Aquilini: Canucks' changes "for the better"

Vancouver Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini was on Team 1040 Wednesday morning.

On if he was disappointed with the way the Ryan Kesler situation unfolded:

“Every player has the right to express their opinion and how they feel. I think Ryan played great for us for so many years. You know, he was a great player. I think that when Jim came on board, he had his ideas of how he wanted to build his team. He made the decisions and he made a lot of changes and I really believe they’re for the better. Jim has really turned things around. I think he’s changed the culture of this team.”

On the culture change of the organization and how everybody is on the same page:

“Yeah, absolutely and that’s what we’re looking for. They’re a really tight group. They’re working hard together. They’ve made a lot of changes. A third of the team is new. The starting lineup is different than last year. Trevor and Jim have worked hard to make this team younger, faster and deeper. As a hockey fan I’m really excited about it.”

On what his expectations are for this season:

“I expect this team will be competitive. I think it’ll push for a playoff spot and it’s going to be exciting to watch. Once you’re in the playoffs, anything can happen. Certain players can get really hot and make a difference and you just never know. Especially today in the salary cap world. Everything is so even. Just getting in the playoffs is a big deal.”

Source: Team 1040