Armchair GM Thread LXXXVIII: The Kassian Effect

[Jimson Hogarth*]

Heard someone from the Giants brass mention that during the Gillis regime they rarely saw Canuck scouts at their games but this has changed with Benning who has taken in a number of games himself and talks to the Giants brass as well.

Yea, no bloody kidding. I can't believe there were people who felt the need to literally argue me into the ground saying that because the Canucks played in a WHL city it doesn't mean Benning can scout easier. Like are you ****ing stupid? I honestly feel like digging up the posts to get a freaking apology out of it.

Of course its ****ing easier to catch a game and scout the WHL.

 

[opendoor]

Hopefully it's Benning doing the scouting and not the normal WHL Canuck scouts. I have very little faith in the latter after their performance over the last 15-20 years under 3-4 different management regimes.

 

[MS]

Sbisa is a young player with a lot of NHL experience. Last year we were roasting Edler for bad defensive mistakes and now we are calling him one of the best defencemen in the league. I don't think Sbisa will ever be as good as Edler, but I think they have very similar tools. At 25 if we give Sbisa another 2-3 years to develop at age 27 or 28 there is an argument to be made that he could become a top 4 dman. Further to this point that works well for Canucks future. Edler and Hamhuis I see locked in as the top 2 left dmen for another 2-3 years at least. Therefore Sbisa will have time to develop and fill in at top 4 for injuries.

No, they don't.

Edler has a brain and has high-level puck skills. Sbisa is dumb as rocks and might be the worst defender in the NHL with the puck on his stick.

@DLLiong: Jim Benning, the #Canucks general manager, is in attendance to watch the #WHLGiants play host to the Kamloops Blazers tonight. #WHL

Weird game to see as there probably isn't anyone on either team who'll go in the first 5 rounds of the draft, but glad we're watching more Giants games.

Jesse Roach seems like a classic Delorme pick. Hopefully I'm wrong on that hunch.

 

[polarbearcub]

Heard someone from the Giants brass mention that during the Gillis regime they rarely saw Canuck scouts at their games but this has changed with Benning who has taken in a number of games himself and talks to the Giants brass as well.

It's utterly mind boggling... Gillis had a first class junior team pumping out talent down the road and never even went to watch.

 

[opendoor]

Yea, no bloody kidding. I can't believe there were people who felt the need to literally argue me into the ground saying that because the Canucks played in a WHL city it doesn't mean Benning can scout easier. Like are you ****ing stupid? I honestly feel like digging up the posts to get a freaking apology out of it.

I don't think anyone suggested that the GM couldn't take in a few more games, but whether that actually results in more effective drafting is an entirely different issue. In any organization it's the regional scouts who do the leg work and every team in the NHL has the area covered. Benning taking in more games might help, but it's not some huge advantage.

I'm honestly more worried about Canucks' management falling in love with someone they see a bunch of. Hopefully Weisbrod doesn't dig up another high school kid to throw away a 1st round pick on.

 

[TheWanderer]

I think the next moves we see will be ones similar to the Vey move - young forwards on logjammed organizations who could potentially replace guys like Burrows/Higgins/Richardson/Matthias by next season. It's no secret that our forward pool in the AHL is weak, even with Shinkaruk and Gaunce there.

However, I think the target will be contending teams that cant slot their youth in because of depth, but they may need to allocate their assets towards depth that is potentially lacking.

Lack could go to any team who either needs a better goalie, or has a UFA aging goalie ey want to replace next year. The great thing is that we dont need to take their back-up in return, though we could if he is a UfA and just replace him with Markstrom next year (that backup would have negative value if that team needs to move the cap or roster slot.)

I dont think we're shopping Kassian at the moment. I don't think there is any point. I'd rather hope he pans out than bring in some meek return. He looked good with Horvat, which is a duo I have been suggesting since day 1 this season... Let's see where that leads.

If Clendening shows to be better than Weber between now and the deadline, Weber is gone. In the offseason, Sbisa is gone. Our D is basically set for next year barring any trades to upgrade, which I highly doubt we see.

I think Kenins could replace Dorsett next year if the way he is playing now is any indication, but we need more time to make that decision. If we play Kenins somewhat regularly from now to deadline, wecould possibly get our 3rd back for Dorsett. I think Kenins and Hansen will be a nightmare to play against, with Richardson at center.


