Canucks Managerial Thread

[greasy goals]

When you watch interviews with Benning, what strikes you is that he has no cunning, no guile, no wit, no savvy, no spark. Essentially, no impression of possessing intelligence. He's a classic dead-eyed hockey interview. And you can't help but imagine those deficits leading to very predictable results when he's on the phone making trades with other GMs.

 

[Addison Rae]

Brandon Prust is just horrible, I'd want nothing to do with him on waivers let alone trading Kassian and a draft pick for him smh. He's just blocking young players from making the team (Gaunce, Kennis) would have been smarter to waive Kassian tbh.

 

[Peter10]

Well we could have just waived Kassian now and still have that 5th rounder....

 

[Addison Rae]

Well we could have just waived Kassian now and still have that 5th rounder....

and not have a boat anchor in Prust.

 

[Peter10]

and not have a boat anchor in Prust.

But but we can still trade him for a 2nd at the deadline right?

 

[RandV]

The jury is still out on Bartkowski. Very good chance that we see exactly why he was in the press box for a large chunk of the year. Now he might still be in the lineup but that's as a consequence of how poor the depth is and how Benning will not along his pickups to be scratched.

This is very true, he's looked good so far but considering his age and experience you have to wonder exactly why he's never stuck before. We acquired Christian Ehrhoff at the same age with some questions marks, but he had a full 4 or 5 NHL seasons under his belt and a 40 point campaign.

Although of course the difference between Bartkowski and the other bad mistakes is he's only signed for 1 year at $1.5 million. That's a reasonable contract to take a chance on a tweener dman.

 

[Addison Rae]

But but we can still trade him for a 2nd at the deadline right?

Only if Jim Benning was another teams GM

 

[MS]

When you watch interviews with Benning, what strikes you is that he has no cunning, no guile, no wit, no savvy, no spark. Essentially, no impression of possessing intelligence. He's a classic dead-eyed hockey interview. And you can't help but imagine those deficits leading to very predictable results when he's on the phone making trades with other GMs.

He's just not a very smart man.

His moves are stupid.

His reasoning for those moves is stupid.

The way he explains his reasoning is stupid.

How can anybody look at what he's done, and then listen to him talk, and have any sort of confidence in him?

That interview last night when he used 'good' and 'real good' about 60 times in 3 minutes was just embarrassing.

Brandon Prust is just horrible, I'd want nothing to do with him on waivers let alone trading Kassian and a draft pick for him smh. He's just blocking young players from making the team (Gaunce, Kennis) would have been smarter to waive Kassian tbh.

It really takes a special sort of terrible GM to make a trade so bad that giving our best young roster winger away for nothing on waivers would have been preferable to what we actually did.

Prust will be on a PTO somewhere at this time next year trying to eke out 1 more year in the league. He's just awful, and blocking young, better players. And we threw in a pick just because.

 

[RandV]

Sadly, it really isn't. On the brighter side of things, McCann, Hutton and Gaunce make it look as though our prospect core isn't quite as dreary as many of us thought. Subban looks like he may just be another gem. Imagine if PK's comments about him being better turned out true?

This also really shows a big lack of patience/understanding from many of the fans, in that we have had better drafting & development over the last few years, we just needed time to let them move up through the system.

And I'm going to be really really interested in seeing how Benning handles this. Last year he showed a major preference for 'his guys' when giving roster spot and signing contracts. So now as there's quality kids looking to step into the lineup and it becomes more and more obvious that some of his acquisitions are both unnecessary and overpaid, will he have the balls to do something about it or will it be more doubling down?

 

[Vtownfan]

This is very true, he's looked good so far but considering his age and experience you have to wonder exactly why he's never stuck before. We acquired Christian Ehrhoff at the same age with some questions marks, but he had a full 4 or 5 NHL seasons under his belt and a 40 point campaign.

Although of course the difference between Bartkowski and the other bad mistakes is he's only signed for 1 year at $1.5 million. That's a reasonable contract to take a chance on a tweener dman.

He's looked ok so far. I agree it was thankfully a reasonable salary and contract length and even better the Canucks didn't have to give up anything to acquire him. I like his wheels but his defensive positioning has been questionable.

Honestly, if they want to make room for Hutton, I would waive Bartkowski over Corrado. If Bartkowski gets picked up no real harm or assets lost.

 

[Free Edler]

It's pretty bloody depressing that trading Zack Kassian and a draft pick only netted this team a poor man's Steve Ott who doesn't want to be here.

 

[fancouver]

He's looked ok so far. I agree it was thankfully a reasonable salary and contract length and even better the Canucks didn't have to give up anything to acquire him. I like his wheels but his defensive positioning has been questionable.

Honestly, if they want to make room for Hutton, I would waive Bartkowski over Corrado. If Bartkowski gets picked up no real harm or assets lost.

Only that Bartkowski has played better than Corrado so far.

 

[GetFocht]

One thing I will give credit to Prust is that he will instill confidence and mold attitudes of young players like Horvat, Virtanen, McCann, and Hutton.

 

[fancouver]

One thing I will give credit to Prust is that he will instill confidence and mold attitudes of young players like Horvat, Virtanen, McCann, and Hutton.

And I think having him around while Virtanen is throwing hits left and right will be nice. I don't want my 6th overall to engage in fights with 4th liners all the time.

 

[Vtownfan]

Only that Bartkowski has played better than Corrado so far.

No, I get that. But losing Corrado to waivers is losing another young draft pick. Granted only a 5th rounder, but considering right now the only players on the Canucks roster who the Canucks drafted in the last 15 years to play an actual NHL game for the Canucks are:

Alex Edler, Bo Horvat, Hansen and one Frank Corrado.


