Is the "Retool" or "Rebuild on the Fly" Over?

[Jack Burton]

What say you?

I think it is.

Looks like this is the roster that this organization is going all in with and if Pettersson and Hughes really work out then some serious salary has to be shed to be able to pay them.

That money will most likely come from walking away from UFA's over the next few seasons and those players being replaced from within the system.

Click to read more...

 

[TJ21]

... what rebuild?

 

[tantalum]

In management's eyes yes the "rebuild" is over. I'm guessing the new management that takes over by the end of the season will have a different opinion.

 

[JTmillerForA1stLOL]

When a lottery team starts trading their first round picks I think it's safe to say the "rebuild" is over.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Things have to work out very well for that to be the case. Ownership and management are gambling on some long shots right now. Pettersson has to prove he has the durability to play a full season... Miller and Myers have to justify their costs... Hughes and some other young defensemen, like Juolevi or Woo, have to assume the importance of Tanev and Elder... Demko has to stay healthy. That's a lot to go right... and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

My guess is that this will prove to be a false start and that it will take at least 3-5 years of competent management and meddle free ownership right this ship and to get us out of the re-build/re-tool phase.

 

[GreatSaveLuongo]

In management's eyes yes the "rebuild" is over. I'm guessing the new management that takes over by the end of the season will have a different opinion.

Regardless of a new GM or Benning stays they work under Acquailli, who thinks the rebuild is over. We're doomed.

 

[DL44]

Yeah, it's over.

Its go time in terms of player acquisition and filling roster weaknesses.

Podkolzin being the last high pick in the plans. The coming drafts are back to relying on luck.

We are going forward with this core plus Podkolzin. We will trade pieces like Stecher and Gaudette along the way... but we are playoff focused here on...

 

[TruGr1t]

It was over the minute ownership decided to have Benning work his final year without contract certainty. Unless the Aquilinis are total idiots (I guess that's possible) they'd realize what sort of incentive that creates. Benning has no choice but to compete. They're basically telling him: "Make the playoffs or you're fired." Nobody in their right mind would continue trying to rebuild unless their goal was actually to get fired (or you're Hextall, I suppose).

This is all around completely illogical, but whatever.

 

[racerjoe]

It was over the minute ownership decided to have Benning work his final year without contract certainty. Unless the Aquilinis are total idiots (I guess that's possible) they'd realize what sort of incentive that creates. Benning has no choice but to compete. They're basically telling him: "Make the playoffs or you're fired." Nobody in their right mind would continue trying to rebuild unless their goal was actually to get fired (or you're Hextall, I suppose).

This is all around completely illogical, but whatever.

Like him or not Nonis didn't. He did right by this team first.

I could say it may be the smarter plan... at least in real world not hockey world where performance would help get that next job, but in the hockey world he will get a front office job somewhere.

 

[WTG]

What say you

Unless the Canucks have a good season, the "rebuild" will always be a fallback excuse by Sportsnet and management.

I can already see Benning say, "it's a long process and we got lots of young guys like the Stecbers, Pettersson's, Boeser's...". Then iMac will come out and shill for management.

We all know what is going to happen.
Markstrom is going to regress, Pettersson will probably have a predictable sophomore slump in which he matches his point totals (happened to many of the top players in the league). Theyll have a critical injury and no depth to back it up. One of the UFAs will be a complete dud.

This stuff happens every year.
We'll be hearing this message of rebuild for as long as Benning is here. Because the only thing he is good at is building bad rosters.

 

[Josepho]

I don't think we absolutely HAVE to rebuild/retool/whatever anymore, but I also have zero confidence in the people here to build a team around the really good young players we have.

 

[tantalum]

Markstrom is going to regress, Pettersson will probably have a predictable sophomore slump in which he matches his point totals (happened to many of the top players in the league). Theyll have a critical injury and no depth to back it up. One of the UFAs will be a complete dud.

On Markstrom...Harman has a new article in The Athletic on exactly how good his season was. Now I'll be honest in that the piece doesn't really delve into anything new but it collects all the various bits of info in one place. Essentially while his numbers didn't really change from the previous season, the team defense was significantly worse and gave up far more high quality chances. 5-on-5 he ranked very high among the starters. So if he regresses, and I think it's a good bet that he does, the blueline has to be significantly improved to offset the regression, like Marky offset the blueline regression last year, and then even more improved to actually make a difference compared to last season. I don't see that level of improvement.

So basically boils down to the same thing every other year: If Marky maintains his level of play, if the blueline is actually improved, if the kids produce against stiff competition, if they manage to get something other than league worst offense from the bottom 6....if the stars align they could make the playoffs. That's what the completed rebuild has brought us. squeaking into playoffs if everything goes right.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Yes...the JTM trade siganalled that...In all likelihood, the Canucks first rounder next year would probably not even crack the lineup till 2022-23 (unless they win the lottery).

Eventually, you have to shit or get off of the pot...You can run the risk of players 'dying on the vine' if you're perpetually waiting for that next big 'piece' that you will get in the lottery (which then leads you into your eternal rebuild on rebuild... Oilers,Sabres,Panthers,Coyotes).

