
This move is purely wrong in every friggin' level. Just wrong. So wrong.
I don't even know where to start. I almost might say this is too wrong. This gives a word "wrong" a whole new dimension.
It's tough to be a Canucks fan these days.
Edit: so if this was the "moneypuck" move, why didn't Jokinen fit in to that category also? Aahh, don't care anymore, I'm done. Screw this team.
Jokinen cost: Assets, $5.3M in cap space and salary.
Wellwood cost: No assets, $1M in cap space and salary.
There is no risk. If Wellwood performs poorly in camp, he is waived or bought out, or stuck in the pressbox until next off-season and let go. If Jokinen was waived, you don't get value for the assets you traded for him, if he's bought out, the salary cap implications are far greater and for longer, and you can't let him walk in the offseason because he's signed through another season. The best you could hope for is to trade him in which you'd get far less than the assets you traded for him in the first place.
Like some have said I think this is a great pick-up for the Canucks. You would like to think that getting waived from a bad team would be a huge wake up call for Wellwood. Let's hope he gets his act together and can put up some points with us!
My god.. only in Vancouver would people call the Vancouver management a fraud for picking up somebody on waivers.. some of you really need to get over yourselves
The opinions expressed here by sticknrink are those of sticknrink and only of sticknrink and therefore do not necessarily reflect the positions of the remaining members of the Canucks board.
My god.. only in Vancouver would people call the Vancouver management a fraud for picking up somebody on waivers.. some of you really need to get over yourselves
I agree. No offense but some of you guys around here are flat-out NUTS...this is the sort of a move most fans don't even think about...and we've got posters in here bemoaning the death of the Gillis regime over a WAIVER WIRE acquisition before JULY 1st. It's border-line absurd.
I agree. No offense but some of you guys around here are flat-out NUTS...this is the sort of a move most fans don't even think about...and we've got posters in here bemoaning the death of the Gillis regime over a WAIVER WIRE acquisition before JULY 1st. It's border-line absurd.
I agree. No offense but some of you guys around here are flat-out NUTS...this is the sort of a move most fans don't even think about...and we've got posters in here bemoaning the death of the Gillis regime over a WAIVER WIRE acquisition before JULY 1st. It's border-line absurd.
Not fans, fan.
Fan.
Why are people acting like sticknrink = all of us? Holy ****.
This is the kind of thing that drives me nuts. 900 fans in favor of the move. 2 fans against it, and the posters go ape on the 2 fans against it and act like they are the majority. Jesus F.
Positive on Wellwood. His raw skill provides us with a shootout threat, something we lacked last season.
His ability to control a PP on the halfboards, and contribute, something we didn't have in Naslund last year. Wellwood will definitely help the 2nd unit.
Thirdly, his 54.8% face off percentage. Big upgrade.
Why are people acting like sticknrink = all of us? Holy ****.
This is the kind of thing that drives me nuts. 900 fans in favor of the move. 2 fans against it, and the posters go ape on the 2 fans against it and act like they are the majority. Jesus F.
There have been a lot of guys critical in this thread.. yeah not to the extent of sticker but still.
Why are people acting like sticknrink = all of us? Holy ****.
This is the kind of thing that drives me nuts. 900 fans in favor of the move. 2 fans against it, and the posters go ape on the 2 fans against it and act like they are the majority. Jesus F.
To be fair I have seen reactions from here, CDC, main board, canucks central, that have also been very negative. I kind of lumped them all in together in my statement against negativity. I just made my statement here.
I think I still remember the uproar over the Nonis Firing/Gillis Hiring that honestly had a crapload of people predicting the doom and gloom of the world, so I still feel a big chunk of people out there are still doom and glooming it up.
Why are people acting like sticknrink = all of us? Holy ****.
This is the kind of thing that drives me nuts. 900 fans in favor of the move. 2 fans against it, and the posters go ape on the 2 fans against it and act like they are the majority. Jesus F.
oh and **** me.. since when are you the calm voice of reasoning in a thread?
