TSN 1040 Jim Benning on June 30th

[castanza]

Had a few moments this morning and thought I'd do my part to contribute to HF...

- Talked to 8-10 teams on Lack, a high 3rd was the best offer.
- Miller is an experienced NHL starter and they really like Markstrom and what he's done in Utica. He feels Markstrom has proven that mentally he can perform in the playoffs, thinks he can develop and transition into a starter in a couple of years.
- Wasn't involved in Dougie Hamilton trade, he didn't have the assets to acquire Hamilton as the ask were for many of our young prospects (mentioned Horvat, Virtanen and McCann) and he is not willing to trade any of them. Was in conversation with Don Sweeney about Lucic but doesn't know how close he was to making that trade.
- In constant contact with Bieksa and agent, hasn't asked him to waive his no trade.
- In conversation with San Jose, at the end of the day both teams have to be in agreement on a trade and that was not the case with Bieksa.
- Rookies will have to come to training camp and earn their minutes and will have to earn coaches trust.
- Won't be real active in FA, not looking at any major moves.
- Wants to add a defenseman in free agency.
- Felt Kassian had a good 6 week stretch before he got hurt, he will have to come in during training camp and compete but is healthy now.
- Linden Vey has good offensive instincts, last year was his first year in the league and he's working on getting stronger and working on his first two steps.
- Felt happy with the draft, especially Brock Boeser who he feels will develop to become a top six player and Brisebois who he feels will develop into a top four defenseman. Both 3-4 years away.
- Drafting and developing well will be continue to be the priority.
- Feels other teams around them got better and feels the Canucks will also be a better team next year with some of the younger players taking the next step.
- Still working on a deal for Yannick Weber, no comment on Stanton not being qualified.
- Tough decision trading Lack because he was a fan favorite, but felt that being a GM requires making some tough decisions. Lack had more value in Vancouver market than the NHL market. Carolina acquired Lack to be their backup.
- Boeser is a goal scorer, strong on the puck, good shot and nose for the net. Very excited about getting him at 23.

Now let all the Benning haters and sky is falling reactions begin...

Click to read more...

 

[y2kcanucks]

So we get the same team next year with maybe a minor tweak on defense? Wow.

 

[coastal_nuck]

So we get the same team next year with maybe a minor tweak on defense? Wow.

Not all that surprising really... "The fans won't tolerate a rebuild" but apparently we will tolerate being mediocre.

 

[PancakeHero]

Nothing Benning can or will do will affect how HF Boards views him. He can do nothing right because: stuff, meat & potatoes, Sbisa, Coach Willie, country bumpkin, etc.

For backup reference to the above: Please see every other thread.

 

[Love]

Nothing Benning can or will do will affect how HF Boards views him. He can do nothing right because: stuff, meat & potatoes, Sbisa, Coach Willie, country bumpkin, etc.

For backup reference to the above: Please see every other thread.

The problem is Benning has absolutely no direction.

It's like he has one foot in one boat and one foot in a different boat they're both moving in opposite directions. You can't sort of rebuild and sort of compete. That's bull****.

The silver lining we have as fans is that our team plays in a conference that is so damn competitive that there is a realistic argument that we could finish 2nd to last in the West despite Benning's best efforts.

The funniest thing is that Benning claims he wants to:

1) Get younger.

2) Still be competitive.

- Yet somehow, he managed to violate both of those goals when he traded Eddie Lack. The team beame older and worse.

 

[MS]

The problem is Benning has absolutely no direction.

It's like he has one foot in one boat and one foot in a different boat they're both moving in opposite directions. You can't sort of rebuild and sort of compete. That's bull****.

The silver lining we have as fans is that our team plays in a conference that is so damn competitive that there is a realistic argument that we could finish 2nd to last in the West despite Benning's best efforts.

The funniest thing is that Benning claims he wants to:

1) Get younger.

2) Still be competitive.

- Yet somehow, he managed to violate both of those goals when he traded Eddie Lack. The team beame older and worse.

Yup. It's just completely rudderless.

The pro-tank crowd are basically getting exactly what they want. Accidentally.

And it probably isn't the worst thing, since the window to re-tool and remain competitive has been closed by his brutal management so far.

 

[tantalum]

Yup. It's just completely rudderless.

The pro-tank crowd are basically getting exactly what they want. Accidentally.

And it probably isn't the worst thing, since the window to re-tool and remain competitive has been closed by his brutal management so far.

But unintentional tanking with rudderless management isn't a good thing. Sure they might get some good picks but we are staring down the barrel of a Kevin Lowe rebuild...

That shouldn't make anyone happy.

 

[Ryp37]

Yeah I don't know how anyone can feel confident going into the season with the blue line looking how it is, even if they do add Weber/another real cheap UFA

 

[thehockeyfanatic]

I haven't listened to the interview but I'm tempted to say Benning is being misleading when he says the 3rd round pick was the best offer they had for him. Was it the best offer they had with a team they were willing to trade with? That is much more likely.