With the current injuries and call-ups, this is what I would be doing with the roster:

Sedin - Sedin - Vrbata
Burrows - Bonino - Vey
Higgins - Horvat - Kassian
Kenins - Matthias - Hansen

Edler - Tanev
Hamhuis - Corrado
Stanton - Clendening

I would try to make trades with playoff teams that perhaps need a young goaltender, could use defensive depth, and have a logjam of winger prospects. We may be able to ship Higgins (if he plays well between now and deadline, as he has been picking it up the last few games) for a pick, then add that pick to Lack and Weber and trade with a team that has too many fowards, pluck wichever one that fits the value and fill Higgins's slot with that player.

Obviously, since we would be losing Higgins and Lack, we would be getting the forward at the front of the line in this case, rather than the one at the back like Vey/Clendening - a player who could be on our second line next season.

 

[damack]

I think Kenins could replace Dorsett next year if the way he is playing now is any indication, but we need more time to make that decision. If we play Kenins somewhat regularly from now to deadline, wecould possibly get our 3rd back for Dorsett. I think Kenins and Hansen will be a nightmare to play against, with Richardson at center.

You got that from 10:33 of NHL icetime??

Wow, you're very optimistic. Dorsett is the kind of guy the Canucks need - tough, gritty, hits, stands up for teamates, skates hard, good on the pk. I think your golden boy has a lot of work to do in the next few months to replace Dorsett

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Sbisa is a young player with a lot of NHL experience. Last year we were roasting Edler for bad defensive mistakes and now we are calling him one of the best defencemen in the league. I don't think Sbisa will ever be as good as Edler, but I think they have very similar tools. At 25 if we give Sbisa another 2-3 years to develop at age 27 or 28 there is an argument to be made that he could become a top 4 dman. Further to this point that works well for Canucks future. Edler and Hamhuis I see locked in as the top 2 left dmen for another 2-3 years at least. Therefore Sbisa will have time to develop and fill in at top 4 for injuries.

man just stop. that analogy is worse than sbisa himself.

last year edler was proven 27 year old former all-star NHL defenseman who started off excellent, then became even more excellent, then terrible, and now excellent again. past performance suggested that there was room for improvement on the abomination of last season.

sbisa is 25 years old and has never once in his NHL career been even half as good as brent sopel during the first few months of that one season he spent all summer taking steroids and came to camp unable to execute a mohawk turn without falling over. there is nothing to suggest that sbisa will get any better, and many years of less than mediocre play at the NHL level to suggest the opposite.

when edler was 21, he was infinitely better than sbisa is now.

 

[polarbearcub]

Everything is happening

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

As for Bieksa, if I'm Benning I say, look Kev, you're an all-time Canuck and we appreciate your dedication and commitment. But we won't be offering you a contract when this one expires after next season. So you either retire as a Canuck when this contract ends, or you continue playing somewhere other than Vancouver. If you're going to play somewhere else eventually, why not go somewhere for the last year of your contract and try it out before committing for multiple years as a UFA.

Teams X, Y, and Z have made offers that make sense for the Vancouver Canucks. Which of those teams would you potentially be willing to finish your career with?

Won't surprise me if Bieksa gets dealt at the draft. As for this most recent deal, if AC is ready for 3rd pairing minutes and can provide a spark to our PP, then we're a better team for the right now. I'd love to now see Lack + surplus defender turned into a 3rd line centre than can handle tough defensive minutes and win face offs consistently.

this all would make me very sad. but it makes a lot of sense.

still, i'd hate to see this team without bieksa's toughness.

 

[McHortton]

Wanted to see which teams people think have a need for Eddie. For me its : Philly, Arizona, Nashville that could really use him and then teams like Minny , Dallas and Buffalo that have options but none as good as Lack so theres a possibility.

Since Lack is most likely to be packaged with other players most likely a depth dman/tweener forward; which teams make the most sense?

Lack + Dman to Philly?

They need defence bad if they would take Sbisa that would be absolutely phenomenal, maybe we add a prospect to get B. Schenn.

 

[Jimson Hogarth*]

this all would make me very sad. but it makes a lot of sense.

still, i'd hate to see this team without bieksa's toughness.

You're seeing it. And it's not pretty.

If we can upgrade on the physicality in the top 6 forward group or the top 4 dman group I'd be all for approaching Bieksa for a trade. I think you've got to test the waters at some point. But at this point the team is leaning on guys like Kenins to bring any measure of grit to the lineup and subtracting further from this end puts us into marshmallow territory.

