Dan Hamhuis - Will test FA; "We're still working through things, so we'll see"

[Verviticus]

I thought this was expected.

well no ****, except everyone loves to make dumb excuses like "wait and see", as if waiting fixes the fact that our gm is a trash-man

 

[F A N]

It definitely shouldn't have been hard to trade Hamhuis.

...

And yes, Hamhuis had a NTC, but he gave a list of a few playoff teams who were definitely looking to acquire a d-man.

It shouldn't have been hard to trade Hamhuis but it was. Who were the "few teams" that was on Hamhuis' list who were definitely looking to acquire a Dman? Hamhuis, reportedly, was only willing to go to a contender, no eastern conference teams, and is on record as only willing to waive to Dallas and Chicago and that took a while. Which other teams are you suggesting was on Hamhuis' list and looking to add a Dman?

 

[valkynax]

I don't understand the anger here. This has pretty much been a forgone conclusion. Look, I am a big believer in getting what you can for a pending UFA you are unlikely to re-sign and so I was extremely disappointed at the deadline, but at the end of the day, you are dealing with two players who had full NTCs who didn't want to go anywhere.

Vrbata reportedly gave Benning a list of 8 teams. None of the 8 teams made an offer. Hamhuis gave the Canucks a list of 2 teams and Dallas chose to go with Russell instead. They apparently circled back but we don't have any information as to what the circled back offer was except Benning said it didn't make sense. Maybe Dallas wanted the Canucks to take on a contract? And quite frankly if you were discussing a similar deal with Dallas to the Calgary deal then they chose to acquire Russel instead and then came back and said well we are still interested in Hamhuis but we can only offer you this significantly worse deal would you take it? At some point, you have to say forget it. No deal.

People like to bring up losing Matthias and Richardson for nothing. The Canucks were in playoff contention. Richardson, if I remember correctly, was injured at the deadline. Matthias was actually a difference maker down the stretch that helped the Canucks make the playoffs. It's not like Benning traded assets for pending UFAs. Teams in playoff contention don't tend to trade away roster players for draft picks at the deadline.

It seems some fans fail to grasp the concept of players signing contracts with full NTCs and feel like they should be traded before their contract ends and is mad when that does not happen.

Do we deal with NTC? Yes. Are we the only team who has to deal with NTC? No. Did Benning and management handle Hammer's NTC and trade opportunities properly? HELL, NO.

Like some said, there were far worse Dmen and far worse contractually restricted players moved this year around TDL. Good managers come through and make best of the situation, bad managers sit back throw their hands in the air and leave it at "oh well I tried." Unfortunately this is something our good ol Benning had done on a consistent basis.

Just look at how Yzerman handled JD. The kid was acting like a complete asshat, requested a trade, feuded with everyone on the team. Benning would've traded him at the drop of a hat for a 3rd round pick and say he tried his best.

To quote Sean Connery in "the Rock" : the best? loser always say he tried his best. Winner goes home and ****s the prom queen.

 

[alternate]

Are you really going to pretend that teams weren't interested in acquiring him at the deadline? Is that what it takes these days to justify management's moves?

But was Hamhuis interested in the interested teams? If he wasn't--as all reports indicate--then what is management supposed to do. Fact is, if Benning took the exact deal Calgary did when Calgary took it, you'd be on here complaining Benning " got bent over" and is "easy to deal without" shoulda made Dallas sweat, lotsa time lett, no deal woulda been better to show you've got some spine yada yada yada. Ultimately a deadline deal required 3 parties to reach agreement, it wasn't just Benning's move to make.

The GM whose moves need justiying is in Dallas. A reasonable offer gets him Hamhuis, but he got greedy and it probably cost the Stars a trip to the Finals.

Absolutely sucked not being able to move Hamhuis at the deadline. I'd bet Benning agrees completely. But makes zero sense to "double down" by re-signing Hamhuis merely because he didn't get dealt at the deadline. Short of a sweat heart 1 year deal AND being able to move Sbisa, I'd rather part ways with Hamhuis and keep working in fresh faces.

 

[F A N]

Do we deal with NTC? Yes. Are we the only team who has to deal with NTC? No. Did Benning and management handle Hammer's NTC and trade opportunities properly? HELL, NO.

