LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 21: General manager Mike Gillis of the Vancouver Canucks addresses the media at the 2011 NHL Awards nominee media availability at the Palms Casino Resort on June 21, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Free agency has rarely been kind to the Vancouver Canucks, but then general manager Mike Gillis hit the jackpot twice in 2010.
More often than not, the Vancouver Canucks have failed to receive good value out of lucrative free agent signings.
From Mark Messier to Jason Garrison to Loui Eriksson, the Canucks, like most NHL teams, have learned the hard way: You can’t just buy solutions to your problems in free agency.