Pre-Game Talk: 2019-20 Pro-Team Tank Thread - The Final Countdown?

[Javaman]

My best hope is that by January the team is doing so badly that Jim is cut loose and a new, competent, GM is given the reins with carte blanche to reconfigure the team. Tank mode is then engaged with an eye to accumulating as many high picks as possible. A couple of 1st's would be nice, especially one who could play and contribute in the 20-21 season.

Because, if we tank this year, we'll really have to go for it in 20'21 , or else we'll lose a possible lottery pick to TB. Which, with our luck, will be that 1st OA that we've been waiting 50 years for.

Best case scenario, we miss the playoffs in 2020, win a lottery pick that is good enough to impact the team's success in 20/21. Then, in 20/21, we make the playoffs, and on the strength of our young guns, garner a mid 20's first round pick for TB.

But the pessimist in me says we will miss the playoffs both years and gift TB an extra 1st round pick, albeit in a supposedly weak draft year.

 

[Grantham]

Rather than cluttering other threads with pro-tank talk I figure it's probably a good idea to regenerate our Team Tank thread since it will be going on strong once again.

GOALS:

Primary - Tank hard this season to finally usher in a managerial change.

Secondary - Obtain the best possible draft lottery odds in what is touted as a stacked draft.
Secondary - Obtain the highest possible pick in each subsequent round.

Well said Neegan, I mean Y2K

I’ve read that this upcoming draft has super depth, with year following being a comparatively weak one (i know its early)

I think your proposed scenario is ideal.

I also miss Gillis so bad right now man!

 

[Lindgren]

My one hope is that the Canucks are so far out of it by January that Benning gets fired long before he has the chance to do even further damage at the TDL.

I think this is a very serious concern. I hope that Benning gets fired, but if that firing doesn't come till after the end of the season, it probably means the franchise will have been set back a long way. I shudder at what Benning might do (and fail to do) at the trade deadline.

 

[passive voice]

RIP Summer 2019
~April 06 2019 - July 08 2019~

 

[Cancuks]

I hate the notion but I predict Benning will get a two year extension before the start of the season. We will miss the playoffs though- although not by much, leaving us in no man's land when it comes to the draft. The joys of being a perpetually disappointed Canucks fan.

 

[Bojack Horvatman]

I have not cared about draft position the last couple years. I would rather pick last every year than having Benning keep his job.

Hopefully, this is the last year I have to cheer to lose.

 

[clunk]

This will be my home for the next season, yet again. Hopefully it's the last.

 

[Javaman]

I think this is a very serious concern. I hope that Benning gets fired, but if that firing doesn't come till after the end of the season, it probably means the franchise will have been set back a long way. I shudder at what Benning might do (and fail to do) at the trade deadline.

Yeah, I mean just look at the horribad moves he made when he felt secure in his job. It scares the hell out of me to think what he might do when he knows his job is on the line.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

I'm down for bottoming out hard this year and while I don't expect it's enough to get Jimbo fired, it is a nice draft as you say.

Honestly I'm all about tanking in 20-21 as well. The terrible (and embarrassing) repercussions of bottoming without your first round pick a la Ottawa this year is tantalizing, not to mention the high second rounder at stake is nothing to sneeze at.

 

[Horse McHindu]

Rather than cluttering other threads with pro-tank talk I figure it's probably a good idea to regenerate our Team Tank thread since it will be going on strong once again.

GOALS:

Primary - Tank hard this season to finally usher in a managerial change.

Secondary - Obtain the best possible draft lottery odds in what is touted as a stacked draft.
Secondary - Obtain the highest possible pick in each subsequent round.


DISCUSSION:

This is likely it guys. After half a decade of managerial incompetence we are coming up to the end of Benning's contract. Squeaking into the playoffs likely earns Benning an extension, and even though it's probably that extension would be short-term we cannot afford the damage that he will continue to do to this organization. Some are convinced that Benning could be axed if the team suffers a bad start, I'm not so sure. Even so, that would likely lead to John Weisbrod taking over which is certainly not ideal. I suppose there is a possible reunion with Mike Gillis and that would absolutely be preferable, I am still of the belief that it will take a full season to finally purge this team of the stupidity that plagues it in the front office.

Beyond that, this is an absolutely stacked draft. No one will deny that the Canucks have added some nice pieces over the year due to the NHL draft rewarding bad teams with high picks, we have the potential to add an elite first line forward to our group at first overall if we win the lottery. The draft seems stacked at the top end with forwards, with some decent defensemen around the middle and back-end. Alexis Lafreniere would look perfect next to Pettersson and Boeser on the top line, ensuring JT Miller drops down to Bo Horvat's wing on the second line. That leaves a nice, cushy 2RW spot for Vasily Podkolzin when he eventually comes over, giving the Canucks a strong top 6 for years to come.


This would also be a great draft to add another 1st round pick, as right handed defenseman Jamie Drysdale would be an excellent addition to our defense group. He's a strong skating puck moving defenseman who could work on an opposite pairing to Quinn Hughes, giving us two pairings with elite puck movers if he develops well. He might move into the top 10 though with a strong showing this year, similar to how Byram exploded up the draft board, but given the quality forwards in the draft it's tough to project this far out.

