LOL some of you guys are too much.
Benning hasn't been the best but hes done a decent job. I can say with confidence, if it weren't for the injury plagued seasons to some of our top players, we would either still be in the hunt or have secured a playoff spot already.
We went from 0 prospects to one of the best group in less than 4 years. We have a franchise center, an elite winger, arguably another top line center in Horvat, a few top 4 defenseman and a defenseman that may be a #1 depending on his development, not to mention 2 goalies that are projecting to be NHL starters.
No one in here knows the dynamics of the trades proposed, made, etc. How does anyone know if Benning wasnt demanding draft picks on all his trades? Sometimes, it just doesn't work out.
A lot of you that sit around complaining about how professional hockey personnel are doing a shitty ass job, create these opinions based on nothing or a premise that is completely fabricated within in your own minds.
We did not have the personnel to obtain draft picks like NYR outside of the Sedins, Edler, Kesler, Burrows, Hansen and Hamhuis. Sedins and Edler were going nowhere. Kesler limited what we could do with him, Burrows and Hansen returns were really good based on the fact Burr and Hansen are no longer in the league. With Gudbrandson, Im surprised we got anything. We got Leivo for an AHL regular. Sutter gets injured as soon as he hears word he is potential trade bait. Tanev's value because of his injuries limits what we could get for him. Yes, we could've traded him earlier but who would then play defense for us? Stetcher and Hutton were just starting out and Edler still wasnt playing like he is now. We got a 4th line regular who has done very well for us for Vanek, instead of a 5th rounder who has less than a 12% chance of becoming a regular.
What exactly is the OP and some of you others complaining about?
I would rather have another top 5 pick this year then make the playoffs. We could potentially draft another top 4 defenseman (Byram, Broberg, Soderstrom) or an elite winger/center (Hughes, Kakko, Dach, Cozens).
Benning has done very well in drafting and I don't expect to him to do any differently this year. The Juolevi pick is still good and he had played very well in the AHL prior to his injury. I think the Virtanen pick was the only botched one.
Pettersson
Boeser
Juolevi
Madden
Gaudette
Lockwood
Lind
Hughes