Jim Bennings Draft Record as Assistant GM in Boston

[Breakers]

I always wondered why Jim Benning was perceived to be a great scout at his time with Boston

Started working as an assistant to the GM in Boston in the summer of 2006 and was in that position till the summer of 2014.
So essentially he was involved in the 2006-2013 Drafts as the assistant GM.

As we enter 2016 I just wanted to see what people's opinions are from when he was an assistant GM with Boston during this time frame?

Notes 2006 was dynamite, other than that No late round picks have materialized other than spooner, and 2007 was an absolute nightmare

2006
Kessel ---------GP 708
Alexandrov ----GP 0
Lucic -----------GP 605
Marchand ------GP 411
Bodnarchuk ----GP 22
Nelson ----------GP 0
2007
Hamill ----------GP 20
Cross -----------GP 3
Reul ------------GP 0
Goulet ----------GP 0
Ostricill ---------GP 0
Knackstedt -----GP 0
2008
Colborne -------GP 194
Sauve ----------GP 0
Hutchinson -----GP 58
Arniel -----------GP 1
Tremblay -------GP 0
Goggin ----------GP 0
2009
Caron -----------GP 157
Button ----------GP 0
Macdermid ------GP 10
Randall ----------GP 0
Sexton ----------GP 0
2010
Seguin ----------GP 396
Knight ----------GP 0
Spooner --------GP 90
Cunningham ---GP 40
Florek -----------GP 0
McIntyre --------GP 0
Trotman ---------GP 0
Chudinov --------GP 0
2011
Hamilton --------GP 217
Khocklachev ----GP 9
Camera ---------GP 0
Ferlin ------------GP 0
O'Gara -----------GP 0
Vorden -----------GP 0
2012
Subban ----------GP 1
Gryxelchek ------GP 0
Griffith -----------GP 32
Payne ------------GP 0
Benning --------- GP 0
Hargrove ---------GP 0
2013
Arnesson ---------GP 0
Cehlarik ----------GP 0
Fitzgerald --------GP 0
Blidh -------------GP 0
Sherman ---------GP 0
Dempsey ---------GP 0

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[Peter10]

Benning joined the Bruins only in July 2006 - so after the draft.

Since 2007 it looks absolutely brutal if you exclude Seguin thats not even a 100 goals in total of all drafted players.

However, I am not sure how involved he was in drafting. This is what his bio (on the Bruins site) was saying when he was with Boston.

He serves as an advisor to General Manager Peter Chiarelli on all matters pertaining to player evaluation, trades and free agent signings, in addition to assisting the General Manager in overseeing all individuals in their specific duties for the Bruins.

 

[KeninsFan]

The 2006 draft is mostly credited to Jeff Gorton (current NYR GM)

 

[y2kcanucks]

Where did the myth about Benning being a genius drafter begin?

 

[Breakers]

Benning joined the Bruins only in July 2006 - so after the draft.

Since 2007 it looks absolutely brutal if you exclude Seguin thats not even a 100 goals in total of all drafted players.

However, I am not sure how involved he was in drafting. This is what his bio (on the Bruins site) was saying when he was with Boston.

Sorry, missed that. I thought he joined earlier.

 

[Peter10]

Sorry, missed that. I thought he joined earlier.

He was hired one month after the draft

http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/articles/2007/07/15/bruins_promote_benning_sweeney/

The 44-year-old Benning served as the Buffalo Sabres' director of amateur scouting before Chiarelli hired him July 25, 2006. In 2006-07, Benning worked from his home in Sherwood, Ore., but will move to New England for the 2007-08 season. Benning's old position will not be filled.

 

[Peter10]

Where did the myth about Benning being a genius drafter begin?

Probably because the Sabres drafted Vanek when he was there and people credit him wrongly with the 2006 Bruins draft.

 

[Evolu7ion]

Where did the myth about Benning being a genius drafter begin?

It's just the way he talks about evaluating players, he's clearly in the know.... He's got such a great eye for spotting guys he thinks can rip the puck and scrum it up real nice and heavy along the boards and in the crease.

 

[94eleven]

I was under the impression it was his time in Buffalo that people referred to regarding him being a good scout and that in Boston he focused more on the pro side as opposed to amateur drafting.

 

[Peter10]

I was under the impression it was his time in Buffalo that people referred to regarding him being a good scout and that in Boston he focused more on the pro side as opposed to amateur drafting.

Looking at the Buffalo drafts from 98 he only had two players in Vanek and Miller close to being a star and Vanek was in 2003 when the first round one of the best ever. Look who was drafted after Vanek: Ryan Suter, Dion Phaneuf, Jeff Carter, Dustin Brown, Brent Seebrock, Zach Parise, Ryan Getzlaf, Brent Burns, Ryan Kesler, Mike Richards, Corey Perry, Loui Eriksson, Patrice Bergeron, Shea Weber... I guess chances to draft someone good at 5 werent so bad that year.


Other than that he had some solid secondary players in Stafford, Sekera, MacArthur, Hejda, Ballard, Paille, Wideman, Roay, Thorburn, Pominville, Gaustad.

