2019/20 Pro-Tank Thread - Part II (Mod note in Post #154)

[Melvin]

Exactly. There is a very odd view in this thread that if the team is awful season after season and accumulates good youth as a byproduct of that, suddenly some sort of tipping point occurs where they go from terrible team to contender almost overnight. It's ludicrous - especially as we've seen that doesn't work (see Edmonton). A new core is in place and it appears we are becoming an average / middle of pack team now, which is the first step to becoming a contender. Benning might not be the guy to put the finishing touches on the excellent young core he drafted however making the playoffs is a very reasonable goal at this point in time.

It is but the problem is that there doesn't seem to be some sort of plan in place for beyond this season, and next season already looks like a bit of a nightmare because of the salary cap. So essentially this season might be our best shot to go for it in awhile.

On the one hand, it makes sense to go for it this year - everything is basically lining up with the division being weak, the soft schedule, the good health to our key players (finally,) and a few players having career years. I don't support the tank this year because I think going for it is the right play - but it's crazy to think that we essentially might have a one year window, where the team is back out of contention next year due a cap crunch and not able to retain some key players.

 

[PuckFather]

If your gonna troll get it right.
J.T. Was a trade

beagle;Myers;ferland etc were signings

I don't know why the pro-tank crowd have such a short fuse. I like Myers signing, indifferent to Beagle, waiting for Ferland to get healthy.

 

[PecaFan]

LOL, facing the lesser goalie again. It's like everyone in the league wants us to win.

 

[Fatass]

LOL, facing the lesser goalie again. It's like everyone in the league wants us to win.

Betman needs our money. We are the number two big money earner for the league. Of course they will cheat force and the Leafs,

 

[mathonwy]

We've taken another direct hit captain... this time on the starboard side.

I don't know how much more she can take!!

 

[PG Canuck]

LOL, facing the lesser goalie again. It's like everyone in the league wants us to win.

The sharks even hardly have a goalie to begin with. Acting like Dell is some stud is a bit laughable imo

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

We've taken another direct hit captain... this time on the starboard side.

I don't know how much more she can take!!

 

[Didalee Hed]

It is but the problem is that there doesn't seem to be some sort of plan in place for beyond this season, and next season already looks like a bit of a nightmare because of the salary cap. So essentially this season might be our best shot to go for it in awhile.

On the one hand, it makes sense to go for it this year - everything is basically lining up with the division being weak, the soft schedule, the good health to our key players (finally,) and a few players having career years. I don't support the tank this year because I think going for it is the right play - but it's crazy to think that we essentially might have a one year window, where the team is back out of contention next year due a cap crunch and not able to retain some key players.

I think you and I are a wee bit locksteppy

 

[Jack Burton]

Ffffffffffffffffff....fixauto!

 

[Bleach Clean]

Which is a pretty reasonable stance to take, I think. Just because we aren't contenders yet, doesn't mean they should just tank. There is going to be a window of time where you go from Tanking -> Middle of the pack/fringe playoff team -> contenders. I'd say the Canucks are right in the middle and definitely need those extra pieces to be a 2011 Canucks caliber team - what do you suggest the team does right now, not try?

The team is always going to try to win, not matter what is happening around them. Tanking is not a conscious decision by the players. Neither is making the playoffs, actually. The players don't get to decide something like this. All they do is play to win. The results will be what they will be.

Overall, I think a GM should have an overarching plan. This plan doesn't change. If it's a rebuild, then it's a rebuild until the team shows you otherwise. And if it's contention, it's contention until the team shows you otherwise. That's why I don't ascribe to the philosophy that you can 'overnight' a team into a different stage of development. The team will always show you what it is.

 

[Bleach Clean]

It is but the problem is that there doesn't seem to be some sort of plan in place for beyond this season, and next season already looks like a bit of a nightmare because of the salary cap. So essentially this season might be our best shot to go for it in awhile.

On the one hand, it makes sense to go for it this year - everything is basically lining up with the division being weak, the soft schedule, the good health to our key players (finally,) and a few players having career years. I don't support the tank this year because I think going for it is the right play - but it's crazy to think that we essentially might have a one year window, where the team is back out of contention next year due a cap crunch and not able to retain some key players.

Melvin, didn't you say last season was their best chance to win? Or, am I recalling that wrong?

 

[Melvin]

Melvin, didn't you say last season was their best chance to win? Or, am I recalling that wrong?

Sort of. There was a point in the season last year where it was looking like you might be able to get in with an 86 point team, which I thought was the lowest bar we were likely to see.

However, you may recall in our discussion last November, I completely nailed our 81 point finish. As I viewed us being in no man's land, I thought trying to make it while the bar was so low and unlikely to be that low again might be the right play.

Anyway, the playoff bar ended up at 90 points which was entirely typical, and will probably be there again and we are virtually certain to clear it. My pessimism regarding next season has more to do with the roster construction.

