Player Discussion Oliver Ekman-Larsson

[RebuildinVan]

I really want Benning to have a town hall style meeting with Canucks fans solely to face them all on this trade and what a mess its left us

 

[bossram]

I don't like how the dead cap space then extends into the window when we should actually be competitive.

Don't like buyouts or retention, without wishing harm on anyone the best was if he got LTIRed into retirement, otherwise we take our medicine, eat his cap space these next few years while we rebuild, and hopefully by the time his contract is done we'll be a team on the upswing with his cap freed up right when we want to be locking up players for our window.

This is the correct answer.

What is the purpose of extending the shadow of OEL until such time the Canucks might actually be competitive?

 

[PuckMunchkin]

This is the correct answer.

What is the purpose of extending the shadow of OEL until such time the Canucks might actually be competitive?

Only reason I would be good with it is if we use the initial cap savings to take on a negative value asset that comes with actually valuable future assets.

But that is obviously not what would happen.

The cap space would be used on a Dumba / Orlov UFA signing.

 

[bossram]

Only reason I would be good with it is if we use the initial cap savings to take on a negative value asset that comes with actually valuable future assets.

But that is obviously not what would happen.

The cap space would be used on a Dumba / Orlov UFA signing.

Yeah, there's no almost zero chance this front office can be that creative.

Rutherford is as simple as it gets. He has cap space, he spends it.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Yeah, there's no almost zero chance this front office can be that creative.

Rutherford is as simple as it gets. He has cap space, he spends it.

I dont think the front office is incompetent.

They just have the wrong plan that they are executing.

 

[MarkMM]

Whatever OEL's contract status, the Canucks are really aren't in a position to give big minutes to a declining player on the wrong side of 30.

After the conclusion of the schedule and the TDL, heading into the off-season this team will be in the midst of at least a semi rebuild. They need to completely re-tool their blueline, hopefully with younger players, and then grow with them.

Giving valuable development minutes to the likes of Myers and OEL would be a complete waste. So a buy-out remains the only option. It'll be painful, but inevitable. Hopefully an increase in the salary cap partially bails them out of the worst of his contract.

How so? Yeah Benning stuck us with this contract but that doesn't mean we have to play OEL above players that have value and a future with the team.

I'd have no problem playing OEL as the third pairing, spare in the press box or send him to Abbotsford. Maybe he'll get tired of it and retire, if not, then we eat the cap hit, get it over with and be free from him in 2027 instead of into the next decade.

The only thing I'd push back on is that cap space should not be an issue as part of this "semi rebuild". As part of this process I expect that they will move Myers and two wingers for a total of about $15M cap space opening up. EP is the only forseeable expensive contract upcoming during OELs term. In otherwords, it won't be necessary to move him for cap reasons. The flip side of that is deferring payments out to years 5 to 8 which could have significant impact on the team acquiring assets during the window in which they are expected to be competitive.
I'd rather have him sit in the press box for 4 years than have an 8 year hangover.

This. ^^

 

[racerjoe]

How so? Yeah Benning stuck us with this contract but that doesn't mean we have to play OEL above players that have value and a future with the team.

I'd have no problem playing OEL as the third pairing, spare in the press box or send him to Abbotsford. Maybe he'll get tired of it and retire, if not, then we eat the cap hit, get it over with and be free from him in 2027 instead of into the next decade.



This. ^^

We can't send him to the AHL... he has a NMC... ugh.

 

[MarkMM]

We can't send him to the AHL... he has a NMC... ugh.

Ahhhh d'oh.

Guess benching is our only option. Maybe if it's clear that he's facing four years of riding the pine he'll either retire or agree to be traded to wherever for pride's sake.

 

[bossram]

I dont think the front office is incompetent.

They just have the wrong plan that they are executing.

I dunno. Is there much of a difference between being incompetent and performing poorly?

Management has not, to this date, shown any interest in using cap space creatively, other than acquiring players they want.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

I dunno. Is there much of a difference between being incompetent and performing poorly?

Management has not, to this date, shown any interest in using cap space creatively, other than acquiring players they want.

There can be.

I legitimately believe Jim Benning's lack of intellect and his inability to delegate to people smarter then him made him a special kind of bad GM.

The current group is doing mostly good work. Just they mistook this project for building a hockey team when it is a organisation in need of massive asset resuscitation.

 

[VanJack]

With Bear gone in the first minute against the Bruins; and with guys like Dermott and OEL probably done for the year, that blueline is without argument the worst in the NHL.

I mean Wolanin, Brisebois and even Burroughs and Stillman are basically AHL d-men. And Myers is playing like one.

This team needs a complete blueline overhaul....Other than Hughes and Bear, I wouldn't bring any of them back. And things won't improve until they blow up their d-corps.

