Canuck's coach Crawford fired

[#juan]

I see that Mark Crawford

has joined the ranks of the unemployed coaches. I wouldn't feel too sorry for Crawford because it is all a big musical chairs game. Crawford will turn up in Toronto or somwhere else. Since it is easier to fire the coach than a dozen or so players, the coach is usually the first to go.

The word is, that Bertuzzi is also going to go. It wouldn't surprise me if Bertuzzi ended up in Colorado.

 

[Toro]

RE: Canuck's coach Crawfo

Who do you think they could get for him?

Seems like a team like Ottawa could use him.

 

[#juan]

Who do you think they could get for him?

Seems like a team like Ottawa could use him.

You mean Bertuzzi?.... Judging by the way he played this season, not a hell of a lot. Bertuzzi has always had a problem keeping his head in the game. He has always been prone to take stupid penalties. He might get better after the litigation with Moore is over but I wouldn't pay his six million dollar plus salary to find out. If you look at the NHL player stats, you will find quite a few players with more points who don't get paid as much.

Somebody might grab him but the salary cap makes it hard to spend big money on a player that "might" perform.

As far as Crawford goes, I would bet on the Leafs.

 

[Toro]

RE: Canuck's coach Crawfo

Yeah, Bertuzzi.

I wouldn't give up on him, or trade him without getting good value quite yet. When he's on, he's one of the best power forwards in the game.

Are they riding him Vancouver? I get on the canucks message board, and they seem to support him.

 

[Kreskin]

I think Bertuzzi's problem in Vancouver is he rules the locker room. He isn't accountable to a feisty captain who will tell him to get off his duff.

The Crawford move definitely puts the onus on the players. There's only so many coaches to go through before the excuses end on the ice. I hope they don't recycle Quinn. His loosy goosy teams make too many defensive errors imo. I'd like Stan Smyl to get a crack at the job. If he's hot-headed enough to get the attention of the players I think he could be a good one. It seems the minor league teams he has coached have done well.

 

[#juan]

I probably would have kept Crawford

since the Canucks are paying his million dollar salary for one more year anyway. I would either trade Bertuzzi for a couple good defencemen or keep him and make him captain. Jovanowski would be traded for whatever we could get. The Canucks don't need a high priced defenceman who is minus 12. Naslund is not the right man for captain. Trade him or Bertuzzi for two or three good defencemen. Trade all our goalies for one good one. The team might play better if they weren't worried about every mistake ending up in their net.

 

[#juan]

If I sound all bitter and twisted,

it is because I am a Vancouver hockey fan and I've watched the Vancouver Canucks since they joined the NHL. They are always a day late, and a dollar short, primarily, because of an incompetent management. It never get's any better. IMHO...