I don't see how Benning handled Hamhuis' NTC and trade opportunities improperly. Benning discussed deals with other teams and then presented Hamhuis with offers and asked if he was willing to waive. When Hamhuis took his time to talk with his family, Benning respected that and didn't place pressure on him. He did the same thing with Bieksa. Benning fielded offers, when there was an offer Benning could agree on he went to Bieksa and gave him time to think about it or check out the area and work out an extension because that's what Bieksa wanted.

Every GM deals with NTCs differently. Gillis' strategy was to never approach a player to ask him to waive his NTC. Benning struck more of a middle ground and try to work with the player and not pressure the player.

Personally, I think Gillis has improved the Canucks' reputation for how the organization treated its players overall and I think this current management group has continued that.

Just look at how Yzerman handled JD. The kid was acting like a complete asshat, requested a trade, feuded with everyone on the team. Benning would've traded him at the drop of a hat for a 3rd round pick and say he tried his best.

Actually, Benning would have his coach and himself talk to JD and his agent to assure him of their belief in him and detail what he needs to work on to be a better NHL player and earn more ice time.

 

[valkynax]

I don't see how Benning handled Hamhuis' NTC and trade opportunities improperly. Benning discussed deals with other teams and then presented Hamhuis with offers and asked if he was willing to waive. When Hamhuis took his time to talk with his family, Benning respected that and didn't place pressure on him. He did the same thing with Bieksa. Benning fielded offers, when there was an offer Benning could agree on he went to Bieksa and gave him time to think about it or check out the area and work out an extension because that's what Bieksa wanted.

Every GM deals with NTCs differently. Gillis' strategy was to never approach a player to ask him to waive his NTC. Benning struck more of a middle ground and try to work with the player and not pressure the player.

Personally, I think Gillis has improved the Canucks' reputation for how the organization treated its players overall and I think this current management group has continued that.



Actually, Benning would have his coach and himself talk to JD and his agent to assure him of their belief in him and detail what he needs to work on to be a better NHL player and earn more ice time.

The point is, even with NTC considered, Benning did not get it done, period, end of story. And that was in a situation with numerous advantages playing to his favor. Look at Eric Staal's trade.

And no, Benning won't spent time with JD had he been in the same situation as Yzerman, he wouldn't even give Shinkaruk a single chance before dumping him for a 4C.

 

[Pip]

But was Hamhuis interested in the interested teams? If he wasn't--as all reports indicate--then what is management supposed to do. Fact is, if Benning took the exact deal Calgary did when Calgary took it, you'd be on here complaining Benning " got bent over" and is "easy to deal without" shoulda made Dallas sweat, lotsa time lett, no deal woulda been better to show you've got some spine yada yada yada. Ultimately a deadline deal required 3 parties to reach agreement, it wasn't just Benning's move to make.

The GM whose moves need justiying is in Dallas. A reasonable offer gets him Hamhuis, but he got greedy and it probably cost the Stars a trip to the Finals.

Absolutely sucked not being able to move Hamhuis at the deadline. I'd bet Benning agrees completely. But makes zero sense to "double down" by re-signing Hamhuis merely because he didn't get dealt at the deadline. Short of a sweat heart 1 year deal AND being able to move Sbisa, I'd rather part ways with Hamhuis and keep working in fresh faces.

Being a GM is hard. Making trades is haaard. Expecting to get value back from players is asking too much.

Yawn. So many excuses for this clown.

 

[CanucksSayEh]

It was a mistake to let him walk without getting any value at the deadline, but an even bigger mistake would have been to try and save face by re-signing him.

 

[absolute garbage]

Trades, especially with players who have no trade clauses, rarely happen in a short time frame. It takes a lot of work and a lot of dialogue over a period of time, with the player and with the potential teams.

Based on everything, Benning opened the line of communications a couple of days before the deadline. So really no wonder he couldn't get anything for either of our UFAs. Just caught with his pants down, having done zero work in the background beforehand.

I mean, it's objectively complete insanity that players of Hamhuis' and Vrbata's caliber didn't have interest around the league as rental options for teams gunning for Cup. Unheard of. The guy simply **** the bed regarding the process of trading these assets. Nothing more, nothing less.

It's amazing the apologists are fine with this and making excuse after another. Even more amazing than Benning being so arrogant and delusional that he can't admit a mistake and the poor job he did.

But hey, he was probably real busy using that time to tour Canadian wastelands scouting 17yos, who he then had zero picks to use on. Because he traded those all away. Just GM things, just Benning things. Woops.

