Elliotte Friedman: Linden... NOT.. Considering Stepping Down

[Rede]

Didn't see it myself, but heard on Twitter and saw this link. Linden has denied it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/comment ... _stepping/

My first thought is not seeing eye-to-eye with ownership...

[5thhorseman]

Things must've come to a head given the Canucks poor start to the season. You'd have to be blind not to see that right now the best use of the rest of the season is to develop the kids.

[Hockey Widow]

Things must've come to a head given the Canucks poor start to the season. You'd have to be blind not to see that right now the best use of the rest of the season is to develop the kids.

They tried that last season and didn't like the result, especially the hockey gawds stealing the 3rd from us.

Linden has denied the rumour. But you wonder if he made some off the cuff remark to someone and it went from there. Maybe he's being asked to fire a coach or something and he wants to retain autonomy.

By the way, I recently heard that Gillis wanted to buy Luongo out with the last compliance buyout. It was vetoed by ownership. So this wouldn't be the first time ownership has told a GM or President what to do or not to do. He tried to get Nonis trade the farm for Brad Richards, Nonis refused, team tanked, two not related, but Nonis paid for it with his job.

Difference here of course is that the owners mom loves Trevor she may have some pull.

Although I'm hearing nothing relevant with respect to the Linden rumour I am hearing that all is not well in the relationship department at the management level. There is no longer "unity" of purpose, whatever the f that means.

[Mickey107]

I've been looking for an hour and I can't see anything to substantiate this rumor.
I will say this though.
Trevor is a pretty emotional guy and I never would have thought he would have wanted this job in the first place.
Maybe it's nothing and he's just hurting a bit right now leading some to speculate.
Tomorrow is another day...

[Cousin Strawberry]

There is no longer "unity" of purpose, whatever the f that means.

You can bet its a push by someone, be it Linden or Benning, to rip the shit up and rebuild. My guess is Benning wants to gut but the eye-ties dont...Linden stuck in the middle.

[Blob Mckenzie]

Hey I would love to see them take a blow torch to this thing but who exactly can they move ? Twins,Edler, Louie and Sutter all have nmc. Miller and the biter will be gone in the summer. Nobody will take Sbisa and Dorsett. So that leaves Tanev and Hansen who's injured. Team is the laughing stock of the NHL at this point. Ride it out and gut the management and coaching staff in April.

[Mickey107]

Hey I would love to see them take a blow torch to this thing but who exactly can they move ? Twins,Edler, Louie and Sutter all have nmc. Miller and the biter will be gone in the summer. Nobody will take Sbisa and Dorsett. So that leaves Tanev and Hansen who's injured. Team is the laughing stock of the NHL at this point. Ride it out and gut the management and coaching staff in April.

I wouldn't have a problem with Benning having a totally free hand and being the only main guy.
Suspect he hasn't had that chance.

Also, if Miller wants to stay another year at a lesser pay, I'm really warming up to that idea as I am seeing leadership qualities in him that make me think he has a bright future in hockey after retirement.
Pretty good knowledge of the game.

[nuckster]

Linden has been adamant about not letting WD go. I wonder if ownership would prefer WD to be let go? I have nothing to base that on... just speculation. But u could just imagine how that could be a set-up for some conflict.

[Mickey107]

Linden has been adamant about not letting WD go. I wonder if ownership would prefer WD to be let go? I have nothing to base that on... just speculation. But u could just imagine how that could be a set-up for some conflict.

Yeah, it could be that and more, who knows.
Not long ago, it would have been blasphemy to say this but if it were me, I wouldn't be asking or consulting the Sedins any more in regards to an appropriate direction for the team.
I really think the best take would come from Ryan Miller.

[Ronning's Ghost]

By the way, I recently heard that Gillis wanted to buy Luongo out with the last compliance buyout. It was vetoed by ownership. So this wouldn't be the first time ownership has told a GM or President what to do or not to do. He tried to get Nonis trade the farm for Brad Richards, Nonis refused, team tanked, two not related, but Nonis paid for it with his job.

