Management Thread - Read OP

[MS]

Did we just become best friends....

I felt all alone on that island

I also have Kappo at #1 overall.

 

[Peen]

Also agree that Kakko is #1

 

[Horse McHindu]

I think Hughes will be drafted #1 and will be better than Hischier, but not as good as Matthews.

However - Kakko will have the best career out of all the players in this draft in my opinion (give or take, maybe one or two surprises from the back-end).

 

[Cupless44]

Now is a time the incompetence of Jim Benning is fully on display and we are all scared as to what he might do.

He has no assets to trade for a decent roster player after 5 years on the job. Compare that to what the Rangers have done since they focused ona proper rebuild a short time ago. So now the first round pick of a stacked 2020 draft is reportedly in play because he has no tradable assets. Hung on to Tanev until he has little to no value.

The best weapon he has is cap space with many teams in cap trouble. He is too inept to take advantage though

 

[MS]

Now is a time the incompetence of Jim Benning is fully on display and we are all scared as to what he might do.

He has no assets to trade for a decent roster player after 5 years on the job. Compare that to what the Rangers have done since they focused ona proper rebuild a short time ago. So now the first round pick of a stacked 2020 draft is reportedly in play because he has no tradable assets. Hung on to Tanev until he has little to no value.

The best weapon he has is cap space with many teams in cap trouble. He is too inept to take advantage though

It's stunning how gutted our organization is after 6 years of losing.

We basically have our couple high-drafted young players (Horvat, Pettersson, Boeser, Hughes), a pretty decent young goalie, and a broken-down Tanev. And a couple mid-level guys like Stecher and Virtanen who carry little value. AFTER 6 YEARS.

There is no depth at any position. The prospect pool is horrible. We don't have any extra draft picks. It's just been a long, awful Benning-bleed of assets.

 

[MS]

I think Hughes will be drafted #1 and will be better than Hischier, but not as good as Matthews.

However - Kakko will have the best career out of all the players in this draft in my opinion (give or take, maybe one or two surprises from the back-end).

I think Hughes will go #1, but I have him at #3. Not sold he's any better than Clayton Keller - who is a very good young player, but not a franchise talent.

I have this draft as :

1. Kakko
2. Byram
3. Hughes
4. Turcotte

... and then a big gap to the Zegras/Boldy/Dach/Caufield/Newhook tier.

 

[Melvin]

It's stunning how gutted our organization is after 6 years of losing.

We basically have our couple high-drafted young players (Horvat, Pettersson, Boeser, Hughes), a pretty decent young goalie, and a broken-down Tanev. And a couple mid-level guys like Stecher and Virtanen who carry little value. AFTER 6 YEARS.

There is no depth at any position. The prospect pool is horrible. We don't have any extra draft picks. It's just been a long, awful Benning-bleed of assets.

That's not entirely fair. Benning has amassed quite possibly the largest, most impressive junkheap of fungible veteran forwards I have ever seen. Ryan Spooner! Tanner Pearson! Brandon Sutter! Tim Schaller! Jay Beagle! Three other guys I've completely forgotten exist!

 

[Krnuckfan]

It's stunning how gutted our organization is after 6 years of losing.

We basically have our couple high-drafted young players (Horvat, Pettersson, Boeser, Hughes), a pretty decent young goalie, and a broken-down Tanev. And a couple mid-level guys like Stecher and Virtanen who carry little value. AFTER 6 YEARS.

There is no depth at any position. The prospect pool is horrible. We don't have any extra draft picks. It's just been a long, awful Benning-bleed of assets.

You're absolutely right. But the thing is, for all the mismanagement under benning we lucked into some elite talent in Pettersson, Boeser, and hopefully Hughes.

The canucks have the second worst record in the entire NHL the last 4 years. Other teams in the basement in those 4 years are the Sabres, Coyotes, and Senators. I think the canucks have a better future core than the senators and coyotes. Even though those teams sucked they haven't really stockpiled assets and depth either.

The sabres definitely have a good core but that's largely the results of getting lucky in the draft lottery and selecting Eichel #2 and Dahlin #1.