 

[moog35]

This past month has really pissed me off. The team is being badly outplayed, but is getting incredibly lucky and goaltending that's among the best in the league. Incredibly frustrating.

So you are pissed off even though they have been one of the hottest teams in hockey the past month? With our young stars continuing to produce?

 

[HankNDank]

So you are pissed off even though they have been one of the hottest teams in hockey the past month? With our young stars continuing to produce?

Can't wait till they celebrate the Sedins for a week.

 

[VancouverJagger]

So you are pissed off even though they have been one of the hottest teams in hockey the past month? With our young stars continuing to produce?

He's not happy unless he's pissed at something. He's been wrong about the team this year.......as someone mentioned earlier being wrong hurts. It's ok - it happens - we are all wrong from time to time (I thought Eriksson was a decent signing at the time - the horror).

 

[I am toxic]

 

[UK Canuck]

It is but the problem is that there doesn't seem to be some sort of plan in place for beyond this season, and next season already looks like a bit of a nightmare because of the salary cap. So essentially this season might be our best shot to go for it in awhile.

On the one hand, it makes sense to go for it this year - everything is basically lining up with the division being weak, the soft schedule, the good health to our key players (finally,) and a few players having career years. I don't support the tank this year because I think going for it is the right play - but it's crazy to think that we essentially might have a one year window, where the team is back out of contention next year due a cap crunch and not able to retain some key players.

pretty much where I'm at, just gonna enjoy this season for what it is and hope for the best

 

[I am toxic]

pretty much where I'm at, just gonna enjoy this season for what it is and hope for the best

Please use quotation marks when copying Benning verbatim

 

[RandV]

So you are pissed off even though they have been one of the hottest teams in hockey the past month? With our young stars continuing to produce?

I'm impartial here as I've never really been a pro/anti tank guy, but while there's no harm in enjoying some playoff hockey this is pretty much a trap. It's a perfect year where both the team has been almost completely healthy where it matters and the top competition has played down, leading to a Western Conference playoffs that will be wide open. But it's rare that you get both of these, we're no longer going to be parachuting Calder candidates into the lineup starting next season, and the cap crunch is only going to make things harder and hinder the roster.

So we can enjoy this years playoffs but for the long run the team needs better management and they should have been canned already but this likely peak year is going to validate them and keep them around a bit longer.

 

[BigTruzz]

Role reversal of last year. Tankers gonna be heading to the pro playoff thread this year LOL

 

[Fatass]

Role reversal of last year. Tankers gonna be heading to the pro playoff thread this year LOL

Tanking this year, and getting one more top prospect would have helped our finished rebuild stay competitive longer. Young guys coming up on ELCs is key to a prolonged era of winning with Amy core. Providing the core is young and good, of course.
We give up our first either this year or next, so next year would have make pro tankers happier, and I tried to explain why.

 

[Fatass]

This past month has really pissed me off. The team is being badly outplayed, but is getting incredibly lucky and goaltending that's among the best in the league. Incredibly frustrating.

Agreed. Petey and Hughes are clearly special players, but one more of that level out of this 2020 draft would really set us up for winning. We have to give up a first, but I was really hoping that would get pushed to 2021.
You thinking like I’m thinking that we are getting to the middle of the pack, and not continuing to build (like we should) to get to the top?

 

[strattonius]

Tanking this year, and getting one more top prospect would have helped our finished rebuild stay competitive longer. Young guys coming up on ELCs is key to a prolonged era of winning with Amy core. Providing the core is young and good, of course.
We give up our first either this year or next, so next year would have make pro tankers happier, and I tried to explain why.

You’re neglecting to mention that our 1st this year was for JT Miller. You know, the 26 year old 1st line forward in his prime on an excellent contract. I understand the logic around ELCs - i agree with you there. But your hope to have an ELC rookie contract is at the expense of a player playing on our 1st line and producing. If we draft in the 20’s, landing a player like Miller is a home run, and that’s for 5 years down the road.

Simply put, you are wrong about our 1st this year.

 

[Fatass]

You’re neglecting to mention that our 1st this year was for JT Miller. You know, the 26 year old 1st line forward in his prime on an excellent contract. I understand the logic around ELCs - i agree with you there. But your hope to have an ELC rookie contract is at the expense of a player playing on our 1st line and producing. If we draft in the 20’s, landing a player like Miller is a home run, and that’s for 5 years down the road.

Simply put, you are wrong about our 1st this year.

Miller is really good, and clearly worth more than what we paid. That’s not even arguable. It’s the philosophy of trading a likely lottery pick during the rebuilding phase that I question. Teams need great players to win a Cup. We have two: Petey and Hughes. Are those two enough to lead us to a Cup, or would one more be best?

 

[VanillaCoke]

I still see a team that should lose many games win them, just seems really lucky. Everything is going right AND the west sucks this year...