Would be nice to keep the 22 year old draft pick and see what he can do over the 27 year old pending UFA journeyman who is slightly better. Not to mention Corrado is a natural righty. Bartkowski is going to be playing on his offside.

If they won't waive Sbisa (sacrifices another goat) I would rather they cut bait on the UFA pickup over the young prospect.

What will happen is waiver exempt Hutton will be sent down and both Bartkowski and Corrado will stay.

 

[y2kcanucks]

It's pretty bloody depressing that trading Zack Kassian and a draft pick only netted this team a poor man's Steve Ott who doesn't want to be here.

Prust doesn't want to be here?

 

[MS]

No, I get that. But losing Corrado to waivers is losing another young draft pick. Granted only a 5th rounder, but considering right now the only players on the Canucks roster who the Canucks drafted in the last 15 years to play an actual NHL game for the Canucks are:

Alex Edler, Bo Horvat, Hansen and one Frank Corrado.


Would be nice to keep the 22 year old draft pick and see what he can do over the 27 year old pending UFA journeyman who is slightly better. Not to mention Corrado is a natural righty. Bartkowski is going to be playing on his offside.

If they won't waive Sbisa (sacrifices another goat) I would rather they cut bait on the UFA pickup over the young prospect.

What will happen is waiver exempt Hutton will be sent down and both Bartkowski and Corrado will stay.

Corrado is trash at this point. Needs to go to the AHL and completely rebuild himself.

Is constantly on the back foot and a total possession disaster - which is a continuation of what we've seen at the NHL level over the past two years.

There is simply no way he deserves to be on this team. At all.

___________

And again, he'll clear waivers most likely.

I don't understand this 'waiver fear' everyone has. 300+ guys get waived every year at this time and maybe 5 get claimed. And none of those are failing unready prospects like Corrado.

 

[MS]

Prust doesn't want to be here?

His wife/girlfriend is a media personality in Quebec and can't leave. Prust didn't want to leave the East Coast at all and is not happy about the trade, although he's putting a good face on for the media. But he has no interest in being in Vancouver long-term.

 

[tantalum]

This is very true, he's looked good so far but considering his age and experience you have to wonder exactly why he's never stuck before. We acquired Christian Ehrhoff at the same age with some questions marks, but he had a full 4 or 5 NHL seasons under his belt and a 40 point campaign.

Although of course the difference between Bartkowski and the other bad mistakes is he's only signed for 1 year at $1.5 million. That's a reasonable contract to take a chance on a tweener dman.

Sure. I don't mind the signing. I don't think it was an important one or an area that should have been concentrated on (the team has plenty of 6/7 quality defenders). My problem is that I think they will overplay him. Like Sbisa, Benning believes that Bartkowski is top 4 material. I don't believe he is or at least he hasn't shown it at this point. He skates well to be sure. As does Sbisa. Benning seems to equate skating with team quickness. I don't believe that. For the most part quick teams are quick because they move the puck well out of the defensive zone and in transition using PASSES because skating is slow compared to passes. Not something Sbisa excels at. Not something Bartkowski excels at either.

Not saying skating speed isn't important because it certainly can be, but puck movement is really what makes teams quick (or slow).

 

[thepuckmonster]

His wife/girlfriend is a media personality in Quebec and can't leave. Prust didn't want to leave the East Coast at all and is not happy about the trade, although he's putting a good face on for the media. But he has no interest in being in Vancouver long-term.

I know about Maripier (spelling?) but do you have a source for the other stuff?

 

[Free Edler]

Prust doesn't want to be here?

His wife/girlfriend is a media personality in Quebec and can't leave. Prust didn't want to leave the East Coast at all and is not happy about the trade, although he's putting a good face on for the media. But he has no interest in being in Vancouver long-term.

What MS said. Prust is a celebrity in Montreal, if for no other reason than his partner is famous.

 

[MS]

I know about Maripier (spelling?) but do you have a source for the other stuff?

http://montrealgazette.com/sports/h...ust-admits-he-was-shocked-by-trade-to-canucks

He's trying to say all the right things, but was pretty clearly not happy and disappointed by the situation.

When you need to 'regroup', that's not a positive.

 

[Peter10]

His wife/girlfriend is a media personality in Quebec and can't leave. Prust didn't want to leave the East Coast at all and is not happy about the trade, although he's putting a good face on for the media. But he has no interest in being in Vancouver long-term.

If that is true, that at least gives me hope he wont re-sign, but who knows once Benning offers him $9m/3y

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

This also really shows a big lack of patience/understanding from many of the fans, in that we have had better drafting & development over the last few years, we just needed time to let them move up through the system.

And I'm going to be really really interested in seeing how Benning handles this. Last year he showed a major preference for 'his guys' when giving roster spot and signing contracts. So now as there's quality kids looking to step into the lineup and it becomes more and more obvious that some of his acquisitions are both unnecessary and overpaid, will he have the balls to do something about it or will it be more doubling down?

Agreed. Which is somewhat ironic, given our history of developing a legion of late bloomers. More or less half the core - current and old - only began hitting their stride in their mid-twenties.

But you do bring up a good point regarding Benning's bias. The very fact Sbisa continues to see an increased role despite being widely outplayed, only goes to show that favoritism. While I don't want to be pessimistic before the season has even started, I have a feeling we're going to see more catering to the new guys than the old.

 

[Addison Rae]

He's just not a very smart man.


It really takes a special sort of terrible GM to make a trade so bad that giving our best young roster winger away for nothing on waivers would have been preferable to what we actually did.

Prust will be on a PTO somewhere at this time next year trying to eke out 1 more year in the league. He's just awful, and blocking young, better players. And we threw in a pick just because.

The theory I have is, maybe Benning actually considers Prust a good piece, and probably passed on a better piece from another team in favor of Prust.