Who should the Canucks target as their next GM?

[TruKnyte]

LMAO, so many people on the "I like Benning but I'd avoid Barry Trotz" bandwagon. Heh.

Yea things can change quickly. A poll today would have the exact opposite result.

 

[Melvin]

Has a sports organization ever been as mind raped as the Canucks were by the Bruins in 2011? It's crazy when you think about it all.

Yes:

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

Then you wouldn't have Pettersson and Boeser.

Playing the "what if" game as a defence is a fruitless exercise. I imagine you're saying if we had those players I mentioned, then we would have finished higher in the standings and not been able to draft those players, right? Well New Jersey and Philly won the lottery that year, so who is to say we wouldn't have finished in either of their two spots and actually had a higher pick (and still picked Pettersson but probably more likely Makar)? See, your hypothetical is dumb. And if we didn't draft Boeser, maybe we draft Sebastian Aho instead since he was available until 35th overall. Once again, your hypothetical is dumb.

 

[canuckfan75]

In this fantasy scenario where Benning is fired, I'll go one step further and say good BC boy Steve Yzerman does a heel turn and doesn't return to Detroit but instead takes his talents to Vancouver.

Not happening. He has the Detriot job in about a years time

 

[Bobby Digital]

A successful rebuild takes 5-7 years typically. Don't let EA sports tell you otherwise.

-This team started re[building/tooling/whateveryouwanttocallit] back in 2014 when they traded Luongo.

-Deadline 2019 (a few days ago) until Deadline 2021 is the time for judgement in opinion.

The next two years should be pretty telling as to whether this rebuild was a successful one or not. My opinion was as follows:

-2019: Miss the playoffs but come close. We turn heads. (this season)
-2020: 1st round loss (next season)
-2021: Dark Horse and beyond.

The Leafs rebuilt in 3 years. Because they actually committed to it. We aren't rebuilding. Never have.

Also its just asinine that your saying this team "just" miss the playoffs this season. We're the 7th worst team in the leauge.

 

[canuckfan75]

Dean Lombardi has already turned down the job in the summer when they fired Linden

 

[canuckfan75]

Holland is very possible as I mention on here last year . he is stepping down in Detriot after next year and Yzerman is taking over. However he will in 2020 turning 65 so not sure if he would want to work in this hot spot

 

[canuckfan75]

Keep a eye on Ray Ferraro. he is looking to get into management.

would be a great President especially on how he would have the media on his side. The media in hockey whether it is local or Nationally do the Canucks no favours

 

[Krnuckfan]

As if anyone here ****ing knows.

We all thought Jim Benning was a great target; he had a sterling reputation as AGM in Boston.

We don't have a ****ing clue.

I seem to recall people going through the bruins scouting record while he was AGM there and concluding their scouting was nothing special. In general I think people were optimistic because the canucks have been such a crappy amateur scouting team but the sbisa and dorsett deals turned people's opinions pretty quickly

 

[Cogburn]

I will throw my hat into the ring.

Cogburn for GM 2019.

My policy of doing very little and firing all levels of previous management and former players in key position will make the job easier for my successor!

Also I will drive a dumptruck full of money to all of your UFA targets!

I have over 15 years experience building contenders on a super realistic simulator!

I will bring cheerleaders back to Canadian hockey!

I will also come very cheap!

The choice is obvious Mr. Aquilini! Cogburn for GM.

 

[TryamkinPleaseReturn]

I think Benning gets 1 more year. He will sign big UFAs this summer and If they work out an Canucks make the playoffs next year and Hughes is awesome then I wouldnt be shocked if Benning gets an extension.

This might be the most terrifying thing I've heard this year

 

[TryamkinPleaseReturn]

Your team is exceeding expectations with guys like EP BB and BH, not convinced he drafted BH but u got Quinn Hughes coming too. All guys Benning has drafted.

Hes not terrible. You are just in the midst of a rebuild.

Nice try JetBlue. I get it. Make the oppressed think they're the privileged ones, keep them oppressed

 

[Hollywood Burrows]

whoever it is should be a professional, and not an ex-player or guy with family connections. Sunny Mehta and Laurence Gilman would be solid candidates. Mehta in particular is somebody with an outstanding reputation who deserves a shot.

 

[ErrantShepherd]

I will throw my hat into the ring.

Cogburn for GM 2019.

