BY JAMES HUNT – FAN FUEL BLOGGER
As another Vancouver Canuck season comes to a screeching halt, it’s hard to believe that chants of “FIF-TY – YE-ARS” are not that far away.
Yes, it’s true. The Vancouver Canucks and their faithful fans are approaching 50 long years without enjoying a single Stanley Cup celebration, so at least we have that going for us.
Despite the usual NON-Cup finish in Vancouver, most Canuck fans don’t expect it will be business as usual in the upcoming off season.
This time it appears, heads will roll and it may be many heads.
And it’s not just fourth line guys that have the arrows pointed in their direction right now. We are talking Mike Gillis, we are talking Alain Vigneault and in some circles, Canuck fans are talking Henrik, Daniel, Kesler, Edler and Bieksa!!! In other words, after the Canucks failed miserably to get out of the first round for the second straight year, some Orca Fans are ready to move in a completely new direction.
Have your say: Have an opinion on the news of the day? Better yet, want to become a Fan Fuel blogger? Email us here. | Read more Fan Fuel blogs here
Then again, there are others in Canuckland that are not so sure…
I think MOST would be surprised if Mike Gillis was relieved of his duties and MOST would probably be surprised if the Twins were shown the same door. Of course there are many knocks against both the GM and the Sedin brothers, but at least for now, I think they are safe bets to be with the team next year and for years to come.
Unfortunately it doesn’t appear the same can be said for head coach Alain Vigneault. Despite his record it looks like the writing is on the wall for Coach V. Whether ya love em, or ya hate em, Coach V. was the guy behind the bench when the Canucks were on home ice poised to win that elusive Cup only two years back and his regular season record speaks for itself. But as the saying goes, coaches are hired to be fired and right now AV is staring right down the barrel.
As far as the rest of the gang is concerned, in all likelihood Luongo will be moved this summer. For what, and to who, nobody knows, but I would think Luuu might broaden his horizons a bit in terms of his destination and that might help speed up the process. After his obvious disappointment at not being moved at the trade deadline, I think it’s safe to say Luuu might consider more than just Florida as his new home.
Only time will tell what happens to the rest of the roster, but don’t be surprised if many moves are made. Maybe not the Sedins or Kesler or Burrows, but certainly players like Edler, Raymond, Bieksa, Booth and Ballard could be on the move (among others). Whether it’s via trade or via buy out, it could be a very busy summer in Canuckland and then there could be the small matter of finding a new head coach.
Fifty years is not that far away now and the rather statuesque opera singer is warming up her pipes.
Oh well, the sun is out in Vancouver and there are golf courses to be conquered… I guess it’s business as usual after all.