The Jim Benning and Management Megathread - CAD got you down? He has you covered

[Bourne Endeavor]

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[Ainec]

The title got me down.

Any mention of our dollar

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

The title got me down.

Any mention of our dollar

Ugh. I know. Having to buy a lot of stuff from the US sucks right now. Couldn't pass on a little jab at us overpaying for vets though.

 

[Proto]

Sort of incredible that the Sbisa contract -- which is objectively terrible -- has actually managed to look worse and worse as the off-season progresses. Typically a bad contract signed during the season (even a really bad one) will look a bit better after GM's go nuts all summer. This is a peculiar and fascinating development.

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

Sort of incredible that the Sbisa contract -- which is objectively terrible -- has actually managed to look worse and worse as the off-season progresses. Typically a bad contract signed during the season (even a really bad one) will look a bit better after GM's go nuts all summer. This is a peculiar and fascinating development.

My best guess is Sbisa's brief show of improvement made Benning assumes it were a sign of things to come, and wanted to lock him down "cheap." Horrid lack of foresight, but it's the only rational I can think of for giving Sbisa such a ridiculous contract after the season he had.

 

[Ryp37]

Sort of incredible that the Sbisa contract -- which is objectively terrible -- has actually managed to look worse and worse as the off-season progresses. Typically a bad contract signed during the season (even a really bad one) will look a bit better after GM's go nuts all summer. This is a peculiar and fascinating development.

Especially when the weird excuse was "paying for UFA years"

 

[CAPTAIN CANUCK 71]

HOCKEY NEWS PREVIEW - CANUCKS... they have them finishing 6th in the PACIFIC.... THN is not fans of Benning's off-season moves...

After a 100 point season and a playoff berth, the Canucks are projected for a big crash towards the basement this season. According to their projected WAR, the Canucks don’t have many things going for them thanks to a bottom five forward group and goaltending which means that they’re a long-shot to make the playoffs.

Vancouver’s biggest undoing, though, is themselves. The team had the worst off-season on paper of anyone in the league to the cost of three true-talent wins. Nearly everything Vancouver did this off-season was a mistake that weakened the team’s depth. The Prust-Kassian swap was perhaps the most confusing as Kassian is a solid depth contributor, while Prust is completely replaceable.
Screen Shot 2015-09-08 at 2.11.15 PM

While the depth is barely there, the top group still looks formidable. The Canucks top three D-men are strong, especially the underrated Chris Tanev, and they still have the Sedin twins at their disposal (although they’re getting up there in age). They’re the only thing keeping the Canucks afloat and if they don’t drop off too much then the Canucks might be able to stay competitive. Alex Burrows is still very solid despite his point totals decreasing and Vrbata is probably underrated here, but after that there’s not much to like.

Goaltending is another trouble spot as the Canucks shipped out the very capable Lack in favour of retaining an aging Miller and Markstrom, who has been awful at the NHL level. Miller may be able to bounce back after a troubling 2014-15 campaign, and Markstrom may be able to repeat his AHL performance from last season, but the likeliest scenario points to the tandem being among the league’s worst. That alone might be the Canucks undoing.

THN is rolling out its 2015-16 Team Previews daily, in reverse alphabetical order, until the start of the season. Check out our ‘Previews’ section to see other team breakdowns.

 

[Jimson Hogarth*]

Thanks for putting that in bold and in red. That's real hate. How we gonna up that?

 

[CAPTAIN CANUCK 71]

Thanks for putting that in bold and in red. That's real hate. How we gonna up that?

Not hate, I'm a life-long Canucks fan... it's highlighting the sad reality what all the fellow Canucks fans have said already and what The Hockey News sees is that we got worse in the off-season not better. It's very disappointing. The Eddie Lack trade is mind-boggling considering they could have unloaded Miller.

 

[Jimson Hogarth*]

Not hate, I'm a life-long Canucks fan... it's highlighting the sad reality what all the fellow Canucks fans have said already and what The Hockey News sees is that we got worse in the off-season not better. It's very disappointing. The Eddie Lack trade is mind-boggling considering they could have unloaded Miller.

How would a team, who's lynchpin offensive players were drafted in the 99s, get better this summer?

 

[WTG]

How would a team, who's lynchpin offensive players were drafted in the 99s, get better this summer?

Not replace good depth players with bad players and not sign ****** contracts so we can pick good players in FA.

Not that hard.

 

[y2kcanucks]

How would a team, who's lynchpin offensive players were drafted in the 99s, get better this summer?

By making moves to get younger. Instead they made moves to get older. Linden's theory that "it can't all be just about the young guys" suggests he's completely ignored the fact that we don't have many young guys on the team. In comparison to other teams, competitive teams, we're as veteran as they come.

 

[Jimson Hogarth*]

Not replace good depth players with bad players and not sign ****** contracts so we can pick good players in FA.

Not that hard.

That is just treading water. And it's debatable how good the amazing players he's traded away are.

Signing players in FA as an again for team isn't any way to build a team.

 

[Jimson Hogarth*]

By making moves to get younger. Instead they made moves to get older. Linden's theory that "it can't all be just about the young guys" suggests he's completely ignored the fact that we don't have many young guys on the team. In comparison to other teams, competitive teams, we're as veteran as they come.

The young guys have to be ready or you can't play them. Not much Linden can do if the preceding GM shat the bed in a bunch of drafts so we have virtually no young players to play.

 

[WTG]

The young guys have to be ready or you can't play them. Not much Linden can do if the preceding GM shat the bed in a bunch of drafts so we have virtually no young players to play.

well we did trade away a decently young goaltender and a young top 6 forward plus a mid NHL age center for scraps.