The canucks are in a bad situation, but there's at least a glimmer of hope and with a smart general manager we could make it to the playoffs in a couple years.

 

[MS]

That's not entirely fair. Benning has amassed quite possibly the largest, most impressive junkheap of fungible veteran forwards I have ever seen. Ryan Spooner! Tanner Pearson! Brandon Sutter! Tim Schaller! Jay Beagle! Three other guys I've completely forgotten exist!

If you've managed to forget that Markus Granlund exists, my envy knows no bounds.

 

[MS]

You're absolutely right. But the thing is, for all the mismanagement under benning we lucked into some elite talent in Pettersson, Boeser, and hopefully Hughes.

The canucks have the second worst record in the entire NHL the last 4 years. Other teams in the basement in those 4 years are the Sabres, Coyotes, and Senators. I think the canucks have a better future core than the senators and coyotes. Even though those teams sucked they haven't really stockpiled assets and depth either.

The sabres definitely have a good core but that's largely the results of getting lucky in the draft lottery and selecting Eichel #2 and Dahlin #1.

The canucks are in a bad situation, but there's at least a glimmer of hope and with a smart general manager we could make it to the playoffs in a couple years.

Oh, absolutely. Because of the way the NHL draft system rewards incompetence, we have 4-5 really nice building blocks. And if a competent GM came in here, maybe he could actually surround them with a team that could become competitive. But if Benning stays, we're the 2006-19 Oilers - a couple elite young players rotting in a wasteland of garbage players.

 

[Cupless44]

Ed Willis just wrote an article that sums up Benning "there is a sense that Benning is chasing the game"

He is running around with no contract trying to make a big move at the draft to help his team make the payoffs and save his job....but he is in a weak position because of his 5 years of poor work on the roster.

 

[timw33]

I think Hughes will go #1, but I have him at #3. Not sold he's any better than Clayton Keller - who is a very good young player, but not a franchise talent.

I have this draft as :

1. Kakko
2. Byram
3. Hughes
4. Turcotte

... and then a big gap to the Zegras/Boldy/Dach/Caufield/Newhook tier.

Keller is actually a really good comparison for Hughes. After watching him play at the WJC and he just kept flying around accomplishing absolutely nothing I really started thinking "this guy is a projected 1/2?"

 

[MS]

Keller is actually a really good comparison for Hughes. After watching him play at the WJC and he just kept flying around accomplishing absolutely nothing I really started thinking "this guy is a projected 1/2?"

Same. Kakko scores NHL goals against men while Hughes looks really cute making fancy dekes around kids in the neutral zone. What I saw from him was a lot of stylish perimeter play and not a lot of substance.

 

[timw33]

Same. Kakko scores NHL goals against men while Hughes looks really cute making fancy dekes around kids in the neutral zone. What I saw from him was a lot of stylish perimeter play and not a lot of substance.

I was sitting close enough to hear him constantly screeching for the puck, even when he wasn't in the right position to receive a good pass then he would go for two outside laps before passing it to a d-man for a point shot. Looks cool and and all but like you say, Kakko is making NHL style plays and when you watch him you immediately understand why he's Top-2.

 

[xtra]

I was sitting close enough to hear him constantly screeching for the puck, even when he wasn't in the right position to receive a good pass then he would go for two outside laps before passing it to a d-man for a point shot. Looks cool and and all but like you say, Kakko is making NHL style plays and when you watch him you immediately understand why he's Top-2.

Yup I see him and His brother as having the same issues; it may work for the first little bit but once teams get a read on you and some scouting your dipsy doodles aren’t going to work.

He’s gonna struggle getting to the front of the net to score in the high danger areas and his shot isnt anything special as far as I can tell

 

[Melvin]

Kakko has been #1 based on stats for basically the entire year. Hughes got off to a pretty slow start and then exploded against really weak competition, putting up 16 points in 4 games against, like, the Greek national team or whatever.

 

[elitepete]

I also have Kappo at #1 overall.