 

[RandV]

So let me get this straight, Robin Lehner, Cam Talbot, and now Martin Jones can get traded to be a new teams starter, but he can only get Lack traded as a backup???

Talk about going to bat for your own players, Carolina pulled a fast one on him here. Though I guess he's not one of Bennings players he's one of Gillis, so who cares

 

[Canadian Canuck]

Smh...

 

[MS]

But unintentional tanking with rudderless management isn't a good thing. Sure they might get some good picks but we are staring down the barrel of a Kevin Lowe rebuild...

That shouldn't make anyone happy.

True enough. Painful to be a fan right now.

So let me get this straight, Robin Lehner, Cam Talbot, and now Martin Jones can get traded to be a new teams starter, but he can only get Lack traded as a backup???

Talk about going to bat for your own players, Carolina pulled a fast one on him here. Though I guess he's not one of Bennings players he's one of Gillis, so who cares

It is absolutely unbelievable that the guy who accomplished the most last year gets such a terrible return relative to so many substantially inferior goalies.

 

[valkynax]

So let me get this straight, Robin Lehner, Cam Talbot, and now Martin Jones can get traded to be a new teams starter, but he can only get Lack traded as a backup???

Talk about going to bat for your own players, Carolina pulled a fast one on him here. Though I guess he's not one of Bennings players he's one of Gillis, so who cares

LOL this +1000000

Talbot n Jones ok I can KINDA understand but...if freaking Lehner can fetch a 1st round and then some, by that logic Lack should've gotten us a top 10 pick for crying out loud.

Again, Benning doesn't seem to understand that most, if not all, of the fan's displeasure with this deal comes from the pitiful return.

Also is it just me or did Benning basically threw Bieksa under the bus by stating that there was a deal ready with San Jose but Bieksa turned it down??

 

[D0ctorCool]

But unintentional tanking with rudderless management isn't a good thing. Sure they might get some good picks but we are staring down the barrel of a Kevin Lowe rebuild...

That shouldn't make anyone happy.

pro-tanker here. Yes, the unintentional tank legitimately scares me. The best case scenario is that the unintentional tank is set into motion, followed promptly by a regime change. I can't imagine the Canucks, or any management group for that matter, allowing a poisonous management group to be employed as long as Kevin Lowe and company.

I know everybody uses the case of the Oilers as a cautionary tale, but there have been a lot of successful tanks, Both intentional and unintentional. Oilers are the outlier.

 

[Domecile]

Not all that surprising really... "The fans won't tolerate a rebuild" but apparently we will tolerate being mediocre.

What is this even supposed to mean? You won't tolerate being mediocre?

 

[DCantheDDad]

Well, it should be an interesting next couple years. I honestly have no idea where this team is headed, besides down.

 

[MS]

So it seems the strategy is :

Lose :

Lack
Weber
Stanton
Matthias
Richardson
Bieksa (probably)

Add :

someone like Bartkowski
some 'B' level prospects from Utica on defense
Baertschi

... have the Sedins age another year, and get better? Seriously?

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

So Carolina wants Eddie for backup?
Btw I like this interview.

 

[TARS]

Honestly, his comments make the Lack trade look even worse.

If he's your best goalie and he didn't have value in the NHL market the same way he did in the Vancouver market, why would you move him? Isn't a management fundamental that if an asset has more value to you than it does in the market, it's not a good time to be moving it?

If you really want to be rid of him so bad, build him up with some more starts this year and flip him at the deadline for a 1st (or at least a decent 2nd) when the rest of the market takes notice.

 

[Seatoo]

At this point I'm pretty sure GMJB is really Kevin Lowe in a body suit & mask

 

[Goon42]

He cant just come out and say "our draft sucked, trade sucked, etc" but still..... dark times

 

[Love]

But unintentional tanking with rudderless management isn't a good thing. Sure they might get some good picks but we are staring down the barrel of a Kevin Lowe rebuild...

That shouldn't make anyone happy.

Well I guess an unintentional tank isn't a good thing, but it's better than what JB is actually trying to accomplish.

 

[dbaz]

The funniest thing is that Benning claims he wants to:

1) Get younger.

2) Still be competitive.

- Yet somehow, he managed to violate both of those goals when he traded Eddie Lack. The team beame older and worse.

Technically you are wrong. Markstrom being 2 years younger than Lack as the back-up suggests that the team did get younger by trading him

 

[absolute garbage]

Technically you are wrong. Markstrom being 2 years younger than Lack as the back-up suggests that the team did get younger by trading him

Probably the same logic why they gave up Weber for nothing and replace him with Clendening.

 

[tantalum]

Well I guess an unintentional tank isn't a good thing, but it's better than what JB is actually trying to accomplish.

Not sure to be honest. Depends how long a guy is at the helm. NO matter the strategy or vision or intent bad management is never good. And eventually it will lead you to the bottom of the standings and once you are there and the manager is turfed it will still take several years to get yourself out of the mess. I don't think that last part changes.

I really want one of two things to happen:

1) Benning learns how to do this job really really really quickly...like by midnight.

or

2) I just want it to be over.