Prospect Info: Matthew Tkachuk or PL Dubois (Round 2)

[JA]

Benning draft talk starts at 3m58s: https://soundcloud.com/tsn-radio-vancouver/benning-full

Moj: Does [the Gudbranson deal] almost guarantee you will draft a forward with the 5th overall pick?
Benning: We're going to draft the best player at 5. If we feel the fifth pick is a defenseman we will draft [him].
Moj: You probably have your board set in terms of the first five or six picks, is there a defenseman on that list?
Benning: Yes, there is. I can't share who it is, but I'd say in the top six slots we definitely have a defenseman.

Could be nothing other than Juolevi at 6.

Carrying on the transcribing, this comes up around the 7min mark:

Moj: [Talks about trading Shinkaruk, talks about trading McCann] "How tough is it to give up that possible top 6 forward when a lot of people look at your roster and say where is the scoring going to come from, you know, in 3-4-5 years?"

Benning: [blah blah Top 4 D are hard to find, worried they couldn't outbid other teams with better assets] "We just felt like though it was a tough move trading Jared we are going to be able add a top 6 forward in the draft this year."

The charade continues. Benning offered three answers that, combined, offer no clarity. That said, it seems the defenseman is ranked sixth, although for whatever reason Benning had to answer "yes" to Moj's question about the potential for a defenseman to be drafted fifth overall.

1. If the Canucks feel that the best player available on their list is a defenseman, they will select the defenseman fifth overall.
2. The Canucks feel that there is a defenseman in their top six positions on their list.
3. The McCann trade was possible because the Canucks feel they will be able to add a top six forward in the draft.

 

[CanaFan]

The charade continues. Benning offered three answers that, combined, offer no clarity. That said, it seems the defenseman is ranked sixth, although for whatever reason Benning had to answer "yes" to Moj's question about a defenseman in the top five.

1. If the Canucks feel that the best player available on their list is a defenseman, they will select the defenseman fifth overall.
2. The Canucks feel that there is a defenseman in their top six positions on their list.
3. The McCann trade was possible because the Canucks feel they will be able to add a top six forward in the draft.

I agree except ...


The response to the defenseman was a very ... prepared ... response. It sounded very unlike his earlier interviews where he was very candid and open about his preferences. Suddenly he reverted to the BPA script and quickly shut down Moj on talking about who the defenseman might be.

However later in the interview he is distracted by trying to justify the McCann trade and I got the sense that he "let slip" the part about being able to draft a top 6 F in June. Unlike earlier in the interview where he was prepared with his answer, this was an off the cuff, train-of-thought comment that I think might be closer to his actual feelings than the first part.

Just IMO of course.

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

Well, no other available defenceman for the oilers to trade for except for Shattinkurk(I doubt he wants to go to Edmonton).
My guess they draft Tkachuk we get PLD

 

[docbenton]

Like Tkachuk a lot but would still prefer Dubois, he's stronger and has the whole package as well as potential to play C.

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

If we take Juolevi at 5 and gift wrap PLD for Calgary I am actually done.

 

[TruGr1t]

If we take Juolevi at 5 and gift wrap PLD for Calgary I am actually done.

I don't think there's any risk of that. It's if Edmonton (or whomever trades for the pick) takes PLD and we're looking at Tkachuk that I think it gets a bit dicey.

 

[Cupless44]

If we take Juolevi at 5 and gift wrap PLD for Calgary I am actually done.

Me too. If we leave either Dubois or Tkachuk for Calgary it will be the final straw.

 

[JanBulisPiggyBack]

Me too. If we leave either Dubois or Tkachuk for Calgary it will be the final straw.

I can't in any stretch of the imagination see that happening.

If it does I am gonna accuse Boston of sending a double agent to be our GM and destroy us from within

 

[Skead]

Me too. If we leave either Dubois or Tkachuk for Calgary it will be the final straw.

b....but thats not in our control? If EDM picks a defenseman that gives CGY one of them lol

 

[Bobby Digital]

I agree except ...


The response to the defenseman was a very ... prepared ... response. It sounded very unlike his earlier interviews where he was very candid and open about his preferences. Suddenly he reverted to the BPA script and quickly shut down Moj on talking about who the defenseman might be.

However later in the interview he is distracted by trying to justify the McCann trade and I got the sense that he "let slip" the part about being able to draft a top 6 F in June. Unlike earlier in the interview where he was prepared with his answer, this was an off the cuff, train-of-thought comment that I think might be closer to his actual feelings than the first part.

Just IMO of course.

That interview pretty much guarantees were drafting a F at 5. He let it slept by alluding to drafting a F then tried to cover it up by saying we would draft a dman if we felt that player was BPA and that he has a Dman in his top 6.

 

[clunk]

If we take Juolevi at 5 and gift wrap PLD for Calgary I am actually done.

I literally wouldn't watch a game until all three were canned.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

While I selected Dubois for the sake of the poll if I know Jim Benning the way I think I do he goes with Logan Brown. Six foot six centers that can skate and make plays don't grow on trees. His being an American is mitigated by the fact that his dad is a good solid Canadian NHL alumnus. I could be wrong but Jim being Jim I can't really see it going any other way.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

If we take Juolevi at 5 and gift wrap PLD for Calgary I am actually done.