 

[F A N]

The point is, even with NTC considered, Benning did not get it done, period, end of story. And that was in a situation with numerous advantages playing to his favor. Look at Eric Staal's trade.

Does Hamhuis have a brother playing in the NHL?

And no, Benning won't spent time with JD had he been in the same situation as Yzerman, he wouldn't even give Shinkaruk a single chance before dumping him for a 4C.

Oh please. The JD situation was a mess much like the St. Louis situation. What did Yzerman do? Send JD down to the minors and field offers? When JD left the minor league team he suspended him? What did Benning do with Baertschi? He sat down with Baertchi's agent to explain what he sees in Baertschi. It ended up calming the waters and Baertschi ended up getting the message.

I think Yzerman is a good GM but there are now several instances where he had a star player who wasn't exactly happy including Stamkos. His handling of star players is highly questionable at this point.

 

[kanucks25]

It was a mistake to let him walk without getting any value at the deadline, but an even bigger mistake would have been to try and save face by re-signing him.

I don't really care about signing him but if management is trying to make the playoffs, why?

He'd be our 3rd best D-man at the start of the season. How can you let someone like this walk if you're bleeding assets in an attempt to fast-forward the rebuild?

 

[kanucks25]

The thing may be, how many teams out there are actually going to be willing to give him a multi-year deal that carries through the expansion draft...and the NMC to ensure he doesn't end up in Las Vegas?

Especially when you consider how narrow Hamhuis' list of teams he was interested in going to appeared to be.


Like how many teams out there would Dan Hamhuis be one of their 3 defencemen they want to protect, at this stage in his career? He's still a good player and i'd love to have him back here...but unless he wants a multi-year deal with the risk of being contractually obligated to uproot again from wherever and move to Las Vegas with his family...i'm just not sure what the market will be out there for him on a longer-term deal with expansion protection.

Which is where his best fit might ultimately end up being in Vancouver where he doesn't have to uproot at all...under that sort of 1-year deal with a handshake agreement of future extension potential. He may get out there on the market and realize he's going to be facing something like that with most teams of interest.

Expansion could make for some really strange free agency results. Or maybe teams will just ignore it and paint themselves into a corner. You never know i guess.

Good post. If he's not interested in moving around a couple times within the next 12-14 months (which is obviously is not ) then signing a small, one-year deal in Vancouver makes the most sense.

If he signs a multi-year deal there's a good chance he ends up in LV.

I imagine he prefers to stay but management is hell-bent on giving bad contracts to UFA forwards and Sbisa is taking Hamhuis's roster and cap space.


Side-note: Pittsburgh apparently was very interested in him but he wouldn't waive. Not that I'm saying it would have worked out the same if he was there but it's very possible he could have a ring

 

[vanarchy]

I don't really care about signing him but if management is trying to make the playoffs, why?

He'd be our 3rd best D-man at the start of the season. How can you let someone like this walk if you're bleeding assets in an attempt to fast-forward the rebuild?

It puzzles me aswell because I believe that's what they're trying to do. I think it has to do with them changing the "face" of the team. And they probably think getting rid of Hammer and probably buying out Burrows is going to accomplish that. But that's not really how it works.

 

[absolute garbage]

It puzzles me aswell because I believe that's what they're trying to do. I think it has to do with them changing the "face" of the team. And they probably think getting rid of Hammer and probably buying out Burrows is going to accomplish that. But that's not really how it works.

Yeah it just doesn't make sense.

Having Hamhuis on the blueline on a reasonable contract (he knows what's the situation next summer will be with expansion draft so he'd certainly be willing to sign a one year deal) would improve the team much more than having Lucic or Eriksson in the top 6 making crazy money.

But yeah. I mean, they tried their hardest last summer to put together a competitive team that can win in the playoffs but ended putting together a team that finished 3rd last in the league. So I guess it shouldn't really surprise anyone that they are again doing all the wrong things.

 

[ugghhh]

There's no way you re-sign Hamhuis. He'd want an NMC (to avoid being in the expansion draft) which means we'd need to expose or trade one of Edler, Tanev, Gudbranson.

They should have traded him at the deadline for picks.

 

[valkynax]

Does Hamhuis have a brother playing in the NHL?



Oh please. The JD situation was a mess much like the St. Louis situation. What did Yzerman do? Send JD down to the minors and field offers? When JD left the minor league team he suspended him? What did Benning do with Baertschi? He sat down with Baertchi's agent to explain what he sees in Baertschi. It ended up calming the waters and Baertschi ended up getting the message.

