Ed Willes

MAYBE IT’S JUST THE EGGNOG TALKING…BUT…
IT APPEARS ED WILLIS OF THE VANCOUVER PROVINCE AND THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS ARE ON THE SAME PAGE…
IN TODAY’S PAPER WILLES DECRIBED THE CANUCKS BLUELINE AS…”THE BIGGEST DISSAPPOINTMENT” OF THE SEASON…
CLEARLY THAT CONCERN IS SHARED WITH HEAD COACH ALAIN VIGNEAULT…
YESTERDAY AFTER THE MORNING SKATE…VIGNEAULT HAD AN ON ICE CHAT WITH KEVIN BIEKSA…
WHEN IT WAS OVER BIEKSA SKATED TO THE BENCH…SLAMMED HIS STICK AGAINST THE BOARDS…AND STORMED INTO THE DRESSING ROOM…
UNFORTUNATELY THE MESSAGE DID NOT GET THROUGH…
LASTNIGHT AGAINST ST. LOUIS…IN THE SECOND PERIOD…WITH THE GAME TIED AT 1…
BIEKSA WAS CAUGHT STANDING STILL AS DAVID BACKES DANCED AROUND HIM TO SCORE THE WINNING GOAL…
ON FRIDAY NIGHT AGAINST WASHINGTON…IT WAS BIEKSA WHO COUGHED UP THE PUCK…WHICH DIRECTLY LED TO THE CHRIS CLARKE GOAL…
THE RESULT WAS VIGNEAULT CUTTING HIS ICE TIME…
ADD TO THAT…BIEKSA HAS SCORED JUST 1 GOAL THIS SEASON…AND IN A MINUS 1…
NOW COMPARE THAT WITH CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF…WHO LEADS THE NHL WITH A PLUS 17…
IN FAIRNESS…BIEKSA IS NOT THE ONLY PROBLEM…
LASTNIGHT ON THE KEITH TKACHUK GOAL…SAMI SALO WAS CAUGHT LOOKING…
THIS IS THE SAME SAMI SALO…WHO HAS PRODUCED A MERE 6 POINTS THIS SEASON…
WILLIS ALSO POINTED OUT TODAY IN THE PROVINCE…
“THE CANUCKS HAVE OVER $21 MILLION DOLLARS TIED UP THIS SEASON IN THEIR TOP 7 DEFENCEMAN”…
NO QUESTION GENERAL MANAGER MIKE GILLIS HAS NOTICED THAT…
THE 3 MOST EXPENSIVE ARE…BIEKSA…SALO AND WILLIE MITCHELL…WHO COMBINE FOR MORE THAN $11 MILLION…
AND YET THIS SEASON…THEY HAVE PRODUCED A GRAND TOTAL OF JUST 6 GOALS…
THEY ALSO SHARE ONE OTHER THING IN COMMON…
ALL 3 WERE SIGNED TO LONG TERM DEALS…BY FORMER GENERAL MANAGER DAVE NONIS…
IT’S WHY LAST SUMMER GILLIS MADE NO EFFORT TO RE-SIGN MATTIAS OHLUND…
OR IS LIKELY TO RE-SIGN MITCHELL NEXT SUMMER…UNLESS HE IS WILLING TO TAKE A PAY CUT…
GOOD ON “ED WILLIS TO POINT OUT…THE ENORMOUS CHALLENGES GILLIS “INHERITED” WHEN HE TOOK THIS JOB…
WHO KNOWS…AT THIS RATE…EDDIE MAY STILL GET AN INVITE…TO THE CANUCKS CHRISTMAS PARTY…