So, we have discussed the perils of the Oilers model (being so hopelessly uncompetitive for so long as to ruin such good prospects as might be drafted) and the Flames model (trying to re-build around an aging core and finishing just out of the playoffs, reaping only mediocre draft picks), but it sounds like the Canucks are doomed to follow the 70s and 80s leaves model.

Chant "sell the team" ?

[Iceman2014]

I honestly wouldn't blame Linden for stepping down. I think it's quite clear the owners meddle far too much. Linden and Benning probably do not have free reign over hockey ops and it is frustrating. Can't compete and rebuild at the same time. It's driving the fans nuts and I could only imagine how it's impacted the front office.

[Meds]

Linden has been adamant about not letting WD go. I wonder if ownership would prefer WD to be let go? I have nothing to base that on... just speculation. But u could just imagine how that could be a set-up for some conflict.

Yeah, it could be that and more, who knows.
Not long ago, it would have been blasphemy to say this but if it were me, I wouldn't be asking or consulting the Sedins any more in regards to an appropriate direction for the team.
I really think the best take would come from Ryan Miller.

Blasphemy?

They should never have been consulted or given much of a say.

Basically during a contract year it should have been: Ok boys, here's where we are heading. Does that work for you? Do you want to stay? If not, deal them at the deadline or trade their rights at the end of the season.

Bringing active players into management decisions results in too many chiefs and makes it too easy for a coach to lose the room. Then the inmates are running the asylum and you have a disaster on your hands until those players are gone. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if the Sedins are running things, and have been for a while. Vigneault was very up front about giving the players the room. The disaster that was Tortorella may have been the result of our player leadership not liking the fact that the new chief was going to have things his way.

Granted, Torts apparently coached the team from Point Roberts, and he let Sully run practices. But I digress. It's just interesting that Torts only lasted a single season behind the bench in Vancouver. He had a losing record in every first season with every team he's been with, and he found a way to right the ship and produced teams that performed above .500 for the rest of his tenure.....his last season in Tampa being the exception.

Personally I suspect that he was axed because new management came in and they were on different pages, or at least had different mandates. Torts was very clear that change was needed in Vancouver. I think he was ready to be the coach who let his record take a hit and rebuild the ship after it ran into the rocks. Sounds like ownership wanted to head back out to deep water first and drown the entire organization, fans and all.

As for Linden, someone says he's an emotional guy, and we know that he wears his heart on his sleeve for this team. But I think more than that, he wears his heart on his sleeve for Vancouver and the fans. It wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that he wants out if his hands are tied and he can't give the city what it wants. A rebuild that focuses on building a team that will be competitive long term will take time, and ownership seems to want the quick fix.....which will only prolong the suffering.

[Mickey107]

Excellent post!

[Hockey Widow]

It's funny now, but when Gillis first took over he had two big re-signings to deal with. The Twins. He was asked about getting them re-signed and he said something along the lines of that he wasn't sure they were the type of players you build around. He took a lot of heat for that. He tried to walk it back and explain he meant they need more support, secondary scoring. But he is being proven to be right. They are great players and we are blessed to have them but they are not the franchise type players you build around. They are the best PKers we have, unfortunately it's our PP they are killing. I love these guys but I am so ready to turn the page.

[Meds]

It's funny now, but when Gillis first took over he had two big re-signings to deal with. The Twins. He was asked about getting them re-signed and he said something along the lines of that he wasn't sure they were the type of players you build around. He took a lot of heat for that. He tried to walk it back and explain he meant they need more support, secondary scoring. But he is being proven to be right. They are great players and we are blessed to have them but they are not the franchise type players you build around. They are the best PKers we have, unfortunately it's our PP they are killing. I love these guys but I am so ready to turn the page.

And yet Gillis then went ahead and built around them.