Post-Game Talk: Benning's But(t)s

[Tables of Stats]

The people seem to want a vent thread to let loose about our former GM, so here we are. This thread has the potential to get tense as some may use this to vent while others may wish for a discussion, please err on the side of respectful disagreement as we vent about one of the darkest parts of our team's history.

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[VanJack]

I know it will play out over the rest of the season before we know for sure, but I'm beginning to think that some of Benning's acquisitions weren't as bad as we've been led to believe. I think they were by and large let down by poor coaching and the lack of a coherent system.

There are too many players who've dramatically upped their games under Boudreau for it to be just a 'coincidence'. When Jimbo hitched his wagons to Green at the end of last season, he probably sealed his own fate.

 

[M2Beezy]

But Gillis
But Luongo recapture
But covid
But empty cupboards
But long covid
But schedule
But Abbotsford floods
But the players
But Green
But crack
But injuries
But lists
But the fans
But negative media
But hindsight
But refs
But Linden
But it made sense at the time
But Calder candidates
But Putin
But altitude in Colorado
But every year is an outlier except 2020
But age gap
But is better with less picks
But posts and crossbars
But ran out of time
But flat cap
But tampering
But foundational player
But bullying daughter
But fans couldn't handle a rebuild
But jet black

 

[McDavid is too whiny]

Bye bye you worthless sack of crap

 

[Tables of Stats]

I know it will play out over the rest of the season before we know for sure, but I'm beginning to think that some of Benning's acquisitions weren't as bad as we've been led to believe. I think they were by and large let down by poor coaching and the lack of a coherent system.

There are too many players who've dramatically upped their games under Boudreau for it to be just a 'coincidence'. When Jimbo hitched his wagons to Green at the end of last season, he probably sealed his own fate.

Not as bad as we thought and the best players he could get is a pretty wide gap. The fact that he would bring in players that Green didn't seem to want also smacks of a disconnect between GM and coach, which is odd given that he extended Green.

I'd love to see Benning write a book and shine a light on his methods so we can try to untangle the mess he made, but I don't think I could read a book with that many ellipses, you know...

 

[Oliewud]

Benning did some moronic things but my god green was a smug arsehole. So refreshing to have a charismatic guy like boudreau behind the bench.

Let's not forget green refused to speak to jeff patterson for implying they had a bad game.

 

[Bojack Horvatman]

The only negative about Benning being gone is that I will miss Benning On Empty @Jyrki21

 

[Angry Little Elf]

The Jared McCann trade was horrific

 

[Pip]

I know it will play out over the rest of the season before we know for sure, but I'm beginning to think that some of Benning's acquisitions weren't as bad as we've been led to believe. I think they were by and large let down by poor coaching and the lack of a coherent system.

There are too many players who've dramatically upped their games under Boudreau for it to be just a 'coincidence'. When Jimbo hitched his wagons to Green at the end of last season, he probably sealed his own fate.

While Green was a poor coach and the team was underperforming this run under Boudreau is/was a mirage as well. The roster isn’t good and the future has been mortgaged to get here. They’re likely more of a bubble team than a bottom feeder but this backend especially is not good.

 

[likash]

While Green was a poor coach and the team was underperforming this run under Boudreau is/was a mirage as well. The roster isn’t good and the future has been mortgaged to get here. They’re likely more of a bubble team than a bottom feeder but this backend especially is not good.

It's like march of last year again when we could not miss and Demko was stopping almost every shoot. That being said, the team is not as bad as in november but not as good as in the last 7 games. The tragic thing is that this an "all in" team. We have no cap space and nothing to trade to improve the team without creating another hole.We've seen this all the time during Benning tenure.

I'm glad JR is not falling for this win streak and said he will make a decision after january.

 

[Hyzer]

Probably the worst pro scouting of any GM in the league in the last 20 years.

Absolutely disgusting and dark part of this teams history. Benning was such a spineless coward that only gave a shit about him self. Good riddance.

 

[Ginger Papa]

I normally try to avoid focusing on the negative, but I believe that @BenningSimpsBeagle ’s aim with this Thread is to provide a healthy, therapeutic venting opportunity. With this as my perspective, I share the following thoughts.