I'm already done as of the Gudbranson trade.

You'll enjoy it; it's liberating.

 

[Bad News Benning]

Seems like there is no way to **** this up as you just take whoever is left.

Unfortunately every team has each other on speed dial on the floor. 29 teams calling in hopes of ripping benning off for the 5th pick.

I won't feel safe until I see the canucks walking to the podium with the 5th pick to announce either Dubois or Tkachuk.

 

[ChilliBilly]

b....but thats not in our control? If EDM picks a defenseman that gives CGY one of them lol

Unless Edm is set on a specific D man, they would be nuts not to trade down 3 - 4 places. I suspect one of Arz, Cal, Mtl or Buff would love to jump up and would give up a 2nd round pick, a roster player or pretty good prospect to move. Cal in particular guarantees Edm its choice of Dmen. But I really don't see much difference 6 to 12. or even to 15. But top 10 pretty much gives them one of the 3 D men.

 

[ChilliBilly]

While I selected Dubois for the sake of the poll if I know Jim Benning the way I think I do he goes with Logan Brown. Six foot six centers that can skate and make plays don't grow on trees. His being an American is mitigated by the fact that his dad is a good solid Canadian NHL alumnus. I could be wrong but Jim being Jim I can't really see it going any other way.

If they want to do that, they should make a deal with someone to move down 5 spots. They would probably still get him and we would get a 2nd round pick out of it.

 

[Bad News Benning]

While I selected Dubois for the sake of the poll if I know Jim Benning the way I think I do he goes with Logan Brown. Six foot six centers that can skate and make plays don't grow on trees. His being an American is mitigated by the fact that his dad is a good solid Canadian NHL alumnus. I could be wrong but Jim being Jim I can't really see it going any other way.

Line up Brown, Lucic, Virtanen, Tryamkin, Gudbranson, and Markstrom. Have them all do the Haka before faceoff and make the other team piss their pants.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

If they want to do that, they should make a deal with someone to move down 5 spots. They would probably still get him and we would get a 2nd round pick out of it.

What you say does make a lot of sense, I'm just not sure Benning is comfortable drafting in the second round. Hockey folk are a superstitious lot; I get the impression drafting in the second round might be one of those bugaboos for Benning. But time will tell.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

Line up Brown, Lucic, Virtanen, Tryamkin, Gudbranson, and Markstrom. Have them all do the Haka before faceoff and make the other team piss their pants.

Tugboats and lumber camps from across Her Royal Majesty's majestic mountain wilderness playground would rejoice at the sight!

 

[SvenBaertschi]

With McCann gone we need PLD badly hopefully Tkachuk entices the oilers enough.

 

[JA]

Jim Benning was on Hockey Central @ Noon today to talk about the McCann trade, the 33rd overall pick, and the 5th overall draft selection.



Jim doesn't seem to really value that 33rd overall pick, saying that the Canucks only had a few players on their radar at that position and that those players probably would have needed two more years in junior plus two years in the AHL after that, and that it might be six years until that player is effective in the NHL.

He also seemed to make it more obvious here that the Canucks are targeting a forward fifth overall. He sees three players who can step in right away in the top three, then two first-line forwards in the next two positions, and a second-pairing defenseman in that mix.

 

[PM]

Jim's insistence on filling the current Age Gap is just going to create an even bigger Age Gap down the road. He has a very strange draft outlook for a GM that is supposed to be all about drafting.

 

[Trelane]

Jim's insistence on filling the current Age Gap is just going to create an even bigger Age Gap down the road. He has a very strange draft outlook for a GM that is supposed to be all about drafting.

Or he's feeling the heat from ownership.

Not worried about any future age gaps. This one came about because we whiffed completely with our 2007-11 drafts. It's looking like we'll convert just about every 1st since then into an NHLer and a fair number of later picks as well despite JB trading some. Drafting is better but most of it has to do with the picks being so much higher.

This trade will be a fail only if there is a talent evaluation miss with either Gudbranson or McCann. It won't be because of any gap, fit, or age related concerns. The guy is perfect age as D men go (usually a couple years older than forwards) to compliment the next crop of top 6ers, assuming he's worth re-signing.

 

[arttk]

Or he's feeling the heat from ownership.

Not worried about any future age gaps. This one came about because we whiffed completely with our 2007-11 drafts. It's looking like we'll convert just about every 1st since then into an NHLer and a fair number of later picks as well despite JB trading some. Drafting is better but most of it has to do with the picks being so much higher.

This trade will be a fail only if there is a talent evaluation miss with either Gudbranson or McCann. It won't be because of any gap, fit, or age related concerns. The guy is perfect age as D men go (usually a couple years older than forwards) to compliment the next crop of top 6ers, assuming he's worth re-signing.

Well it looks like we will be drafting top 10 for awhile so technically you would want us to nail those picks.

 

[Love]

"To trade 2nd round picks... it just kills me."

- Jim Benning