 

[MarkMM]

With Bear gone in the first minute against the Bruins; and with guys like Dermott and OEL probably done for the year, that blueline is without argument the worst in the NHL.

I mean Wolanin, Brisebois and even Burroughs and Stillman are basically AHL d-men. And Myers is playing like one.

This team needs a complete blueline overhaul....Other than Hughes and Bear, I wouldn't bring any of them back. And things won't improve until they blow up their d-corps.

Any hope for Dermott? His injuries haven't given me enough time to build a sense one way or the other.

 

[JoeCool16]

With Bear gone in the first minute against the Bruins; and with guys like Dermott and OEL probably done for the year, that blueline is without argument the worst in the NHL.

I mean Wolanin, Brisebois and even Burroughs and Stillman are basically AHL d-men. And Myers is playing like one.

This team needs a complete blueline overhaul....Other than Hughes and Bear, I wouldn't bring any of them back. And things won't improve until they blow up their d-corps.

Realistically, you can't blow up the d-corps until after NEXT season when the Myers contract goes. Moneywise, this is what our top-four look like:
Hughes - Myers
OEL - Poolman
It's only once you get to Poolman that the money drops off. Unless you're finding a way out of the Myers and OEL contracts, there isn't much financial space to overhaul the D. We can't fix it internally, because skilled, young D that wouldn't be on their big contracts aren't in our system. We can't fix it externally, because we only have money to bring in cheaper guys.
Best-case scenario is safe players like Schenn - they should be only bottom pairings, but they won't actively hurt us. We need to weather the storm until Myers is gone, and then pray that we don't sign ANOTHER Myers to replace him.

 

[credulous]

Best-case scenario is safe players like Schenn - they should be only bottom pairings, but they won't actively hurt us. We need to weather the storm until Myers is gone, and then pray that we don't sign ANOTHER Myers to replace him.

are you ready for severson and/or garikov?

 

[bossram]

There can be.

I legitimately believe Jim Benning's lack of intellect and his inability to delegate to people smarter then him made him a special kind of bad GM.

The current group is doing mostly good work. Just they mistook this project for building a hockey team when it is a organisation in need of massive asset resuscitation.

Yeah I can agree with that. Benning was literally too stupid for the job. I do see with this management group some level of competence with some of the core tasks of a GM. But they've made critical mistakes with their evaluation of the club, evaluation of some particular players, and cap allocation that has already set the franchise back even further.

Ultimately, still bad.

 

[y2kcanucks]

I really want Benning to have a town hall style meeting with Canucks fans solely to face them all on this trade and what a mess its left us

Many wouldn't have any ground to stand on to complain about what Benning did as they largely supported him as GM. Looking at the big picture, only a small-ish segment of Canucks fans were smart enough to speak against the awful moves he was making. I personally faced a lot of blowback. But in the end I take solace in knowing I was right.

 

[gringo]

If he can stay permanently on LTIR that’s the best way for him to have any trade value

 

[VanJack]

The Canucks lead the league in one dubious injury stat--the number of players in concussion protocol. Obviously Dermott's problems are concussion related. As for Poolman, who knows? But likely concussion related as well. And of course they're still paying Ferland for staying home.

Did the Canucks do their diligence on any of these guys? I suspect not.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

The Canucks lead the league in one dubious injury stat--the number of players in concussion protocol. Obviously Dermott's problems are concussion related. As for Poolman, who knows? But likely concussion related as well. And of course they're still paying Ferland for staying home.

Did the Canucks do their diligence on any of these guys? I suspect not.

Dermott had never had a concussion prior to this one…Poolman has a mysterious migraine headache disorder…How do you do due diligence with those.?

 

[Hit the post]

The Canucks lead the league in one dubious injury stat--the number of players in concussion protocol. Obviously Dermott's problems are concussion related. As for Poolman, who knows? But likely concussion related as well. And of course they're still paying Ferland for staying home.

Did the Canucks do their diligence on any of these guys? I suspect not.

Ferland couldn't even get his contract insured because of injury issues. How much of a smoking gun would Jim Benning need to stay clear of said player?

 

[Peen]

I would actually be very in favor of using OEL as a 7th or 8th D. He can deal with it. Maybe his legs stay fresh enough that he doesn't look like a fancy Dekeyser.

 

[me2]

The only thing I'd push back on is that cap space should not be an issue as part of this "semi rebuild". As part of this process I expect that they will move Myers and two wingers for a total of about $15M cap space opening up. EP is the only forseeable expensive contract upcoming during OELs term. In otherwords, it won't be necessary to move him for cap reasons. The flip side of that is deferring payments out to years 5 to 8 which could have significant impact on the team acquiring assets during the window in which they are expected to be competitive.
I'd rather have him sit in the press box for 4 years than have an 8 year hangover.

Turning 1 year of Eriksson into 2 years of OEL and 7 years of Parayako. Never go full Benning. Don't do it.