TSN: Deadline || Captain Benning: The Winter Blunder

[TruGr1t]

Another huge mistake was just leaving it too long without a plan. The Canucks waited way too long to decide they were sellers and even approach Hamhuis. All the silly talk of playoffs was nonsense. They should have been planning and working on deals in advance like the Leafs and other teams have. They left themselves way to little time to work properly. Just poor planning all the time.

I'd say the biggest mistake was looking at this team and coming to the conclusion we should push for the playoffs. Everything else stems from that decision, in my opinion. Opting to sell too late, offering bloated contracts to bad players, and trading prospects/picks for older, fringe players. If this team had committed to rebuilding in the off-season (and moved Vrbata, Higgins, and Hamhuis when they had higher values) ... we'd be in a lot better place in terms of assets AND likely end up with a higher pick in the draft.

 

[canwincup]

Sekeres had it at 1st when he reported it (and seems to have some of these other offers down) but said the Canucks didn't like Dano. Even if it wasn't, I bet if you said, "We'll take a 1st and you can keep Dano" you'd get it done.

The flaw here is trying to accumulate other team's best prospects. That's just not happening unless you are trading a superstar. It's why this whole plan they sometimes go back to (and sometimes don't...) is laughable. You take the picks and run. It's how these things get done.

Benning should want these picks given how confident he is in his own drafting ability. The only reason he doesn't is because he's terrified he'll be fired before they're NHL players. He's mortgaging the future of the team because he's too scared to get fired. That's embarrassing. At least Dave Nonis had the courage not to do that. Benning is incompetent and a coward. I won't spend a dime on this team while he's running it.

Sekeres just said on the radio that it wasn't a first, it was a second. I couldn't agree more....targeting another teams top prospects is one of the dumbest things you can do, teams fall in love with their top prospects and they are more likely to deal their first.

 

[Trelane]

I think it's fair to say that the owners are Canuck fans who second guessed Benning on the value he endorsed returning. If owners had confidence that benning was returning the best he could, I don't think they second guess him.

If I was the owner, I'd be second guessing Benning after his body of work, and want everything he does and recommend to pass by me. I'd be stepping in with ideas and directions proactively... for the short term, until I figure out how to get out of this mess.

It's on the owners. JB needing approval for every transaction (including minor league assets) is a total waste of time and adds another hurdle that needs to be jumped through before stuff gets done. Here it seems the owners killed it outright or delayed enough that the buyer went elsewhere.

Owner fans make for crap management decisions. News at 11. There should be pre transaction contact only when hard budget lines are impacted and really big names in play. Dispatching an FA to be doesn't qualify.

 

[Bettman Returnz]

Another huge mistake was just leaving it too long without a plan. The Canucks waited way too long to decide they were sellers and even approach Hamhuis. All the silly talk of playoffs was nonsense. They should have been planning and working on deals in advance like the Leafs and other teams have. They left themselves way to little time to work properly. Just poor planning all the time.

I think you hit the nail on the head... It appeared they didn't really have a plan going into all of this and waited way too long. They ran out of time, plain and simple. Sounded like they could've made something with Blackhawks work but the clock struck noon as he was scrambling last second (according to several reports out there).

If JB is around again this time next year i hope he's learned his lesson and makes his moves the weeks leading up to TDL. Not on the day of! But to be honest he's lost my confidence.

 

[Proto]

Another huge mistake was just leaving it too long without a plan. The Canucks waited way too long to decide they were sellers and even approach Hamhuis. All the silly talk of playoffs was nonsense. They should have been planning and working on deals in advance like the Leafs and other teams have. They left themselves way to little time to work properly. Just poor planning all the time.

Absolutely. Nice to see we've found some common ground

 

[arttk]

I think you hit the nail on the head... It appeared they didn't really have a plan going into all of this and waited way too long. They ran out of time, plain and simple. Sounded like they could've made something with Blackhawks work but the clock struck noon as he was scrambling last second (according to several reports out there).

If JB is around again this time next year i hope he's learned his lesson and makes his moves the weeks leading up to TDL. Not on the day of! But to be honest he's lost my confidence.

From what we have seen, he has learned nothing from his 1st season. All he does is double down.

 

[Proto]

Sekeres just said on the radio that it wasn't a first, it was a second. I couldn't agree more....targeting another teams top prospects is one of the dumbest things you can do, teams fall in love with their top prospects and they are more likely to deal their first.