Jim Benning robbed those of us who have young children in their formative years when they establish a bond with a Team. Those of us who wanted to share our fandom with them during his tenure. For that I personally will never forgive him.

Fortunately for me, I think my fandom/enthusiasm may still have some impact upon my youngest two, and they are cautiously trying to regain their interest. However, so many Seasons have passed that I would have loved to create memories with them of enjoying competitive Canucks hockey if this organization had been Managed competently.

Not that I mean to imply that our Canucks would have been competitive every year. Most of us know that a Rebuild was needed, but I believe, foolishly optimistic or not, that we would have had a competitive team within a 3 year window. Certainly players & organizational leadership we could be optimistic about.

Anyway, to Jim Benning and Travis Green I say:

 

[IslandBeast]

Guys be fair, Benning jotted things down on paper and did slide shows

 

[Tables of Stats]

I normally try to avoid focusing on the negative, but I believe that @BenningSimpsBeagle ’s aim with this Thread is to provide a healthy, therapeutic venting opportunity. With this as my perspective, I share the following thoughts.

You nailed it in one and with some fantastic GIFs too. You, sir, are a gentleman even when venting.

 

[Jyrki21]

The only negative about Benning being gone is that I will miss Benning On Empty @Jyrki21

Stay tuned for January!

 

[CherryToke]

Have dumb and dumber spoken to the media yet? Seems like they were turned into blueberry soil

 

[Tables of Stats]

Have dumb and dumber spoken to the media yet? Seems like they were turned into blueberry soil

They're still technically under contract so it's likely that they can't speak even if they wanted to.

 

[ghostingtaro]

Benning simply ran out of time

 

[Tables of Stats]

Benning simply ran out of time

He lived day-to-day until his days ran out.

 

[logan5]

The organization is in a shambles. Yeah sure Demko is a franchise goaltender, and Hughes looks like a Norris candidate, and Pettersson looks promising, Podz and Hogs are great young players, Garland looks pretty darn good, Boeser is a 30 goal scorer, Horvat is a great 2 c without of years left, but other than that we are screwed for the next 5 years.

 

[rypper]

Further to @Ginger Papa's point, the Benning era had the same kind of effect on my own fandom.

First in the trading away 3 of my favorite players in a short window. Moves that admittedly you could argue had to be made but it still hurt my personal enjoyment of the team.

And then as the seasons progressed my interested in the team took a complete nose dive. I understood a rebuild was coming (still waiting... no I don't want one now just there never was one to begin with) but the some of the years were just terrible with very little redeeming qualities.

Canucks games went from being, "stop everything, the game is on and requires total focus" to "the game is on, I'm half paying attention to my phone, half on the TV. " to eventually "oh the Canucks are playing? What else is there to do?"

So a big old middle finger to Jim Benning and everyone who enabled him for crushing my desire and fandom to support and invest myself in the Canucks.

 

[rypper]

The organization is in a shambles. Yeah sure Demko is a franchise goaltender, and Hughes looks like a Norris candidate, and Pettersson looks promising, Podz and Hogs are great young players, Garland looks pretty darn good, Boeser is a 30 goal scorer, Horvat is a great 2 c without of years left, but other than that we are screwed for the next 5 years.

There is one good defenseman under the age of the 30 on the team, with no help coming, and no cap space to address it.

 

[logan5]

There is one good defenseman under the age of the 30 on the team, with no help coming, and no cap space to address it.

There's work to do, but people are overstating the situation the team is in. 73 year Rutherford took this job because he saw that he has lots to work with.

 

[Lindgren]

The team we see is Benning's responsibility.

It may be that F.A. was a meddlng owner, but I doubt that he ever specified who Benning should trade for or who he should draft (with the possible exception of Virtanen). What we see now is Benning's doing: a capped out bubble team.

Management is going to face some very tough decisions. There's an exceptionally thin group of prospects, and some terrible contracts will make things very difficult for JR over the next few years.

I'll find it easier to cheer for the Canucks if the decisions management makes start to make sense. They don't even have to be the right moves, they just have to make sense in theory. If, for example, they trade a vet for futures, and those futures bust, well, at least the move had a chance to work out.

 

[wreckless]

always remember 90% of this fan based liked/loved him until one or two months prior to his firing.