Canucks Press the Panic Button, Show Dave Nonis the Door

It was April 14 and I was bored out of my mind, flipping through channels on my TV trying to find something good.

And what do you know? I found just what I needed to cure my boredom.

The news that the Vancouver Canucks had fired GM Dave Nonis, just over a week after the team missed the playoffs by three points, was being analyzed and discussed endlessly. So-called "experts" were trying to understand the rationale behind the firing. The answer, ladies and gentlemen, is simple.

There was no rationale. It was a panic move.

Canucks fans were demanding change. They were not wasting time mourning the end of the season because they knew this off-season would finally bring the change that was long overdue. Then this happens.

Nonis is a Vancouver-area native. He grew up a fan and he understands how crazy the fans are about the team. He worked for six years as a Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations for the franchise and was Brian Burke's understudy.

When he entered the spotlight in 2004, he already was familiar with the organization and knew how things were done.

After the Canucks missed the playoffs following the 2005-2006 season, Nonis had his first off-season to prove what he could do. He did not dissapoint.

In what will go down as one of best trades in any sport, Nonis traded Alex Auld, Bryan Allen and controversial Todd Bertuzzi to the Florida Panthers for defenseman Lukas Krajicek and the best young goalie in the game, Roberto Luongo. Nonis promptly signed Luongo to a 4-year, $27 million deal.

The following season, the Canucks finished with a team-record 105 points and won the Northwest Division. Although the season ended with a second-round defeat at the hands of the eventual Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks, spirits were high.

The 07-08 season started with high hopes, the team returned many key players and hoped for a deep playoff run, but injuries were the team's undoing.

Krajicek, Kevin Bieksa, Sami Salo, Brendan Morrison, Mattias Ohlund and Willie Mitchell all missed several games. Luongo himself had some personal issues with his wife's pregnancy and had to miss a couple of games.

Even the always-reliable Sedin twins did not produce as they were expected.

The Canucks were in the running until their second-to-last game, a 2-1 loss against the Edmonton Oilers, and missed the playoffs by only three points.

Even so, owner Francesco Aqulini felt the need to find a scapegoat and Nonis was the one to take the fall.

Firing Nonis makes no sense, especially considering the miscommunication within the organization regarding what personnel moves Nonis make (i.e., how much cap room could be used, what trades were allowed).

Nonis did nothing in his three years in office to deserve getting cut off like this. If anything, he should be praised for the way he transformed this team.

Now the Canucks face an obstacle much bigger than player management: finding a GM who is at or above Nonis' level. There are not many out there in the open market.

If that is not accomplished, the Nonis firing will be seen as a much bigger mistake than it is now. It is already a huge mistake.

Only time will tell if this decision was for the best.

Time. Something Dave Nonis did not have.