Sekeres has a lot of slightly more Canucks-friendly information today. I suspect Linden made a few calls since last night.

Nevertheless, I'd probably have taken that offer to Dallas, asked if they'd beat it right then and there. If they wouldn't, I'd take a 2nd and Dano and just deal with it. They didn't have enough leverage to create anything with a hard deadline.

Then they could turn that into something else on draft day if they're not enamoured with it.

 

[dwarf]

I think you hit the nail on the head... It appeared they didn't really have a plan going into all of this and waited way too long. They ran out of time, plain and simple. Sounded like they could've made something with Blackhawks work but the clock struck noon as he was scrambling last second (according to several reports out there).

If JB is around again this time next year i hope he's learned his lesson and makes his moves the weeks leading up to TDL. Not on the day of! But to be honest he's lost my confidence.

It was very obvious to me that the Canucks had done no prep work to build possible trades. Wallflower Jim was waiting for a dance partner at midnight.

Benning really believed this team was 100 point contender. And I still think they are trying to make the playoffs.

I just hope that people boycott games and merchandise until these owners are gone.

 

[Proto]

Another point here is that the Canucks are always the team that can't get value for any number of reasons in every scenario that comes up. At some point, do people not just accept that Benning sucks at negotiating? Treliving is marketing inferior assets at premium prices -- that guy knows what he's doing.

 

[Rotting Corpse*]

Also reported today that Benning had multiple teams call on Hansen. Did he see what Hansen's list was? No. Did he try to drive up the price to see what he could get? No. He just said he wasn't interested and that was that. Hansen isn't an indispensable piece of a team. How can you not even see what's out there or what you could get for him?

Flat out, Benning's GM work yesterday was equivalent to Willie's coaching last year in the playoffs: a complete abdication of his duties. It was a shameful, embarrassing performance. He's even more clueless than I thought. He's dumber than I thought. He's grossly incompetent and I can't imagine anyone defending his continued stewardship of this organization.

I have a feeling that if we saw a video of these guys working on deadline day we'd all be vomiting. Just a gaggle of inept, clueless boneheads who can barely work a telephone literally let alone work one figuratively.

 

[coastal_nuck]

Another point here is that the Canucks are always the team that can't get value for any number of reasons in every scenario that comes up. At some point, do people not just accept that Benning sucks at negotiating? Treliving is marketing inferior assets at premium prices -- that guy knows what he's doing.

Exactly the point. It's time they self reflect and be critical of their own performances. Not every GM is the same. Clearly ours has no idea what he is doing when it comes to being a GM of an NHL franchise if he couldn't extract any value from the best D on the market at the deadline.

 

[Bettman Returnz]

It was very obvious to me that the Canucks had done no prep work to build possible trades. Wallflower Jim was waiting for a dance partner at midnight.

Benning really believed this team was 100 point contender. And I still think they are trying to make the playoffs.

I just hope that people boycott games and merchandise until these owners are gone.

Agreed. That's the only real way to send the message. I have lost all confidence that this organization knows what they're doing. Sad day to say the least. I've been a fan for so long (and not one of those bandwagon knob fans)... This TDL was a major slap in the face. They've lost my interest and will not be making an effort to watch any more games this season. A few weeks ago was talking about buying tickets but that's definitely not happening now!

 

[canuckfan75]

Sekeres has a lot of slightly more Canucks-friendly information today. I suspect Linden made a few calls since last night.

Nevertheless, I'd probably have taken that offer to Dallas, asked if they'd beat it right then and there. If they wouldn't, I'd take a 2nd and Dano and just deal with it. They didn't have enough leverage to create anything with a hard deadline.

Then they could turn that into something else on draft day if they're not enamoured with it.

Of course he is. Trevor Linden was calling him for sure. Remember Sekeres does all of Linden Club 16 commericals. where he gets a bonus so he is in Lindens back pocket ..

 

[I am toxic]

Also reported today that Benning had multiple teams call on Hansen. Did he see what Hansen's list was? No. Did he try to drive up the price to see what he could get? No. He just said he wasn't interested and that was that. Hansen isn't an indispensable piece of a team. How can you not even see what's out there or what you could get for him?

Flat out, Benning's GM work yesterday was equivalent to Willie's coaching last year in the playoffs: a complete abdication of his duties. It was a shameful, embarrassing performance. He's even more clueless than I thought. He's dumber than I thought. He's grossly incompetent and I can't imagine anyone defending his continued stewardship of this organization.

