Speculation: iMac: Canucks will be "aggressive" on July 1st with regards to second-tier FAs

[Melvin]

Hi GuyS I RegisTeeed today and I HAvE some GrEAt takes on Why JIM BenniNG is A GrEAt GM!

 

[Zombotron]

Nah, they're not russian. But my finger slipped! Whoops!

 

[LordBacon]

No he won't and I am sure when he doesn't people here will say Acquilini stopped him, because you know Dumb Jim is like a drr drr dumb!

Amazing how many people call him stupid yet who's the guy making millions a year running a NHL franchise, and who's on the internet talking like they know better?

Who's the smart one? The guy with the dream job making millions or the guys thinking they can do better but wouldn't even get a sniff managing a tyke aaa team?

I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings Jim. Didn’t know you are such a snow flake.

 

[Ryp37]

well in all reality, if you could do a better job, you wouldn't be in the peanut gallery claiming you could but rather, you'd be hired to do it. You see, people get jobs because they are qualified and put in the work over decades to prove it.

I am sure you think you could be a better brain surgeon than most as well, by watching doogie howser! LOL

"given opportunities' - tells me all I need to know bro - opportunities are earned. And no one here has earned the ability to run a franchise, lol.

"many of us could do better' - your job must be flippin burgers if you think watching hockey games would make you a better professional and better qualified, because you're assuming that job is as easy as yours.

Ah another Benning relative

 

[Kel Varnson]

You should never "aggressively" pursue 2nd tier players. It's pretty simple, they're are 2nd tier because while they may be useful they're not going to alter the path of your franchise much.

 

[mouz135]

You should never "aggressively" pursue 2nd tier players. It's pretty simple, they're are 2nd tier because while they may be useful they're not going to alter the path of your franchise much.

We are talking about Jim Benning here. He aggressively pursues 4th liners

 

[tantalum]

You should never "aggressively" pursue 2nd tier players. It's pretty simple, they're are 2nd tier because while they may be useful they're not going to alter the path of your franchise much.

Yep. Get a good deal on a guy then take it. No problem with that. But aggressive pursuit shouldn't be in the cards unless you are truly looking for that last piece you think you need for a run (and then you are usually doing that on deadline day when you know where your team stands, not on July 1). A team like the canucks that was 23rd in the league (5 points removed from yet another bottom 5 finish) definitely shouldn't be agressive in the UFA market outside of true multi-year core players like Panarin. The type of player they have already said they won't go after!

 

[4Twenty]

No he won't and I am sure when he doesn't people here will say Acquilini stopped him, because you know Dumb Jim is like a drr drr dumb!

Amazing how many people call him stupid yet who's the guy making millions a year running a NHL franchise, and who's on the internet talking like they know better?

Who's the smart one? The guy with the dream job making millions or the guys thinking they can do better but wouldn't even get a sniff managing a tyke aaa team?

Yeah, I wish my dad was an NHL scout and I was an NHL drafted 1st round pick....those are the folks that generally get those opportunities in the NHL. It's a network of who you know.

I guess I could've become a lawyer, then agent, and sneaked through the backdoor...but yeah my life choices were off.

Thanks for joining HFboards...it's been nice knowing ya.

 

[xtra]

Even if I couldn’t do better than benning just realize we have been the worst team in the 5 years overall he’s been here so mathematically I couldn’t do worse

 

[Numba9]

Even if I couldn’t do better than benning just realize we have been the worst team in the 5 years overall he’s been here so mathematically I couldn’t do worse

Interesting fact you've presented. Based on a real fact that your fact is blatantly wrong I'm going to assume that you would do amazingly worse than Benning.

 

[4Twenty]

Interesting fact you've presented. Based on a real fact that your fact is blatantly wrong I'm going to assume that you would do amazingly worse than Benning.

Oh, no, massive difference between 4th worst and worst. maybe next year we may get it up to 5th or 6th worst. Praise Benning.