During his time with Boston I think yeah he was probably more involved with pro-scouting and player evalutation than scouting. However, he also gets credited with the Raycroft-Rask trade although that deal was done a month before he joined the Bruins. During his tenure as assistant GM in Boston the Bruins made a few good and a few not so good trade but its pretty touch to judge what influence Benning had at this.

 

[Breakers]

I was under the impression it was his time in Buffalo that people referred to regarding him being a good scout and that in Boston he focused more on the pro side as opposed to amateur drafting.

That could be the case.

I guess I just found it curious when people kept saying the "Boston Model" when we hired Benning.

Because frankly this draft record is not good, as I am not seeing those Gallagher, Palat, Shaw type draft picks show up on record.

The Boston Model doesn't sound too good to me.

 

[Peter10]

The Boston Model doesn't sound too good to me.

We just must hope that he wasnt involved in the Bruins drafting at all. Besides Seguin (#2 overall and obviou choice at two) and Hamilton (#9) there is pretty much nothing to speak of in terms of NHL players (Pasternak will likely turn out a good one - still early though) everything else is pretty much a failed pick.

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

Should list out the Buffalo era

 

[Breakers]

We just must hope that he wasnt involved in the Bruins drafting at all. Besides Seguin (#2 overall and obviou choice at two) and Hamilton (#9) there is pretty much nothing to speak of in terms of NHL players (Pasternak will likely turn out a good one - still early though) everything else is pretty much a failed pick.

Yeah that's what I noticed as well.

Plus Seguin isn't even with the team anymore

Spooner could be good as he has 26 points in 38 games this year as a 24 year old.

 

[604]

Where did the myth about Benning being a genius drafter begin?

For me, NHL EHM.

The guy is a great scout in that hockey management video game.

 

[SillyRabbit]

So sick of hearing about how his biggest strength is drafting.

He has no strengths.

 

[groov2]

Why are we looking at his drafting numbers when he was an AGM? How about we look at his drafting numbers when he was a head scout? They are fantastic.

 

[WTG]

Why are we looking at his drafting numbers when he was an AGM? How about we look at his drafting numbers when he was a head scout? They are fantastic.

If by fantastic you mean average then sure.

 

[banme*]

Why are we looking at his drafting numbers when he was an AGM? How about we look at his drafting numbers when he was a head scout? They are fantastic.

Because.

If by fantastic you mean average then sure.

Again, don't like Benning particularly but this is not true. Criticize the truth.

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

If by fantastic you mean average then sure.

He meant by comparing to Gillis

 

[Peter10]

So sick of hearing about how his biggest strength is drafting.

He has no strengths.

Though I am one of the anti-Benning faction I wouldnt go that far. The problem with all that stuff is, that nobody can really figure out how much impact he had on any of of those picks. Maybe he was the major voice in getting Miller and Vanek or maybe he wanted to draft Jessiman instead of Vanek but got overturned by Regier. We will never know and never find out. All we can do is drawing some conclusions and mine dont look too good.

However what I found interesting while doing a bit of research for Bennings past jobs was that most reports/article got stuff wrong (like the Rask trade and the 2006 Bruins draft) and it seems like either people didnt do any real research or that they were caught in the hype and didnt bother to double check previous reports.

 

[banme*]

He meant by comparing to Gillis

His drafting record during his Buffalo tenure was the best in the league in terms of finding NHL players.

 

[mathonwy]

Though I am one of the anti-Benning faction I wouldnt go that far. The problem with all that stuff is, that nobody can really figure out how much impact he had on any of of those picks. Maybe he was the major voice in getting Miller and Vanek or maybe he wanted to draft Jessiman instead of Vanek but got overturned by Regier. We will never know and never find out. All we can do is drawing some conclusions and mine dont look too good.

However what I found interesting while doing a bit of research for Bennings past jobs was that most reports/article got stuff wrong (like the Rask trade and the 2006 Bruins draft) and it seems like either people didnt do any real research or that they were caught in the hype and didnt bother to double check previous reports.

I'm not entirely sure how it works but I'm thinking that if you do enough digging, you can probably extrapolate which scout was championing which prospect?

I'm guessing that scouts are divided by the leagues that they know the best.

 

[Peter10]

Why are we looking at his drafting numbers when he was an AGM? How about we look at his drafting numbers when he was a head scout? They are fantastic.

I could follow that up by asking why are we comparing a head scout to a General Manager.

The head scout should be the major input for the GM when it comes to drafting and the GM should base his decisions on that (and his own) yet Benning is pretty much doing the head scout job himself now and maybe losing focus on his real job. If he loves scouting that much, then guess what...he should be a scout but not a GM. There is nothing wrong with it. If you found a job you love and bleed for hit all power to you but why then accept a higher position only to pretty much get more money and still do the same and dont have the time to do your real tasks?

 

[mathonwy]

Why are we looking at his drafting numbers when he was an AGM? How about we look at his drafting numbers when he was a head scout? They are fantastic.

His drafting record during his Buffalo tenure was the best in the league in terms of finding NHL players.

Please provide link.