Canucks News: Firing Willie Desjardins, Acquiring Prospects

Although the Vancouver Canucks are winning again, “#FireWillie” is a trending hashtag on Twitter.

The Vancouver Canucks had a successful trade deadline and are back winning hockey games. That’s reason enough for excitement in Canucks Nation, right?

Well, a lot of fans seem to disagree.

On Twitter, “#FireWillie” has become a popular hashtag.

On Facebook, we have gotten comments clearly stating the disliking of head coach Willie Desjardins’ decision making.

But should he be fired?

Firing Desjardins

Ian Lusher (Daily Hive) — Willie Desjardins Is Coaching Himself Out of a Job with Canucks

"In this era of rebuilding transition, the Canucks need a head coach that is willing to develop a young core and teach that young core how to win close games. Young players only learn how to win by playing and gaining experience in situations when games are on the line."

Desjardins was signed by the Canucks as a “youth expert”. After coaching at the University of Calgary for nine years and in the WHL for ten years, along with two coaching appearances with Team Canada at the world juniors, Desjardins seemed destined to shape and lead a young Canucks roster.

Unfortunately, that isn’t really working out.

Despite outplaying everyone else on the roster, Bo Horvat spent the first quarter of the 2016-17 season on the third line. For rookies, life as a Canuck is even tougher: Reid Boucher and Nikolay Goldobin are fighting for ice time, but Desjardins still prefers Jayson Megna over everyone else.

Related Story: Desjardins the Coach of the Future

Still, I wouldn’t call for Desjardins’ firing — at least not yet.

After all, Desjardins is trying to win hockey games; that’s what he’s paid for. If he believes players like Goldobin and Boucher aren’t ready for bigger roles, then so be it.

No coach supports tanking, as in purposely making the lineup worse than it could be.

One may argue that putting Megna on the first line does exactly that, but he’s the coach, and the current results are supporting his choices.

Acquiring Prospects

Ryan Biech (Canucks Army) — NCAA UFA Targets: Centres

"With the NHL trading deadline in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look ahead.Obviously many teams will look to compete for a playoff spot, and then of course the ultimate prize. However while this is all happening, teams will turn to the college and CHL UFA markets to try and add prospects."

Undrafted NCAA UFAs seldom turn into NHL superstars. But, Canucks defenceman Troy Stecher is showing everyone that going undrafted is not the end of the world.

Since the Canucks don’t have many trade chips left, acquiring undrafted free agents is one of the few remaining options. Ryan Biech of Canucks Army compiled a well-written list of potential centre targets.

The one that intrigues me the most — perhaps unsurprisingly — is North Eastern’s Zach Aston-Reese. A teammate of Canucks prospect Adam Gaudette, Aston-Reese looks like a very promising player.

Though he may never become a top-six player, Aston-Reese displays all the tools you need to be successful in the NHL. Biech describes him as a player who “has earned (his point totals) through hard work”. A two-way player who has scored 30 goals and 62 points in 36 games this season sounds like a great signing.

Next: Roundtable - How to Continue the Rebuild

If the Canucks sign Aston-Reese and draft another centre at the 2017 NHL Draft, they could be well set for the post-Sedin era, with Bo Horvat, Brendan Gaunce and Adam Gaudette already in the system.