Airing of Grievances - Mike Gillis

Editor's Note: Boom. Roasted.

via www.sportsbusinessdaily.com

Mike Gillis, GM of the Vancouver Canucks.

You've been pretty angry at Brian Burke and Dave Nonis the past year.  What with something like 3 separate tampering charges, you even managed to convince Gary Bettman to fine the Leafs.  But you know, just because Brian Burke was in Sweden on June 30, 2009 doesn't mean he was there to sign the Sedin twins.  There was another free agent that you might have heard of - Jonas Gustavsson - who happens to be from Sweden too.  And yeah, it was stupid of Ron Wilson to say that he would like to have the Sedin twins on his team, but you do know that as coach he's actually unable to sign any players himself, right?  Oh and Burke's comment about the proposed trade you had set up with Tampa Bay that included Kevin Bieksa, Alex Burrows and your first for the #2 overall draft position, I bet you wish you had made that trade now, eh? 

Besides, there's really no reason for you to fear Brian Burke and Dave Nonis - they're on the other side of the country, working for another team that isn't even in your conference.  Wait, you say that they used to work for the Vancouver Canucks?  Heh, interesting.  Oh right, and you're the one who convinced Francesco Aquilini to fire Dave Nonis and hire you, a player agent with no GM experience, to run his team.  Well, obviously you've been so successful since taking over that you should feel completely secure in your job, by now. 

Look at the great team you've assembled - you have franchise cornerstones in the Sedin Twins and Ryan Kesler.  Throw in Alex Burrows and you have an entire first line drafted by your organization.  Oh, what's that?  All drafted under Brian Burke?  Heh, imagine that.  Well, definitely, bringing in franchise goalie Roberto Luongo was a stroke of genius that has your team set up to compete for years to come.  Oh, wait, right, he was acquired by Dave Nonis for Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan Allen and Alex Auld.  Wow, that's quite the trade.

Well, what have you actually done for the Canucks?  First there was that massive $20 million, 2 year deal offer to Mats Sundin.  I gotta say, as a Leafs fan, that made me angry.  Mats will always be a Leaf, why did you have to covet our player so?  It's lucky for you that he decided to only take a one year deal and make $5 million for a half season's work, imagine if you had to pay him $10 mill this year?  And then you also signed Pavol Demitra.  How's that working out?  Well, let's see... yup, after injuring himself last year in the playoffs, he still hasn't played a game for the Canucks this year.  Definitely, a stroke of genius there.

Yeah.  So the entire reason your team is competative is because of the work done by Brian Burke and Dave Nonis. 

I'd be threatened by them too.