WWYDW: So Long, Glen Gulutzan
By J.D. Burke
7 years ago
It’s safe to say at this point that Glen Gulutzan is going to be the Calgary Flames next head coach. That’s the impression I’m getting from this Ben Kuzma tweet, anyways.
It’s been a good, weird run, Glen. First, Gulutzan was running the Canucks power play under John Tortorella. Since that disastrous season, he’s been running the Canucks penalty kill under Willie Desjardins. And what an excellent job he’s done. At least with the penalty kill.
All things must pass, though. And it appears as though the Gulutzan era in Vancouver is at its end. What should the Canucks do to fill that vacancy? That’s the What Would You Do Wednesday question of this week.
Last week I asked: Should the Canucks buy Burrows’ contract out?
Sorry bud.
Sean:
I lean towards allowing Burrows to finish out his contract with the expectation that Boeser will get his roster spot in 2017-2018.
Riley Miner:
I lean towards buying him out simply so that he can get somewhere to play; I’d rather get the roster spot so that some combination of Rodin/Etem/Granlund/Grenier can still claim a roster spot. Heck, while you’re at it, I would love to buy out Dorsett since I think Grenier would be a much better 4th liner, but hopefully he’s used as a depth player instead this year.
natevk:
I’m against buying out Alex Burrows, if not for the sentimental reasons, then for the salary cap implications. Having 2.5 million against the cap this year, and another 1 million against the cap next year to not have Burrows be on the roster is a complete waste (Sending him to the AHL isn’t an option as the cap hit would still be North of 3.5 million).
He’s not a waste of a roster spot either. Although his scoring seems to have dried up in the last couple years, he still produces at a solid rate for a 4th line player, and with any luck next year could put up 3rd-line numbers. His ability to play on the PK and his underlying positive possession numbers tend to support the fact he’s still a useful player. We are bound to have injuries again, and the fact Burrows is comfortable being thrown anywhere in the lineup, on either wing makes him a valuable depth piece that the Canucks should hold on to until his contract is up.
Jack Soul:
Why is a buy out the only option? Let him play, hope he gets a bounce back year, then see what you can get for him at the deadline….
JIM, GET SOME RETURN ASSETS FOR ONCE DAMMIT!
Omar49:
Usually, your comments are pretty entertaining but this latest tirade of bashing JD Burke is becoming a bit tiresome. Unfortunately, you’re starting to become like Burke, boring and repetitive. Now isn’t that ironic.
Matt’s Mom:
Buyout Burrows as part of a strategy to exploit cap-crunched teams and acquire a good young player. With a buyout of Higgins and lapsing of the Vrbata/Hamhuis/Weber/Bartkowski contracts, Benning can acquire either Datsyuk or Bickell’s 1 year contracts and try to get an under-sized but skilled scoring forward like Pulkkinen or Teravainen.
Cal Buttercluck:
Trade Dorsett, keep Burrows.
NM00:
Then the simplest solution would be to fire Burke…
I am not saying anything with which the rest of the community does not agree.
This blog was much better when Charron, Jessop, Moneypuck & Josh were around attempting to make us think differently about hockey…
JD Burke – and by that I mean his puppet master – is turning this place into a Canwest media property.
And when both the mainstream and alleged “independent” media are hard to differentiate, it is up to the citizens to challenge power – or simply succumb to its fascist underpinnings…
burrfiSh:
Maybe it’s the closet Habs fan in me, but i’ve always felt Burrows would make a great Montreal Canadien.
Either trade him or keep him.
No buy out.
NM00:
As of 2:35pm PST, 40 votes for gassing Burke and 43 votes to keep Burke…
I would like to take this moment to apologize for disrupting work at the Nation Network.
Because the only way half of the voting community is satisfied with Burke is if the basement blogger brethren have been on CA all day voting…
froger84:
If the saved cap room from buying out Burrows is the cherry on top to a quality UFA signing this summer or taking advantage of a team up against the cap, then you do it.
Otherwise, keep him around for his PK skills, the shoot out and possibly flipping for a late round pick at the deadline, unless the youth has knocked him off the team’s depth chart – which I don’t think they’ve quite managed yet.
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