I have already said be careful what you wish for.
I am right in front with the fire Benning crew and have been after watching his total disregard for developing prospects beyond the ones he can instantly insert onto the Canucks roster.
Goalies are the only exception to the rule simply because he has always had 2 under contract and therefore couldn't get them on the roster immediately. He didn't think Markstrom was good to begin with and was shocked to see him do what he did in Utica. So many try to insist he was sent there to find his game. Just like most of the other Canucks when Benning arrived he spent tons of his time trying to erase the players acquired from his predecessor.
Now he has finally been smoked out by the majority of the fan base, who clung to the great drafting trumps the FA and trade acquisition flops. The moves he made this past off season have completely destroyed the good that was accomplished in acquiring the core, and coupled with his past shit contracts destroying cap space and the new contracts that will need to be negotiated and thus, keeping them cap strapped have caused his facade to fall and the wizard behind the screen has been revealed.
Firing Benning is a definite requirement, but the who is next is a HHHH---UUUU---GGGG----EEEE question. If FA simply promotes from within does that mean Wiesbrod? He is even a worse choice than Benning! I know to some that doesn't seem possible, but he has been Benning's right hand since Benning cleaned house of all the hockey minds that were in Vancouver when he arrived. They have been relaced by yes men and those who didn't bow to Benning's wishes have been fired or took jobs elsewhere before hand.
This idea of fire Benning is an absolute, but who goes with him is equally important. After that who is actually in charge of the hiring of the new management team. It has been accepted by most that FA has no idea how to do this. His family has taken part in past endeavors and used the ex-Canucks old boys club as resources for their decision making. Methinks this could even turn out worse, but the deed still has to happen. When the team quits on management, they have to go. I don't envy the lifelong Canucks fan base having to go through this again dreading the results.
We in Utica dread the results as well. A smart management team that cares deeply about it's farm would have to be convinced that keeping their farm on the east coast was profitable for them both financially and for player development, both of which can be supported by very sound evidence.
Benning is in favor of the farm being in Utica, but for the wrong reasons. He doesn't care about developing prospects on the farm because it takes too long. He wants the can't miss or at least close to such on the team right away. The rest he doesn't think will get there anyways and therefore constructing a team around them to enhance their development is unnecessary. He keeps the team here so the west coast fans don't get to see how he has been mismanaging them. He hasn't wanted the heat that knowledgeable fans would have turned up when they saw the way he was ignoring the kids. He is fine with the west coast fan base bashing the Utica powers that be team for their failure to develop prospects. The dolt he has placed here as their GM has made sure it has stayed that way. He is the guy who sent the buildup to Vancouver for Chatfield and Olli, while saying Teves and Eliot are doing a fine job and coming along.
The only guy here in the last 3 seasons that has had serious need for personal development is Lind. Placing him on a line with guys who have to be checked big time by the opposition hasn't allowed Kole to grow. It has allowed him to float and cherry pick from the efforts of the team's top offensive stars. When he gets to Vancouver and has to play on the 3rd or 4th lines his inability to make things happen from his own work will appear to be missing. Remember the guys making him succeed were guys Benning threw away and/or doesn't get success from when brought into Vancouver. Bailey is fast as shit and big. MacEwen is a wild skater, but busts his ass and utilizes his minimal skills to the best of his ability. Oh, and he is also big.
People in Vancouver can't wait for Podkolzin to arrive from the KHL. Goldobin and Boucher are putting up a lot of points in that that league.
Goldobin has 19 points i n35 GP, but that includes the 8 in 14 with his new team.
Bouch has 20G/20A/40 Pts in 47GP and had 34G/33A/67Pts in 53 GP. Same Anas, a Comet this season thanks to St.Louis bringing him on board to help their prospects, had 70Pts and won the AHL scoring title in 63GP. Imagine who would have won that title if Boucher had played 1o more Games.
Bailey had 28G/19A/47Pts in 53GP. He got his first game in Vancouver last night out of the cab in the Canuck's 15th game of the season, played very well and was dumbfoundedly benched for a long period of time. The HF fan base were highly confused.
MacEwen spent most of last season in Vancouver posting 6Pts in 17 GP. He has 1PT in 10GP thisseason, but most who have watched him express approval of his play.
Last year it was Boucher, Baertschi, Bailey, MacEwen, Carter Camper that provided Lind with the opportunity to ride their coattails on regular line shifts and the PP.
This season he is centering last year's top scorer in the AHL, Anas, and Baertschi with 46Pts in 43GP. The result is 2 G in 2GP for Lind. Jasek has 2Pts in 2GP as well. Does that mean we should be increasing hopes that he will join Lind on the Canucks next season or even before this one is over? Incidentally, Anas also has 2 points setting up Lind.
Jasek set up the lone goal vs Syracuse last night.
Jasek set up the lone goal vs Syracuse last night.
Lind scored both of his goals Friday vs Rochester.
Jasek set up the 2nd goal in Rochester on Friday and the Comets lone goal last night vs Syracuse.
Lind is a shooter first and Jasek is a playmaker.
Lind(22) 6'1"/179 AND Jasek(23) 6'1"/173 are still prospects in the works. Both in their 3rd seasons with Utica. Who knows.
Thus, you have not seen Vancouver grow roster replacements from within. Every one of them that has made it to Vancouver have been bottom level roster players that he has gotten rid of and replaced with aging vets on horrible contracts. Don't count Baertschi in this mix because Benning brought him in t play in Vancouver and he did for the better part of 4 seasons. Again the main exception being goalies, Markstrom and Demko. It's obvious from DiPietro's placement this season on the Taxi Squad, that his 2 previous starts resulting in 7-goal blowouts have shown Benning that he has little promise. If he believed in the kid's future he would have acquired a cheap keeper with NHL experience to rot in the Taxi and put his promising prospect back in Utica to continue a development that appeared to be promising.
We have no idea what the results of Benning being fired will bring, but most of us realize that 7 years of this and with the team now in chaos it has to happen. That doesn't mean it will either and the hand wringing over what follows will still have to wait.