I love Hansen and what he brings, but he is 29 and having one of (if not the) best seasons of his career. He is not going to get faster as he gets older, rather the reverse. Given where this team is, he should have been moved.

Minor compared to Hammer, but wow.

I like how Chicago identifies a core, and then moves pieces to maximize the return. What can you say, if they win the cup for the 4th time in 7 years in a cap world. And I hate them because of Keith.

Right or wrong, the Sedins are going nowhere (I think it is right).

But as for the future core, I would build around the following:

Bo
Sven
JV
Tanev
Hutton
Markstrom


Let 'em grow together, add some knock-it-out-of-the-park draft picks (Demko? Boesser? future top 3 pick?), shrewd FA signings, depth players coming out of Green's Comets and voila. Sedins hoist a cup 4 years from now as our 3rd line.

 

[Phenomenon13]

You know what makes all this worse?

The Flames benefited greatly from captain blunder.

So far the Flames (one of our greatest rivals) have out coached us in the playoffs, out played us in the playoffs, wrecked us in trades (shinkaruk), had a fantastic deadline in comparison (sold expiring ufas for assets) and great young core (Future outlook).

We are being outclassed from the top down and in every facet.

 

[canuckfan75]

They were not prepared.... waited too long to move on deals.

and have shown they are terrible at cutting deals.

once again the Canucks as they have been all through out there 46 years on this league close but could not come through in the clutch


They are truly the Chicago Cubs of the National Hockey League


Mark my words. if Benning misses the palyoffs next year. He and Willie are Done


pm for some details

 

[tantalum]

You know what makes all this worse?

The Flames benefited greatly from captain blunder.

So far the Flames (one of our greatest rivals) have out coached us in the playoffs, out played us in the playoffs, wrecked us in trades (shinkaruk), had a fantastic deadline in comparison (sold expiring ufas for assets) and great young core (Future outlook).

We are being outclassed from the top down and in every facet.

And the guy at the top can't even tie his ****ing tie or comb his ****ing hair!

 

[Phenomenon13]

They were not prepared.... waited too long to move on deals.

and have shown they are terrible at cutting deals.

once again the Canucks as they have been all through out there 46 years on this league close but could not come through in the clutch


They are truly the Chicago Cubs of the National Hockey League


Mark my words. if Benning misses the palyoffs next year. He and Willie are Done


pm for some details

I think we are slam dunk for missing the playoffs. The only way we make it is if Benning mortgages the future.

 

[canwincup]

They were not prepared.... waited too long to move on deals.

and have shown they are terrible at cutting deals.

once again the Canucks as they have been all through out there 46 years on this league close but could not come through in the clutch


They are truly the Chicago Cubs of the National Hockey League


Mark my words. if Benning misses the palyoffs next year. He and Willie are Done


pm for some details

So they'll get one more year?

 

[canuckfan75]

Trust me guys

with the Family always sticking there nose in there.

Benning hands are tied. But he does come across as grossly unprepared..


also even if Benning gets canned. word gets around the leagues as to how the Family does bussiness. who that is a credible or up and coming star would want to come in and take over the team


But mark my words. John Wiesbrod is lurking in the weeds . I think they want Benning around for 1 more draft ( that is what he is good at ) and the Family will give Linden the Nod.. and boom Benning is gone

 

[Cupless44]

6 UFAs and nothing back. Think about that.

No exploration of getting a big return for Hansen or Edler.

No forward thinking moves, just more and more depreciating assets, Miller and Vrbata could have been dealt in the summer.

Just commit to a rebuild and get on with a coherent, sensible plan the customers can understand.

 

[Wellwood You]

Flames radio is just RIPPING on Benning and company.

You know it's bad when...

 

[TruGr1t]

Flames radio is just RIPPING on Benning and company.

You know it's bad when...

You'd think they'd be grateful for us pretty much facilitating the Russell trade.

 

[Tiranis]

I don't think the problem with Benning (or the rest of the front office) is that he doesn't plan for things. I think it's probably the opposite. They sit around "planning" but no one actually does any work. It's quite a common problem for people who aren't used to being in charge of something: they get swept up in all the possible options, sit around for days discussing them, think they're getting so much done and in the meantime all their competition flies by them.

 

[canuckfan75]

The whole league is laughing at the Canucks.

it is going to get ugly in a hurry. I think we are going to hear some bad chants at the game tonight. The fans have had it