"Twitter is a toxic place"- NHL top insider Rick Dhaliwal unfolds the dark side of social media criticism 

NHL insider Rick Dhaliwal shared the grim reality of social media criticism in a video on X (formerly Twitter). Dhaliwal said that he and his peers are subjected to relentless scrutiny, both on and off the airwaves, with criticism pouring in through various channels such as emails, inboxes and phone calls.

"Everybody in the media, you gotta have thick skin. You and I, we gotta have thick skin, or we are in trouble because we get ripped all the time," Dhaliwal said.

"We get ripped on the air, on the phone, in the inbox, and in the emails we've got coming in. We block people on Twitter because they go over the line. Today, more than ever, haters have many platforms," Dhaliwal added.

Dhaliwal shared the ease with which individuals can now target and harass media personalities, contrasting it with a time when direct communication was limited to phone calls.

"You know, 30 years ago, on SportsTalk, you and I, Dan Russell, the only way to get to Dan Russell was a telephone call. But now, these haters, they follow you, they hate you, and they let you know that they do," Dhaliwal said.

The NHL insider shared a personal anecdote. He mentioned his own struggle with the increasing toxicity of social media.

"In my first five years on Twitter, this is a true story, I never blocked anyone. But I'm not gonna lie to you, the last two or three years, I have blocked many people, because it gets to you. It drains you. It drains us. Twitter is a toxic place, Don. It is. A lot of haters, guys hiding behind fake names," Dhaliwal said.

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NHL insider Rick Dhaliwal talks about Canucks’ quest to acquire Martin Necas and more

NHL insider Rick Dhaliwal tweeted that the Canucks are facing challenges in acquiring Martin Necas due to the absence of Pettersson in the deal, with the Carolina Hurricanes aiming for top prospects.

“Elliotte Friedman and the #Canucks trying to get Martin Necas : It is a harder deal to do with no Pettersson in deal like last time, The Canes will want top prospects, Hronek won't do it. It is a hard deal to do,” Rick Dhaliwal tweeted.

He also mentioned difficulty in reaching a deal for free agents Myers and Zadorov, with Lindholm's return seen as challenging.

The Canucks will have to try to sign these players in the coming weeks.