In a sense we did get older under the current regime.

Gillis also left us with a good prospect pool and 2 very nice picks (6th, 36th) in a sense all our youth is due to Gillis. I don't see how you can say he left us with nothing...

 

[JuniorNelson]

Is the Hockey News printing blogs, now? Meh.

 

[Intangibos]

Horvat, Lack, Cassels, Subban, Hutton, Tanev, Shinkaruk, Kassian, Gaunce, Grenier (who might actually develop), Corrado.

Not exactly great by any stretch, but considering he had to completely overhaul our inept scouting over the years (and he did), it seems to be okay and you can see a clear improvement in his drafts, especially his final draft with Crawford.

And yeah, I know some of those guys aren't draft picks, but they were either FA signings which may as well be draft picks, why waste a pick on someone you can sign for free? Kassian was a trade acquisition, but he is relevant since he cut a disappointing pick (after boosting his value like a good GM does, Benning should take notes) and replaced him with a young top 6 power forward in Kassian.

 

[Ryp37]

Is the Hockey News printing blogs, now? Meh.

Literally every hockey website has said Benning had one of the worst off-seasons

And your comment gets said every time

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

The young guys have to be ready or you can't play them. Not much Linden can do if the preceding GM shat the bed in a bunch of drafts so we have virtually no young players to play.

Perhaps if we weren't making so many god awful trades, we would have NHL ready prospects. When the players cast out are younger than those coming back/staying. It doesn't exactly imply management has any desire to "get younger." In fact, the current roster makes it near impossible for the kids to crack. Virtanen or Kenins will sit, regardless of performance. Both will if we do not trade Higgins or Hansen.

 

[StrictlyCommercial]

Edler-Tanev
Hamhuis-Franson
Bart-Weber
Corrado

Lack
Markstrom

That's one very realistic way we could be better. Add Kassian instead of Prust and things are looking up.

 

[Disappointed EP40]

The young guys have to be ready or you can't play them. Not much Linden can do if the preceding GM shat the bed in a bunch of drafts so we have virtually no young players to play.

I don't know. His last draft is looking pretty darn good.

He gave up some picks as the Canucks were in "win now" mode. Not unusual. And the actual GM that shat the bed before Gillis -- it took awhile to turn that around. Looks like he did. (Just for Benning to turn it to who knows what.)

Kassian was ready to play. And he was the exact demographic Benning described as this team needing.

Weird how he picked up the exact opposite in an aged, shoulderless, soon to be FA, 4th liner instead.

 

[Disappointed EP40]

Edler-Tanev
Hamhuis-Franson
Bart-Weber
Corrado

Lack
Markstrom

That's one very realistic way we could be better. Add Kassian instead of Prust and things are looking up.

Apparently Buffalo has that locked down. (Franson) 3.3 mil per x 2

 

[Disappointed EP40]

Horvat, Lack, Cassels, Subban, Hutton, Tanev, Shinkaruk, Kassian, Gaunce, Grenier (who might actually develop), Corrado.

Not exactly great by any stretch, but considering he had to completely overhaul our inept scouting over the years (and he did), it seems to be okay and you can see a clear improvement in his drafts, especially his final draft with Crawford.

And yeah, I know some of those guys aren't draft picks, but they were either FA signings which may as well be draft picks, why waste a pick on someone you can sign for free? Kassian was a trade acquisition, but he is relevant since he cut a disappointing pick (after boosting his value like a good GM does, Benning should take notes) and replaced him with a young top 6 power forward in Kassian.

Yeah. The way fans reacted to Gillis for Tortella was so much facepalm. And how fair weather fans are now keen on Bennings trades because they don't bother looking into. I'm looking forward to seeing how they react to us bombing so hard.

My friend is bringing a sign to the home opener "When you traded Kassian, you traded me" wearing a Habs jersey with Kassian on it.

 

[F A N]

By making moves to get younger. Instead they made moves to get older. Linden's theory that "it can't all be just about the young guys" suggests he's completely ignored the fact that we don't have many young guys on the team. In comparison to other teams, competitive teams, we're as veteran as they come.

It can't all just be about the young guys. It's about integrating youth into the lineup not fill the lineup with young guys. If the young guys are ready to assume a big role then great. If they are not, then it's not a bad idea to have veteran stop gaps. Heck, look at the Flames. Last year they re-signed Stajan, acquired Bollig, and signed Hiller, Raymond, and Engelland.

The Canucks don't have many young guys on the team because the Canucks are at the early stages of a retool / rebuild and we don't have many young guys ready to play (in part due to bad drafting). But as "veteran" as the team was, in 2014, Bonino, Lack, Matthias, and Weber were 26, Stanton and Tanev were 25, Sbisa 24, Kennins, Kassian, and Vey were 23, Horvat was 19.

This season, Corrado is a virtual lock to make the team. Baertschi and Kennins figure to be full time members. That leaves one more spot open at forward, which in all likelihood would be filled with a young guy. The core is aging, but the Canucks are integrating youth into the lineup. This is not a departure from Gillis' model for player development. Prospects develop at different paces and they aren't placed in roles that they are not ready for.

 

[JuniorNelson]

Literally every hockey website has said Benning had one of the worst off-seasons

And your comment gets said every time

On paper it looks like a bad offseason. This is if you think they should have got a big return on Bieksa (done), Lack (playoff fail) and Kassian (dumped). Housecleaning isn't glamorous. These guys got thrown off the team.

Of course you can look at it as losses. It's counter-productive but go ahead.