The Official Off-Season Thread

[The Stig]

Ok. So. What do we do? I know what a bunch of you WANT to do but management has said it wants to make the playoffs. So do we try and make a couple moves and shoot for a wild card? Do we Stand pat and hope it goes the same way as last year for another pick? Do we make a couple small trades for picks at the draft and just try to get a good draft? This is a very important off-season for us.

Click to read more...

 

[WTG]

Try to trade Sutter before his contract kicks in, sign a bunch of UFA's to trade off at the deadline, trade Hansen at the deadline. Draft high next year, then the year after introduce the 2017, 2016 1st round pick, plus boeser all at once.

Kind of like a Tsunami, the water resides for a while then all of a sudden a huge wave pushes forward. That's what the canucks need to do IMO, let the water reside or else you won't get a big wave of prospects that you need.

 

[clunk]

We desperately need a long term rebuild but it's not gonna happen unfortunately. Mediocre is gonna be funnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

 

[Mad Brills*]

Benning should do option 2, but won't.

Option 3 seems like a compromise

 

[Verviticus]

option 1 is what they are going to try to do, option 2 is what they should do, options 3 or 4 are what they are going to accomplish

 

[ChilliBilly]

I voted for the last one for 2 reasons.

1 - very few of the moves have been positive, therefore we should not make any more moves.

2 - really don't like the poll choices at all. So thought I would go with the most annoying answer.

 

[Fat Tony]

What to choose? There's what Benning would do and there's what a competent GM would do.

 

[Scholarships]

We need a rebuild but that ain't happening

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Eh. Just keep plugging along, shedding veterans when possible and adding young pieces where you can. Note an emphasis on the former, as thus far we've been relatively inept at getting value back for expiring contracts and aging-out players, with the exception of Bieksa.

Realistically, it's going to be a long, grueling slog to get back to respectability. I've seen our prospect pool compared unfavorably to some of our Canadian counterparts who are picking around us, but...

Winnipeg Jets - Missed Playoffs 8 of the last 9 years
Calgary Flames - Missed Playoffs 6 of the last 7 years
Toronto Maple Leafs - Missed Playoffs 10 of the last 11 years
Edmonton Oilers - Missed Playoffs 10 years straight

...we missed twice in the past three years, both times rather by accident and without any kind of official rebuild in full swing. A couple of years ago we might have been at the top of a steep hill looking down, but we're only beginning to descend the slope. Bottom will come when the Sedins retire. Except quite a few more playoff no-shows before the team materializes a competitive new core, by which time guys like Horvat and Hutton et al will likely be seasoned vets in their prime, not fresh-faced rookies. The only real way around that is exceptional drafting with a lot of late round magic tricks, and the odds of that are slim (slimmer when we've spent two years jettisoning late round picks for a mounting collection of spare parts).

So...tinker around the margins. Be pretty tough to "blow up" a team where the majority of the high impact veterans are on NM contracts and would be near impossible to find trades for.

 

[Alan Jackson]

Eh. Just keep plugging along, shedding veterans when possible and adding young pieces where you can. Note an emphasis on the former, as thus far we've been relatively inept at getting value back for expiring contracts and aging-out players, with the exception of Bieksa.

Realistically, it's going to be a long, grueling slog to get back to respectability. I've seen our prospect pool compared unfavorably to some of our Canadian counterparts who are picking around us, but...

Winnipeg Jets - Missed Playoffs 8 of the last 9 years
Calgary Flames - Missed Playoffs 6 of the last 7 years
Toronto Maple Leafs - Missed Playoffs 10 of the last 11 years
Edmonton Oilers - Missed Playoffs 10 years straight

...we missed twice in the past three years, both times rather by accident and without any kind of official rebuild in full swing. A couple of years ago we might have been at the top of a steep hill looking down, but we're only beginning to descend the slope. Bottom will come when the Sedins retire. Except quite a few more playoff no-shows before the team materializes a competitive new core, by which time guys like Horvat and Hutton et al will likely be seasoned vets in their prime, not fresh-faced rookies. The only real way around that is exceptional drafting with a lot of late round magic tricks, and the odds of that are slim (slimmer when we've spent two years jettisoning late round picks for a mounting collection of spare parts).

So...tinker around the margins. Be pretty tough to "blow up" a team where the majority of the high impact veterans are on NM contracts and would be near impossible to find trades for.

This is pretty close to where I'm at.

If they can move Burrows or Higgins, great. I can get on board with perhaps buying Higgins out, but I don't see a benefit to buying Burrows out. If there's no interest in Burrows, let the season play out and be completely out from under that contract next season.

I think the team should at least consider selling high on Hansen, and if you can move Ryan Miller toward the deadline, they should do that.

If you can bring back Hamhuis at reasonable dollars and move out Sbisa for a pick, that might be a nice bit of business, too.

The goal should always be to improve your team, so if there's an opportunity to add a good player, of course you look at it, but I wouldn't be trading for players in their 30s. If there's a free agent or two that makes sense, great.

Basically I want them to get better, but not sacrifice picks/young players to get there. I don't mind something along the lines of the Gudbranson trade (although the cost was probably too high), because we got a young player back.

 

[y2kcanucks]

Try to trade Sutter before his contract kicks in, sign a bunch of UFA's to trade off at the deadline, trade Hansen at the deadline. Draft high next year, then the year after introduce the 2017, 2016 1st round pick, plus boeser all at once.

Kind of like a Tsunami, the water resides for a while then all of a sudden a huge wave pushes forward. That's what the canucks need to do IMO, let the water reside or else you won't get a big wave of prospects that you need.

Pretty much this. Kind of a blend between the middle 2 options (which is where I would be at).

