Discussion About Management . Part 44. (#356)

[Addison Rae]

I doubt Butcher was remotely interested in coming here. Benning likely knew he'd be wasting his time. We'll be extremely fortunate to sign the college players we draft like Gaudette. We've got to be a rock bottom destination for players these days.

Isn't one of Benning's selling points that he works really hard? Suggesting he didn't want to "waste his time" approaching a top college free agent seems questionable.

 

[Bleach Clean]

Anyone else thinking we're nearing that fateful moment again when Mr Aquilini has a beer with Geoff Courtnall?

I guess it's a case of how much losing he can stand this year but it feels like that time could be nigh to me.

Again, nothing concrete here. Just a hunch.

An odd post after a win. Why do you get this sense now?

I was disappointed that Benning was not fired this past offseason, but they did have the option to divert attention to Willie Desjardins instead. Now that scapegoat card has been played. From here on out, the attention turns primarily to Benning. With another bottom5 finish this year, I think his time is done. Replacement in hand or not.

The Courtnall connection has been a reminder to me: Aqualini was/is a big fan of the mid-90s era Canucks. The Linden hire. The subsequent long leash that has been afforded to Benning. It all leads to me to believe that Aqua reveres people from that team.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

An odd post after a win. Why do you get this sense now?

I was disappointed that Benning was not fired this past offseason, but they did have the option to divert attention to Willie Desjardins instead. Now that scapegoat card has been played. From here on out, the attention turns primarily to Benning. With another bottom5 finish this year, I think his time is done. Replacement in hand or not.

The Courtnall connection has been a reminder to me: Aqualini was/is a big fan of the mid-90s era Canucks. The Linden hire. The subsequent long leash that has been afforded to Benning. It all leads to me to believe that Aqua reveres people from that team.

Oh I wasn't thinking now as in right away last night after the win, or right now. My thinking is more along the lines of during, or more likely after the season. That the time is near. I guess my timing was probably off making that post after a win as you say. The Courtnall reference of course was a cheeky reminder of Aqua's method of the executive search. He seemingly talks to the alumni around town rather than hiring a consultant. It's how you don't arrive at the right decision.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

Isn't one of Benning's selling points that he works really hard? Suggesting he didn't want to "waste his time" approaching a top college free agent seems questionable.

Do we know that Benning didn't talk with Butcher's rep? I wasn't aware of that. I can't say it makes any sense if that's the case. I guess there were 31 possible destinations where he might sign, I just don't see here as one of the more realistic possibilities. Perhaps Jim isn't quite so dim and realized the same? Who knows. Local kid Kerfoot was more of a red flag to me. What reason did Butcher have to consider Vancouver?

 

[Catamarca Livin]

Do we know that Benning didn't talk with Butcher's rep? I wasn't aware of that. I can't say it makes any sense if that's the case. I guess there were 31 possible destinations where he might sign, I just don't see here as one of the more realistic possibilities. Perhaps Jim isn't quite so dim and realized the same? Who knows. Local kid Kerfoot was more of a red flag to me. What reason did Butcher have to consider Vancouver?

Butcher's agent let the teams know who was in the running. We werent.

 

[MadaCanuckle]

Butcher's agent let the teams know who was in the running. We werent.

The agent wouldn't rule out means we weren't in the run? Or the lack of OUR interest in the player made us outside of the run? Can you provide a link saying we weren't in the running? Because ALL of internet news about him and the Canucks says we didn't want him.

 

[RobertKron]

The agent wouldn't rule out means we weren't in the run? Or the lack of OUR interest in the player made us outside of the run? Can you provide a link saying we weren't in the running? Because ALL of internet news about him and the Canucks says we didn't want him.

Either way, I’m sure we can all agree that Benning handled the situation perfectly, whatever it was that happened.

 

[MS]

Assuming the tweets from Dhaliwal are correct - and he's earned the benefit of the doubt as the best and most accurate breaker of Canucks news in this market - then there are only two options :

1) Benning is such a terrible scout that he had zero interest in one of the best young defenders in the NHL and the potential Calder winner when he was available for free.

2) this management group is so lazy and incompetent that they don't even bother to do their due diligence on top prospects who are available for free if they don't think they are likely to sign them.

Either is inexcusable. Of course he wasn't likely to sign here. But you take a few minutes and make a call and see if you can make something work. Like, this is literally the EXACT player this fanbase has been screaming for since Ehrhoff left.

Personally, my gut instinct based on the way Benning works is that because he already had one smallish skill LHD on our roster he had no interest in signing another one because his dinosaur brain doesn't think you can have two sub-6' defenders on the same team at the same time.

 

[RandV]

The agent wouldn't rule out means we weren't in the run? Or the lack of OUR interest in the player made us outside of the run? Can you provide a link saying we weren't in the running? Because ALL of internet news about him and the Canucks says we didn't want him.

Who? Everyone's only giving his last name and I don't see any threads on the main boards about a good prospect UFA.

 

[Kryten]

Who? Everyone's only giving his last name and I don't see any threads on the main boards about a good prospect UFA.

Will Butcher probably. A small D who had great stats in college and didnt sign with Colorado this summer after finishing school

 

[RandV]

Will Butcher probably. A small D who had great stats in college and didnt sign with Colorado this summer after finishing school

Ah okay thanks, and I just noticed the date on that tweet. I was misreading it to sound like it was happening now.

 

[F A N]

So how do people who support Benning explain his lack of interest in Butcher? How does one defend that?

Easy. Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, and San Jose weren't interested either. For whatever reason, Butcher isn't the type of sought after prospect you think he was.

 

[y2kcanucks]

Easy. Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, and San Jose weren't interested either. For whatever reason, Butcher isn't the type of sought after prospect you think he was.

But I thought Benning was a draft guru?