 

[Eddy Punch Clock]

It's utterly mind boggling... Gillis had a first class junior team pumping out talent down the road and never even went to watch.

He was in the bathroom.

 

[WTG]

Once Bieska is gone Tryamkin will be ready to make the jump hopefully.

Replace toughness for a ****ing russian bear

 

[Eddy Punch Clock]

When is the trade deadline anyways? Usually a big name or two is moved a couple of weeks prior.

 

[FOurteenS inCisOr]

****, where are all the "Proximity to the WHL doesn't mean you can scout it better" people?

this may be the most promising thing Benning has done in his tenure so far. God bless this man if he can get us better production out of the whL.

Proximity has little affect on scouting. Just means people who [MOD] for BC/WHL (or any jr league close to their team) players will whine more when another team drafts one with promise.

You can put all the "*****"'s you want in your post. It doesn't mean you're right.

 

[m9]

I think Pedan was more thought of as the toughness on the blueline when Bieksa is done. Between him and Tryamkin you have to hope one of them can play bottom-pairing minutes in 2016.

 

[Jimson Hogarth*]

Once Bieska is gone Tryamkin will be ready to make the jump hopefully.

Replace toughness for a ****ing russian bear

That would be awesome.

But really I think the problem is, and has been for many years- that the Canucks top 6 and top 4 defenders (especially since W. Mitchell left) is not nearly as physical and stiff in front of both nets.

I think this is where the frustration with Kassian comes in- the coach needs a 'skill' player with size that can drive the net and play tough against the biggest WC defencemen, but Kassian wants to play on the perimeter, where the team already has the Sedins and others playing there.

When Kenins laid out that hit it was like a breath of fresh air.

 

[WTG]

That would be awesome.

But really I think the problem is, and has been for many years- that the Canucks top 6 and top 4 defenders (especially since W. Mitchell left) is not nearly as physical and stiff in front of both nets.

I think this is where the frustration with Kassian comes in- the coach needs a 'skill' player with size that can drive the net and play tough against the biggest WC defencemen, but Kassian wants to play on the perimeter, where the team already has the Sedins and others playing there.

When Kenins laid out that hit it was like a breath of fresh air.

I agree there needs to be more physicality from the blueline. Luckily we have Virtanen who looks to be an absolute freight train at forward. If we do draft a Dman at the draft I hope that we draft a guy who isn't afraid to lay down the lumber.

The Canucks need to become a team that is hard to play against.We rank like in the bottom of hits this season it's pretty pathetic

 

[me2]

He's saying they're ugly.

Love is blind. With my canucks goggles son they would look like hockey super models.

 

[Jimson Hogarth*]

I agree there needs to be more physicality from the blueline. Luckily we have Virtanen who looks to be an absolute freight train at forward. If we do draft a Dman at the draft I hope that we draft a guy who isn't afraid to lay down the lumber.

The Canucks need to become a team that is hard to play against.We rank like in the bottom of hits this season it's pretty pathetic

Yes, and also I don't think it necessarily has to come via the 1st round of the draft. I don't think we should be looking for physicality as a primary draft asset. I know the problems that can cause. But on the opposite end, we see what can happen when you don't have a great deal of physicality and the one or two guys that bring it go down...not a great situation either..

This has clearly been a transition and evaluation year for Benning, and thus far- as much as I poke fun and criticize, I think its been a success. I think he will look to correct the deficiencies of the team, including roster problems like the one's we're talking about as well as drafting and development. Being an evaluator, I think its going to be a slower process for Prairie Jim to enact his vision for the team than a lot of fans are prepared for.

 

[Canadian Canuck]

Wanted to see which teams people think have a need for Eddie. For me its : Philly, Arizona, Nashville that could really use him and then teams like Minny , Dallas and Buffalo that have options but none as good as Lack so theres a possibility.

Since Lack is most likely to be packaged with other players most likely a depth dman/tweener forward; which teams make the most sense?

Lack + Dman to Philly?

They need defence bad if they would take Sbisa that would be absolutely phenomenal, maybe we add a prospect to get B. Schenn.

Lack + Sbisa + 2nd 2016 for B.Schenn?

 

[Peen]

Lack + Sbisa + 2nd 2016 for B.Schenn?

might as well add a 7th and get Giroux

 

[thepuckmonster]

Nearing 1k, please continue here:

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?p=96529509