 

[Numba9]

Oh, no, massive difference between 4th worst and worst. maybe next year we may get it up to 5th or 6th worst. Praise Benning.

Ah and there it is, the predicted reply. Should I trust you to stick up for a Benning supporter doing the same thing? If I had to guess, you would instead be calling him/her out on it.

 

[4Twenty]

Ah and there it is, the predicted reply. Should I trust you to stick up for a Benning supporter doing the same thing? If I had to guess, you would instead be calling him/her out on it.

The point remains the same whether they're last or very close to the bottom.

The best part is they're 4th worst, and largely the team he inherited had a 100+ point season in the first season. When Benning thought he was improving the team for the playoffs after that, the worst/2nd worst over that 4 year period....

Keep on supporting.

 

[JanBulisPiggyBack]

You have to consider that the teams who finished worse than us, in some of those cases they liquidated all their assets and intentionally shot for the bottom, where as we were in competition for the playoffs and still finished mere spots above them in the standings

 

[xtra]

Interesting fact you've presented. Based on a real fact that your fact is blatantly wrong I'm going to assume that you would do amazingly worse than Benning.

You know what your right. I didn’t update my numbers after I made the original claim last year but still how much worse is the difference between 4worst and worst?

 

[Numba9]

When Benning thought he was improving the team for the playoffs after that, the worst/2nd worst over that 4 year period.

Please tell me what has Benning done in the last two years that would indicate to you that his #1 goal was to make the playoffs?

 

[4Twenty]

Please tell me what has Benning done in the last two years that would indicate to you that his #1 goal was to make the playoffs?

So we just ignore the two years prior?

There are countless management threads where this has been discussed. Don't feel like getting into it.

What do you think his goals were the last two seasons? What about the upcoming season?

 

[Numba9]

So we just ignore the two years prior?

Not completely but it's misleading to just lump all the years together and imply that Benning's top priority was making the playoffs in all four years when his actions show that the clearly wasn't the case.

What do you think his goals were the last two seasons?

It's clear his goals were first to build and develop a young core of players and support them by surrounding them with older experienced players; making the playoffs was likely a goal also but a lesser priority. You can disagree with this direction but it's crystal clear that making the playoffs was not a high priority the last two years.

What about the upcoming season?

The priorities likely have changed and the playoffs are further up the list but based off the fact that Benning avoided publicly stating that making the playoffs was the top goal, I think that developing the young core is still the #1 priority. They are obviously going to try and make a splash in free agency but I don't think they'll make any transactions at the expense of future assets.

 

[xtra]

Please tell me what has Benning done in the last two years that would indicate to you that his #1 goal was to make the playoffs?

Signing a damn 3 million dollar 4th line center to play defense

 

[4Twenty]

Not completely but it's misleading to just lump all the years together and imply that Benning's top priority was making the playoffs in all four years when his actions show that the clearly wasn't the case.



It's clear his goals were first to build and develop a young core of players and support them by surrounding them with older experienced players; making the playoffs was likely a goal also but a lesser priority. You can disagree with this direction but it's crystal clear that making the playoffs was not a high priority the last two years.



The priorities likely have changed and the playoffs are further up the list but based off the fact that Benning avoided publicly stating that making the playoffs was the top goal, I think that developing the young core is still the #1 priority. They are obviously going to try and make a splash in free agency but I don't think they'll make any transactions at the expense of future assets.

Well, I don't think he expected his teams to be as bad as they have been.

Who are the core players? I don't know where it fell in priority, but I don't think he sat there thinking his additions wouldn't improve the team. I don't understand how signing older players makes sense as a means to develop young players, but to each their own.

Cap space is an asset, any big splash in FA is essentially making moves at the expense of future cap flexibility. Are they going for the playoffs this year or not?

 

[TruGr1t]

Please tell me what has Benning done in the last two years that would indicate to you that his #1 goal was to make the playoffs?