Good post Y2K.

I know that we obviously have a vast difference in philosophy and so this will be my one and only post in this thread, but I’ll say this:

Lefrenierre would be nice but I doubt that we’ll be in a position to get him. My more realistic hope is that we land Jamie Drysdale for the reasons that you mentioned.

I won’t wish for a deliberate tank, but rather, wish for great lottery luck a la New Jersey if we miss the playoffs.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

Because, if we tank this year, we'll really have to go for it in 20'21 , or else we'll lose a possible lottery pick to TB. Which, with our luck, will be that 1st OA that we've been waiting 50 years for.

I'm expecting draft of '21 to be the year we finally win the lottery.

Hey, our luck has to change eventually. Hoping Jimbo is there for the big day

 

[Pavel96]

Good post Y2K.

I know that we obviously have a vast difference in philosophy and so this will be my one and only post in this thread, but I’ll say this:

Lefrenierre would be nice but I doubt that we’ll be in a position to get him. My more realistic hope is that we land Jamie Drysdale for the reasons that you mentioned.

I won’t wish for a deliberate tank, but rather, wish for great lottery luck a la New Jersey if we miss the playoffs.

The main point of the tank is so Jim Benning is fired. That's why we are here.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

The main point of the tank is so Jim Benning is fired. That's why we are here.

Tanking does have a way of getting in your blood after a while though. I tanked all the way through the 80s and after about six or seven years I got to where I just enjoyed rooting for the other team and usually coming out victorious.

And then Pat Quinn was hired and it was time to take the team seriously again. I think that is exactly what most of us are hoping for here.

 

[ginner classic]

My only reason the cheer for a tank season is the certainty that it would cost Jim and John their jobs. Any lottery pick will be a good one given the depth of the draft so no need to pine over winning the lottery this year.

Sign me up. Yet again.

 

[PG Canuck]

The main point of the tank is so Jim Benning is fired. That's why we are here.

Well that for sure but this upcoming draft is going to be one where you want to tank.

 

[Bettman Returnz]

If only we could get rid of the owners too... just as much part of this problem!!

 

[4Twenty]

I know I won't get responses from the right people in here, but I'll pose the question in here for anyone who thinks playoffs is a legitimate thing this coming season.

The Canucks need to jump over Arizona, Chicago, and Minnesota, and Colorado to finish 8th in the west. Is this realistic? Which teams are most likely to fall back? Even if you want to be optimistic and put them ahead of Arizona and Minnesota, that's still only 10th.

Too bad they moved a 1st already, because I think odds are good they don't make the playoffs in either of the next two seasons.

 

[JanBulisPiggyBack]

I suppose I have support the tank next season for the pure hopes it will release us from Benning. I personally feel the Benning curse is bullshit, I took no part in the riots, I didn’t destroy Vancouver and display a horrible image to the league what Canucks fans are all about so why are the Hockey Gods punishing me ?

6 years of Benning should be considered time served, it’s parol time baby let’s tank hard, get Lafrienerre (sp?) and have a new GM

 

[Superlative Soup]

Big year for the tank. Could result in Benning getting canned coinciding with one of the best top 10s in recent memory.

 

[RandV]

I hate the notion but I predict Benning will get a two year extension before the start of the season. We will miss the playoffs though- although not by much, leaving us in no man's land when it comes to the draft. The joys of being a perpetually disappointed Canucks fan.

Doesn't Benning's contract expire this year but also have a 1 year team option? I recall when he signed it sounded like it was a 3 year extension but ended up being a 2 year with the third year a team option.

 

[xtra]

Also for the mods can we have a rule put in place on the the thread (and preferably the whole board) that any comments regarding who is a true fan is an automatic infraction. Like most of us sit here debating the nuances of the salary cap. We are all fans even if some are trolls; and I don’t want to have to defend my fandom again to some fools

 

[Fatass]

Big year for the tank. Could result in Benning getting canned coinciding with one of the best top 10s in recent memory.

I like your positive thinking. Benning gone, and we win the draft lottery?

 

[RandV]

With everyone talking about how good a draft this will be it's a shame that it's highly unlikely we'd be out early to bring in a new GM for the deadline, as we'd actually have some pieces to trade this time.

 

[garbageteam]

Hopefully the stars align and we tank hard and compete for 31st and complete a miracle turnaround in a season to ice a contender in 2021 (or at least a solid PO team). That would be the best way to mitigate the disaster of the Miller trade. I don't see how we can game the system though. The worst case would be sneaking in for a quick first round loss and being nowhere closer to being a contender, or just missing and also being nowhere closer to being a contender.

 

[Teflon Jim]

That is a horrible reason to keep Benning. He is the reason we owe a future first rounder to begin with! If he keep trading 1st round picks, we keep him on indefinitely? No, you cut your loss with Benning and move forward as best you could. Keeping him longer means higher risk of him doing something more damaging to the future.
This team will finish 6-10 from the bottom, drop 3 spots in the lotto, miss the playoff and waste another year of Bo's career.

I understand and agree from a fan perspective it might be time to move on from JB but its aquaman running the show behind the scenes or at least directing its direction and sadly he gets to make these decisions on his terms and not the fans.