I have Kakko #1 too but I don’t think he’s a franchise player. Maybe I have unreasonable expectations for a franchise player.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Kakko is most surely going to be one hell of an impact player...NYR already have Trouba,and most likely Panarin as well..but do do they even have a prospect who is an elite 1C,or even a 1D..?..I think Jeff Gorton is a great GM,but their recent progress on great trades is going to clearly push them out of the ' high lottery picks rebuilding ' phase.

I don't see them finishing in the bottom 10 next season.

 

[Hansen]

I was begging for us to win the 2nd pick (even though I think NJ is actually going to take Kakko 1 now), Pettersson and Kakko together would just be electric. Like a new Sakic and Forsberg combo.

Kakko's control of the puck along the wall and ability to drag it with him wherever he wants to go is something else

 

[MS]

Kakko is most surely going to be one hell of an impact player...NYR already have Trouba,and most likely Panarin as well..but do do they even have a prospect who is an elite 1C,or even a 1D..?..I think Jeff Gorton is a great GM,but their recent progress on great trades is going to clearly push them out of the ' high lottery picks rebuilding ' phase.

I don't see them finishing in the bottom 10 next season.

Trouba is a 1D and their defense looks ridiculously good long-term.

They do lack a true top young centre. Wonder if they’ll be in on Duchene.

 

[PG Canuck]

Kakko is most surely going to be one hell of an impact player...NYR already have Trouba,and most likely Panarin as well..but do do they even have a prospect who is an elite 1C,or even a 1D..?..I think Jeff Gorton is a great GM,but their recent progress on great trades is going to clearly push them out of the ' high lottery picks rebuilding ' phase.

I don't see them finishing in the bottom 10 next season.

Thing is, for the Rangers, they could just go out and plug those holes with FA's - they always do.

They are in great shape right now and I am damn envious of what they are building.

Zibanejad/Buchnevich/Chytil/Andersson/Howden/Lemieux/Kravstov then on D Trouba/DeAngelo/Fox/Hajek/Miller and in net Shesterkin. Most of these players are already/going to be playing for them in the NHL.

 

[I am toxic]

If you've managed to forget that Markus Granlund exists, my envy knows no bounds.

He wrote Loui Eriksson too but it was invisible.

 

[Fatass]

Connolly need not improve in talent to be able to put up more points. He simply has to be afforded more opportunity to do so. Thus far, he's played 3rd line minutes with 3rd line talent. If he's stapled to a 1C/2C like Horvat and is given prime minutes, it stands to reason that he would put up more points as a result.

Is it a guarantee? No. It's a projection. Same player, better environment and circumstances should lead to greater production.

This is only not the case if you 100% believe that Connolly has nothing left to give no matter how his minutes are increased and who he is playing with. Do you believe this to be the case?

Is Connolly a top six player on a Cup competitive team? Why marry ourselves to a contract for a top six player, that (if he is only a bottom six player) gets us into cap issues down the road? We already have Loui Errikson eating cap dollars of a top six forward, and not earning them. To me, taking a chance on Connolly is not warranted.

 

[4Twenty]

Connolly need not improve in talent to be able to put up more points. He simply has to be afforded more opportunity to do so. Thus far, he's played 3rd line minutes with 3rd line talent. If he's stapled to a 1C/2C like Horvat and is given prime minutes, it stands to reason that he would put up more points as a result.

Is it a guarantee? No. It's a projection. Same player, better environment and circumstances should lead to greater production.

This is only not the case if you 100% believe that Connolly has nothing left to give no matter how his minutes are increased and who he is playing with. Do you believe this to be the case?

Yup. Even strength producer. Rounded out 2-way game. Had enough talent to be a top 10 pick. Prickly demeanour. Quick release/shot.

He's a smart player. I would be hoping for Connolly over Ferland all day every day. If you can get him under $5m/yr you're laughing.

 

[Hollywood Burrows]

more scummy news about the aquilini family:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/aquilini-canucks-tax-court-1.5183787

Members of the billionaire family that owns the Vancouver Canucks are facing a massive tax bill related to a complex scheme developed to offset taxes on the sale of more than $140 million worth of assets needed to raise money to buy the hockey team.