Plus aren't we in a rebuild? Strange rebuild where the GM goes out and signs all those veterans but isn't interested in signing the reigning Hobey Baker winner. Keep making those excuses though.

 

[PG Canuck]

So I guess because other teams didn't show interest it's okay for ours to turn a blind eye? Why do we need a GM then? Just ask whatever Chicago etc are up to and copy them. Would save Aqua an extra paycheque.

Butcher is killing it, and we showed no interest. A free asset, at that. If we signed Butcher, we don't need to waste a late pick to get Pouliot and arguably get a better player. Not saying it was guaranteed Butcher signs here, but pretty hard for him to do that when Benning passes on him for no reason.

Awesome.

 

[y2kcanucks]

So I guess because other teams didn't show interest it's okay for ours to turn a blind eye? Why do we need a GM then? Just ask whatever Chicago etc are up to and copy them. Would save Aqua an extra paycheque.

Butcher is killing it, and we showed no interest. A free asset, at that.

Awesome.

I used to say it was shocking the lengths people go to in order to defend Benning. I wouldn't say that anymore. The word I'd use now is pathetic. It's pathetic the lengths people go to in order to defend Benning. Completely selling themselves out. I know some of these people have to be smarter than this.

 

[F A N]

But I thought Benning was a draft guru?

Plus aren't we in a rebuild? Strange rebuild where the GM goes out and signs all those veterans but isn't interested in signing the reigning Hobey Baker winner. Keep making those excuses though.

Why is what I said an excuse? How often do you hear about teams not contacting the agent of a high profile prospect like Butcher? To me, it's more likely that those teams saw something that they didn't like about Butcher so they weren't interested. You can't sign them all.

So I guess because other teams didn't show interest it's okay for ours to turn a blind eye?

Do you know what blind eye means?

 

[y2kcanucks]

Why is what I said an excuse? How often do you hear about teams not contacting the agent of a high profile prospect like Butcher? To me, it's more likely that those teams saw something that they didn't like about Butcher so they weren't interested. You can't sign them all.



Do you know what blind eye means?

So Benning saw something he didn't like in Butcher and decided against signing a highly rated college free agent when the team is supposedly rebuilding. Interesting. Well, given what we've seen from Butcher so far it's looking like Benning was wrong. Just like he was wrong to pass on Ehlers/Nylander to draft Virtanen. Just like he was wrong to pass on Tkachuk/Keller/Sergachev to draft Juolevi. Hmm...sounds like Benning is wrong a lot when it comes to amateur scouting.

 

[F A N]

So Benning saw something he didn't like in Butcher and decided against signing a highly rated college free agent when the team is supposedly rebuilding. Interesting. Well, given what we've seen from Butcher so far it's looking like Benning was wrong. Just like he was wrong to pass on Ehlers/Nylander to draft Virtanen. Just like he was wrong to pass on Tkachuk/Keller/Sergachev to draft Juolevi. Hmm...sounds like Benning is wrong a lot when it comes to amateur scouting.

I'm glad you find these kind of matter of course mundane things interesting to you.

 

[RobertKron]

I'm glad you find these kind of matter of course mundane things interesting to you.

Why are you even here if you’re not interested in hockey?

I mean, rhetorical question since we know why, but still.

 

[MS]

I'm glad you find these kind of matter of course mundane things interesting to you.

It's a pretty sad state of affairs when its become 'mundane' when we get the 374th example of our GM's shocking inability to evaluate the talent of hockey players.

Seriously. The best rookie defender in the NHL who fills the biggest long-term need in the organization was available for free 6 weeks before the season started and our GM had zero interest and didn't even make a phone call. That doesn't trouble you?

 

[PG Canuck]

Do you know what blind eye means?

Do you know what a blind eye for amateur talent is? To save you some time trying to Google - it's Jim Benning.

 

[racerjoe]

My god.

No one here is saying we should have signed Butcher. However to not show interest in a free asset that even JB must think we need since we traded for Pouliot is bad. There is no defence for it.

At this point JB thinks Pouliot is a better asset than Butcher and significantly so since he added some assets to it.

 

[y2kcanucks]

My god.

No one here is saying we should have signed Butcher. However to not show interest in a free asset that even JB must think we need since we traded for Pouliot is bad. There is no defence for it.

At this point JB thinks Pouliot is a better asset than Butcher and significantly so since he added some assets to it.

Yup pretty much this.

Benning felt we needed a young defenseman so he goes out and trades a draft pick for one rather than trying to sign someone who's actually a lot better. Yet another blunder on Benning's long list of blunders.

 

[F A N]

Why are you even here if you’re not interested in hockey?

Huh? You make no sense.

Seriously. The best rookie defender in the NHL who fills the biggest long-term need in the organization was available for free 6 weeks before the season started and our GM had zero interest and didn't even make a phone call. That doesn't trouble you?

Not really. Butcher has skating issues that he may or may not overcome at 5'10".

Do you know what a blind eye for amateur talent is? To save you some time trying to Google - it's Jim Benning.

So you don't know what blind eye means then?

My god.

No one here is saying we should have signed Butcher. However to not show interest in a free asset that even JB must think we need since we traded for Pouliot is bad. There is no defence for it.

At this point JB thinks Pouliot is a better asset than Butcher and significantly so since he added some assets to it.

Huh? So if you're NOT saying we should have signed Butcher, why do you care that he has showed zero interest? This is illogical.

Yup pretty much this.

Benning felt we needed a young defenseman so he goes out and trades a draft pick for one rather than trying to sign someone who's actually a lot better. Yet another blunder on Benning's long list of blunders.

Nah. I think Pouliot will have a longer and better NHL career.

 

[CanaFan]

Nah. I think Pouliot will have a longer and better NHL career.

Bold, I’ll give ya that.