I think Yzerman is a good GM but there are now several instances where he had a star player who wasn't exactly happy including Stamkos. His handling of star players is highly questionable at this point.

It's not about having a brother playing in another NHL team, that gives the player incentive to move but it does not make the deal negotiation any easier - only makes it harder because the other team knows Carolina has absolutely no choice, and the deal was completed anyways.

Bae never requested a trade out of town, nor has he refused direct contractual instructions given to him by management/coach, nor was he a self-entitled little punk who thinks he deserves everything in the world handed to him on a platter. He was already given up by one team and he knows to tread more carefully on the next.

We can find a billion reasons for how Hammer's situation come to be, but like I said, it comes down to a single question: did Benning manage to avoid losing assets for nothing but prayers? The answer is a resounding no.

 

[604]

I'm just going to put this out there.

Stuff like this happening with Canucks management is just making me hate the fact that I'm a Canucks fan.

I can't speak for all Canucks fans but I'd have no problem with a rebuild if it looked like we were doing a half decent job. I would go watch the guys except I don't know if managmeent is going to dump them for crap (Garrison + Shinkaruk) or make a stupid decision like not re-signing them after not trading a UFA at the deadline (in the case of Hamhuis).

I've gone from owning season tickets, to watching every game on TV and going to several games, to the point where I actually am starting to loathe the team due to management's incompetence.

I doubt I'll pay for a ticket this year.

 

[nuckfan insk]

A 1 year deal protects him from expansion. And I'd avoid a ntc. Then can possibly move him for a asset, which they failed to do this year

 

[Soups On]

I'm just going to put this out there.

Stuff like this happening with Canucks management is just making me hate the fact that I'm a Canucks fan.

I can't speak for all Canucks fans but I'd have no problem with a rebuild if it looked like we were doing a half decent job. I would go watch the guys except I don't know if managmeent is going to dump them for crap (Garrison + Shinkaruk) or make a stupid decision like not re-signing them after not trading a UFA at the deadline (in the case of Hamhuis).

I've gone from owning season tickets, to watching every game on TV and going to several games, to the point where I actually am starting to loathe the team due to management's incompetence.

I doubt I'll pay for a ticket this year.

I'm on the same boat.

Interestingly, my girlfriend noted that whenever I talk about the Canucks, I'm always pissed off at what they're doing. I don't talk to her about hockey much, but it really dawned on me that I'm beginning to hate the team I loved so much.

The Kassian return, the Shinkaruk trade, Sbisa/Dorsett resigning, the throwing away of picks, overall **** asset management, and all this topped off with Hamhuis in the FA waters. It's just pathetic.

Edler - Tanev
Hamhuis - Gudbranson
Hutton - Tryamkin
Pedan - Larsen

Is so so so much better than

Edler - Tanev
Hutton - Gudbranson
Sbisa - Tryamkin
Pedan - Larsen

It's hard being a fan of this team, from a logistic standpoint especially.

 

[kanucks25]

A 1 year deal protects him from expansion. And I'd avoid a ntc. Then can possibly move him for a asset, which they failed to do this year

He might have to settle for a 1-year deal no matter where he signs to protect himself from Vegas but I doubt he agrees to no NTC.

If this year he's ready to be a rental again he'll surely want to control where he ends up.

 

[Nick Lang]

Thank fricking goodness. Thanks for the great play Hammer. Good luck wherever you end up.

 

[Horse McHindu]

I wonder if the Canucks will go after another UFA defenseman is if Hamhuis isn't expected to come back.

Edler-Tanev
Hutton-Gudbranson
Sbisa-Tryamkin/Stretcher

Seems a bit too risky for me. I think a defense like that would be similar to this past year's, in that, 1 injury on defense could really mess us up.

 

[TheSnowLeopard]

Seems a bit too risky for me. I think a defense like that would be similar to this past year's, in that, 1 injury on defense could really mess us up.

We are guaranteed that Tanev will be out for at least 12 games based on his past performance, Edler likely more than that. Sbisa on the top pairing?

 

[Trelane]

It was a mistake to let him walk without getting any value at the deadline, but an even bigger mistake would have been to try and save face by re-signing him.

I concur. /thread

 

[Hit the post]

I concur. /thread

Hardly - if you have no intention of re-signing him; what purpose did it serve to keep him on the team that finished in 3rd last place in the league?

Zero...zilch.

Now you can say...

/thread