Uhh tried to trade our 1st rounder for PK Subban? Re-signed Gudbranson? Refused to trade Tanev for futures? Traded Hansen and Burrows for "age gap" players instead of draft picks? Sign the Beagle deal when you already have Sutter? I dunno. I'm probably missing some things here.

 

[Jyrki21]

well in all reality, if you could do a better job, you wouldn't be in the peanut gallery claiming you could but rather, you'd be hired to do it. You see, people get jobs because they are qualified and put in the work over decades to prove it.

I am sure you think you could be a better brain surgeon than most as well, by watching doogie howser! LOL

"given opportunities' - tells me all I need to know bro - opportunities are earned. And no one here has earned the ability to run a franchise, lol.

"many of us could do better' - your job must be flippin burgers if you think watching hockey games would make you a better professional and better qualified, because you're assuming that job is as easy as yours.

You literally ignored absolutely everything I wrote. Well done.

 

[Numba9]

Uhh tried to trade our 1st rounder for PK Subban? Re-signed Gudbranson? Refused to trade Tanev for futures? Traded Hansen and Burrows for "age gap" players instead of draft picks? Sign the Beagle deal when you already have Sutter? I dunno. I'm probably missing some things here.

First off, I know this might be difficult but let's look at actual facts/actions and not hearsay. Benning stated he wanted to surround the young players with older experienced players, so why would he get rid of Gudbranson and Tanev when there were no younger players ready to replace them? Notice how Gudbranson was traded for a forward and magically Hughes appeared. Dahlen was 19 and Goldy was 21, not sure how you think they are "age gap" players. I'm also not sure how anyone can think Benning signed Beagle to be a primary catalyst for taking a run at the playoffs.

 

[TruGr1t]

First off, I know this might be difficult but let's look at actual facts/actions and not hearsay. Benning stated he wanted to surround the young players with older experienced players, so why would he get rid of Gudbranson and Tanev when there were no younger players ready to replace them? Notice how Gudbranson was traded for a forward and magically Hughes appeared. Dahlen was 19 and Goldy was 21, not sure how you think they are "age gap" players. I'm also not sure how anyone can think Benning signed Beagle to be a primary catalyst for taking a run at the playoffs.

There was really no viable reason to keep Gudbranson around given his level of play. Especially since there were numerous reports that both Gudbranson and Sutter (and most likely Tanev) could have garnered multiple draft picks on a couple occasions (including at last year's draft). Also you do not try to sign Lucic, sign Eriksson, trade for Subban, or move futures for a guy like Gubdranson if you are not trying to short circuit a rebuild. You do not hang onto a guy like Tanev as he precipitously declines into an injury-riddled mess when a mere 18 months ago you could have extracted not immaterial value in trade.

Dahlen and Goldy were acquired because they were supposed to have near-term impact on the line-up (i.e. within 2 years). I don't think anyone can claim we wouldn't have been better off with a couple 2nd or 3rd round picks. Though given our development system and the impact of picks after the first round they might have been wasted anyway. It really comes down to the fact we have literally refused to acquire additional draft picks for 4 years. Why? Because we've been trying to compete. Failing spectacularly, but trying to compete nonetheless. Benning specifically said he was targeting players that were close to having a NHL impact and that's why he didn't ask for draft picks.

Benning's "insult young players with veterans" is a total communication ploy so that they can try to make the playoffs while not pissing off large swathes of the fan base that demanded a rebuild. I do not see much difference in spending exorbitant UFA dollars on older players unless you are trying to make the playoffs. You can say it's about "insulating youth," but there's only one reason you sign vets to lucrative contracts in free agency. Spin it however you'd like.

I'd argue Benning has done one single thing that aligns with a true rebuild: He has resisted the urge to trade our first round picks. Though he did try with Subban. That's it. The rest of his moves have been a total maligned mess of a strategy that makes literally no sense.

 

[Cogburn]

Ugh. "Second-tier"?

Skinner maaaaaaayyyyyyyyyybbbbbbbbeeeeeeee but the rest of the listed names aren't going to help us improve.