I'd also look to acquire Detroit's 1st round pick this year along with Pavel Datsyuk for Mackenze Stewart. Stockpile picks and prospects, fire Benning and Linden and Weisbrod before next season, and hope ownership sells the team.

 

[Danrik]

^^^ Shooting for the moon I see.

 

[ChilliBilly]

Eh. Just keep plugging along, shedding veterans when possible and adding young pieces where you can. Note an emphasis on the former, as thus far we've been relatively inept at getting value back for expiring contracts and aging-out players, with the exception of Bieksa.

Realistically, it's going to be a long, grueling slog to get back to respectability. I've seen our prospect pool compared unfavorably to some of our Canadian counterparts who are picking around us, but...

Winnipeg Jets - Missed Playoffs 8 of the last 9 years
Calgary Flames - Missed Playoffs 6 of the last 7 years
Toronto Maple Leafs - Missed Playoffs 10 of the last 11 years
Edmonton Oilers - Missed Playoffs 10 years straight

...we missed twice in the past three years, both times rather by accident and without any kind of official rebuild in full swing. A couple of years ago we might have been at the top of a steep hill looking down, but we're only beginning to descend the slope. Bottom will come when the Sedins retire. Except quite a few more playoff no-shows before the team materializes a competitive new core, by which time guys like Horvat and Hutton et al will likely be seasoned vets in their prime, not fresh-faced rookies. The only real way around that is exceptional drafting with a lot of late round magic tricks, and the odds of that are slim (slimmer when we've spent two years jettisoning late round picks for a mounting collection of spare parts).

So...tinker around the margins. Be pretty tough to "blow up" a team where the majority of the high impact veterans are on NM contracts and would be near impossible to find trades for.

I tend to agree with you, well put.

Its not like we have not had a good run of it recently.

1970 - 1991 9 times missed the playoffs (when almost everyone made the playoffs) 10 times knocked out in the first round. 1 season where we won a series.

92 - 96 got past the 1st round every year, lost in 94 to the Rangers in game 7 of the SCF.

96 - 2000 missed the playoffs

Since then we have missed the playoffs 2006, 08, 14 and 16

Made the post season and won a series in 2003, 07, 09 and 10.

2011 was the most memorable season ever, within one win of the SC, and won 4 or 5 major awards.

Compared to the other Canadian teams we have been great. I will wait and see how this season goes. I am not optimistic, but lets see if we make the playoffs. If we don't I have to assume jimbo is history.

 

[y2kcanucks]

Except the problem is, if you think it'll take this team 8 years to become competitive again players like Horvat won't be in their primes. The most productive years for a forward seems to be in their age 21-27 seasons. In 8 years from now Horvat will be 28 and beginning the back end of his career. Not saying he'll be useless, but the time to do the rebuild is now. Waiting for the Sedins to retire to really bottom out makes zero sense when the team is already the 3rd worst team in the NHL with them!

 

[Cogburn]

Playoffs for me.

The Sedins, moving McCann for Gudbranson, Benning in general, and all the cap space we have...I know we will be pushing for the playoffs anyway. I don't like it, but I'd rather not put my hopes into doing the logical, long term thing.

 

[y2kcanucks]

Playoffs for me.

The Sedins, moving McCann for Gudbranson, Benning in general, and all the cap space we have...I know we will be pushing for the playoffs anyway. I don't like it, but I'd rather not put my hopes into doing the logical, long term thing.

You really think Gudbranson and Sutter are the difference between 3rd worst in the league and playoffs?

 

[Cogburn]

You really think Gudbranson and Sutter are the difference between 3rd worst in the league and playoffs?

No, but I believe Benning does.

And the 11 or so in cap space will be used on 1.5 Lucic's worth of free agents.

 

[y2kcanucks]

No, but I believe Benning does.

And the 11 or so in cap space will be used on 1.5 Lucic's worth of free agents.

You stated "playoffs for me" so that suggests that you think we're going to make the playoffs.

This team isn't closer to a playoff spot. The only question is: do we finish with a 8-10 overall pick with one of the most expensive and overpaid teams in the league? Or do we finish with a top 5 pick with cap flexibility, a stockpile of draft picks and prospects? You're right, because of Benning it's likely the former.

 

[MS]

I expect we're going to blow our wad on a couple huge UFA deals that provide a bit of short term help in the next year or two. And I suspect we'll probably be a fringe playoff team as a result (more likely missing than making it).

I also suspect these contracts will be a nightmare for the next GM to deal with, when we're stuck paying $12 million/year for broken down 3rd liners when the team is looking to turn a corner.

 

[Cogburn]

You stated "playoffs for me" so that suggests that you think we're going to make the playoffs.

This team isn't closer to a playoff spot. The only question is: do we finish with a 8-10 overall pick with one of the most expensive and overpaid teams in the league? Or do we finish with a top 5 pick with cap flexibility, a stockpile of draft picks and prospects? You're right, because of Benning it's likely the former.

Yes, that's the way I voted and the direction I expect the team to go.

I also feel that as long as the Sedins are here, another bottom five finish isn't likely, barring obliterating the rest of the roster. We agree though, Benning won't do that.

Also, even if we do, lottery odds aren't on our side, and with rumoured promises of guaranteed picks for expansion teams, it gets us likely picking higher and higher.

 

[y2kcanucks]

Yes, that's the way I voted and the direction I expect the team to go.

I also feel that as long as the Sedins are here, another bottom five finish isn't likely, barring obliterating the rest of the roster. We agree though, Benning won't do that.

Also, even if we do, lottery odds aren't on our side, and with rumoured promises of guaranteed picks for expansion teams, it gets us likely picking higher and higher.

Two years ago we were the 6th worst team in hockey. This year we were the 3rd worst team in hockey. I don't think that this is going to be a good team just because the Sedins are here.