Tortorella calls for Canucks to improve on their lack of depth

It’s time for the Vancouver Canucks to stop dwelling on their 2011 Stanley Cup finals appearance and start retooling for the future, says coach John Tortorella.
“This is a group that’s been together for a long time,” he said Monday, a day after the Canucks’ 2013-14 season ended. “It’s stale. It needs youth. It needs a change – it needs a change – and I felt that from day one.
“We’re not in 2011. We have to stop talking about 2011. The team needs to be retooled, and that’s where change is. It is a young man’s game. It’s certainly not a criticism of them. We need to surround them with some enthusiasm.”
But he also called for changes to “some of the team’s core” as part of the “evolution” that’s necessary. He does not want to see massive changes, but noted "there is a heartbeat of a team, and it needs to be surrounded.”
Tortorella made his comments less than 24 hours after the Canucks missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008, knowing that he might not be around next season. In other words, even with his job on the line, nobody could accuse him of trying to be politically correct.
And, he wasn’t about to try to spin things as he prepares to discuss his future with new team president Trevor Linden.
“I don’t coach to keep my job,” said Tortorella. “I’m not going to go into any meeting trying to save my job. I just don’t do it that way. I am going to tell him what I think. Trevor is very efficient and, from what I understand, he is on top of everything as far as the interviews and what he’s doing. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. I loved him as a player and, (in) just a short time I’ve seen him here, you’re in good hands. The team is in good hands. But I’m not going to be rehearsed.”
The Canucks finished 12th in the Western Conference with a 36-35-11 record for 83 points. Only the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers finished behind them in the conference. The Winnipeg Jets, who fired their coach in mid-season, finished with one more point than Vancouver.
Tortorella said his biggest regret was not staying on top of his team to keep it playing well after a strong first half. But he contended that he did not know how his six-game suspension for storming the Calgary Flames dressing room area Jan. 18 affected his team, which battled numerous injuries that he and players contend forced it to play a different way, which they have described as less aggressive, more conservative and defensive-oriented.
But in addition to the injuries and inconsistency, Tortorella pointed to an obvious fact that was at the root of their woes: A lack of depth. While he has come under criticism for over-playing Daniel and Henrik Sedin at times, Tortorella said that when the outcome of a 2-1 game was on the line with six or seven minutes to go, he did not feel comfortable putting out other players.
“I did the things I needed to do to try to win games, because sometimes I looked down (the bench) and guys just weren’t ready, some other guys in our lineup” he said. “We lack depth, and that’s where we’re at. That isn’t being critical. It’s the truth.”
Well, it’s also an indictment of former general manager Mike Gillis’ poor drafting and trade records. The recently fired GM’s legacy will likely be botched trades involving goaltenders Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider, whose deals did not appear to bring back suitable asset returns. But Tortorella was not pointing a finger at him intentionally.
Tortorella also contended that, contrary to public perception, he gets along well with centre Ryan Kesler, whose future with the team is uncertain, although the Livonia, Mich., native said Monday that he never asked for a trade and hopes to stay.
“Kes and I have a tremendous relationship,” said Tortorella. “You guys think we hate one another (and) we don’t speak, but we have a tremendous relationship. We have a very honest relationship. I think he has stood in there and played hard every night.”
Kesler led the team in goals with 25 after a turnaround season following two seasons derailed by injuries. But Tortorella criticized himself for not getting through to defenceman Alex Edler, who is clearly Vancouver’s most gifted rearguard but finished minus-39.
(One of these years, a coach might realize that he just needs to let Edler play his game and not let him over-think it, which he admitted Monday that he does. But that realization might not come in Vancouver, if Edler agrees to waive a no-trade clause and gets moved.)
Kesler lamented the loss of what he thought would be a good season after former coach Alain Vigneault was fired last summer and all players felt they had something to prove after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year.
“We’re all flabbergasted right now that we’re sitting up here talking about the year that we just had. Going into this year, I would never think that we’d be sitting here in this situation,” said Kesler.
He agreed with Daniel Sedin’s contention that players, not the team’s system, were to blame for the club’s woes.
“It’s not like Torts is in there telling us not to play offence,” said Kesler. ‘He wants us to score. He wants us to produce.”
Added defenceman Kevin Bieksa: “Having a coach let go last year and a GM a (week) ago, it’s not a good feeling right now, especially (for) the four guys up here,” said Bieksa. “We feel responsible for it. The bottom line is, we win more games and guys don’t lose their jobs.”
With Gillis fired and Tortorella’s job anything but certain, players know that they are next in line to face the team’s revolving door.
“With Torts’ future in question, it’s a tough time for everybody,” said Bieksa. “We’ll see what decisions are made. But, right now, we look at ourselves first and foremost … and think: We could have been better. We should have been better. There are people that are suffering because of it.”
Notes_Daniel Sedin, who left Sunday’s season finale on a stretcher after Paul Byron sent him into the boards head-first, said he did not suffer a concussion or any other serious injuries. He was placed on the stretcher for “precautionary reasons” only. … Vancouver winger Alex Burrows will play for Canada in the upcoming world championships. … Edler does not plan to play for Sweden at the worlds. Lack said he is willing, but has not yet heard from Team Sweden.