It's only deserving to players like Horvat,and coach Green..that they have a competitive squad for once.

 

[xtra]

We never rebuilt or retooled on the fly. What we did was attempt to compete but failed and now have run out of excuses

 

[Bleach Clean]

Yes, it’s over. That is, their intention to retool is over. Still, it’s probable that the team is perpetually mediocre or below par because of how they chose to do this. As a result, they are still in a position to draft relatively high throughout. Creating the same effect of a retool (without the pick accrual which Benning never did anyway).

With one or two down years, and subsequent high picks, it’s going to seem like the same method is occurring regardless.

The poor contracts are the anchors put in place to help ensure that mediocrity. Even with a thin, but good core group they are in tough.

 

[F A N]

Yes. It's over in the sense that it's time to make the playoffs.

 

[Szechwan]

Can you really call it a rebuild when we had a net loss of draft picks?

 

[Fire Benning]

They never consciously rebuilt to begin with, they fluked into a cornerstone player by being accidentally bad lol

This offseason was about desperation and 'hail mary' type moves, I don't see it as the signalling of the end of anything in particular.

Where's the plethora of players within the system?

 

[ddawg1950]

Our long nightmare is over.

All that's left is to collect the Cup.

 

[I in the Eye]

How can a perpetual Retool be over? They are going to continue to Retool, then Retool the Retool, then Retool the Retool, then Retool the Retool, in an infinite loop... like they've been doing since they got here a year ago, + a year ago, + a year ago, + a year ago, + a year ago... Nothing's changed.. It only seems like it's different... that it's noteworthy right now, like a virgin stone being touched for the first time in 1000000000 years (an eventful day, in the life of that stone)... because it's the Retool being looked at from a single point in time, of an infinite wave. It expands, then it contracts... then it expands... then it contracts... over, and over... until one eventful day, the Retool is pushed into the light... and the light is dimmed... forever, until through the light, comes a Retool. Then the Retool is Retooled, over, and over, again...

 

[DS7]

It never started properly in the first place

 

[flying v 604]

Things have to work out very well for that to be the case. Ownership and management are gambling on some long shots right now. Pettersson has to prove he has the durability to play a full season... Miller and Myers have to justify their costs... Hughes and some other young defensemen, like Juolevi or Woo, have to assume the importance of Tanev and Elder... Demko has to stay healthy. That's a lot to go right... and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

My guess is that this will prove to be a false start and that it will take at least 3-5 years of competent management and meddle free ownership right this ship and to get us out of the re-build/re-tool phase.

Longshots? Like Insaid in a diff post, you HF Benning haters are sad and are grasping at straws. You guys are now directing your hate to well if all the players he's drafted signed or traded for fall flat on their face we will fail. How stupid is that? Every single team can literally say the same thing. There is a far etter chance that the players he drafted will live up to the hype, Miller and Ferland have already proved what they can do, dito with Myers, and Benn. I really hope all Benning haters unite once he gets an extension, and boycott the playoffs, since it would be hypocritical to cheer for a team built by a gm you haters don't like.

 

[flying v 604]

They never consciously rebuilt to begin with, they fluked into a cornerstone player by being accidentally bad lol

This offseason was about desperation and 'hail mary' type moves, I don't see it as the signalling of the end of anything in particular.

Where's the plethora of players within the system?

Your joking right? Benning fluked into Petey? Lol that was one of 2 drafts we dropped as many spots as possible. Thanks to Benning having balls we have a cornetstone player as you call him. This team still has a top 10 prospect pool even after the recent graduates. As for hail mary moves that is hilarious, every fan of the team said the same thing, improve the top 6 and our D. Benning did both and all it cost was a conditional 1st and money that isnt ours. But I guess people like you are the type that want everything without giving anything up.

 

[y2kcanucks]

Yeah, it's over.

Its go time in terms of player acquisition and filling roster weaknesses.

Podkolzin being the last high pick in the plans. The coming drafts are back to relying on luck.

We are going forward with this core plus Podkolzin. We will trade pieces like Stecher and Gaudette along the way... but we are playoff focused here on...

How can something that never even started be over?

This Canucks organization is in a very bad spot. Some good young players surrounded by a lot of junk. This is a bad team that is now capped out and trying to make a push for 8th (despite still clearly a step below the top 8-9 teams in the conference). Wasting the early/prime years of our young core's careers.

 

[y2kcanucks]

Your joking right? Benning fluked into Petey? Lol that was one of 2 drafts we dropped as many spots as possible. Thanks to Benning having balls we have a cornetstone player as you call him. This team still has a top 10 prospect pool even after the recent graduates. As for hail mary moves that is hilarious, every fan of the team said the same thing, improve the top 6 and our D. Benning did both and all it cost was a conditional 1st and money that isnt ours. But I guess people like you are the type that want everything without giving anything up.

You're joking right? Benning tried to make the playoffs that season. The team he put together failed miserably.