My policy of doing very little and firing all levels of previous management and former players in key position will make the job easier for my successor!

Also I will drive a dumptruck full of money to all of your UFA targets!

I have over 15 years experience building contenders on a super realistic simulator!

I will bring cheerleaders back to Canadian hockey!

I will also come very cheap!

The choice is obvious Mr. Aquilini! Cogburn for GM.

"You already have the job Mr. Benning, you can't reapply using an internet handle."

 

[Bonham]

Then you wouldn't have Pettersson and Boeser.

Benning is actually a keen intellectual and spoken advocate for Chaos Theory.

A series of mismanaged events eventually led to him getting something correct -- why risk disrupting that?

Genius.

 

[VanJack]

Unfortunately I don't have much faith in the current owners to actually go out an find a GM who'd be any better than the guy they've got.

I find it interesting that according to at least one poster, Dean Lombardi turned down the Canuck job last year. If true, it sends out a troubling signal that a lot of potential candidates wouldn't consider working for this owner or in this market.

 

[RandV]

In this fantasy scenario where Benning is fired, I'll go one step further and say good BC boy Steve Yzerman does a heel turn and doesn't return to Detroit but instead takes his talents to Vancouver.

Yzerman was born in BC but he grew up in Ontario, so there's really no connection here.

And on the topic of looking back when Benning was hired it is kind of amazing, I guess all the signs were there that Chiarelli/Benning weren't good at their jobs but you couldn't say anything at the time because they had a Cup win. It's kind of telling though that for the constant derision thrown at Gillis for merely "inheriting" a good time the same was never applied to the Boston crew at the time.

 

[bossram]

oops on Fenton !! You think Gilman would leave the Leafs?

To get a promotion, maybe.

 

[bossram]

Your team is exceeding expectations with guys like EP BB and BH, not convinced he drafted BH but u got Quinn Hughes coming too. All guys Benning has drafted.

Hes not terrible. You are just in the midst of a rebuild.

You've named four players. And Bo Horvat was *gasp* a Gillis pick.

Like, have you looked at the rest of the roster? And outside of Hughes, there isn't much help coming.

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

I think it’s Playoffs or bust for Benning next season. I’m worried he’s going to sign some mediocre UFA’s this offseason to ridiculous contracts in a desperate push to make the playoffs and save his job.

To replace Benning..

1. Steve Yzerman
2. Mark Hunter
3. Dean Lombardi
4. Ken Holland
5. Mike Gillis

To replace Green ...

1. Joel Quenville
2. Lindy Ruff
3. Alain Vigneault

 

[Foundational Player]

Too old now.

It’s time for him to be in a retirement home and **** in diapers.

Great GM career however. He’s just in a different stage of life now.

Lombardi is 60 years old.

Benning is 55 years old.

Brian Maclellan just won the Stanley Cup as the GM of the Capitals and is 60 years old.

Jim Benning is the only one out of the three that sounds like he belongs in a retirement home.

 

[mathonwy]

Keep a eye on Ray Ferraro. he is looking to get into management.

would be a great President especially on how he would have the media on his side. The media in hockey whether it is local or Nationally do the Canucks no favours

Two way street. Thank about it.

 

[Wo Yorfat]

I’d hope we mix things up and go with a capable human adult.

Bonus points if under 75% of their transactions are catastrophes.

 

[rypper]

I didn't realize that Hextall had 4 years at the helm, but I always felt like he was doing a good job in Philly rebuilding. I remember thinking when he got that axe and seeing that Benning still had a job just didn't really compute in that jobs they both had done up til now.

Am I way off? is there something i'm missing about Hextall's time that was particularly egregious?

I don't know that I'd want him to replace Benning, I think I'm more on board with the idea of hiring less of a "hockey man" and more of an innovative thinker, agent/capologist type.

I definitely would like to see our next front office with more voices in the room then just two guys who echo off each other. People with different skill sets working together.

 

[ATypicalCanadian]

If I'm picking a guy besides Gilman coming back from what I've been able to read on Bill Zito I think he could be a good fit as well. He's managed contracts, the salary cap and the Blue Jackets farm team as the assistant in Columbus (Sounds like a Gilman/Henning hybrid).

Tom Fitzgerald(NJ), Steve Greely(BUF), Mark Hunter, Kelly McCrimmon(VGK) are other assistant(or former in Hunters case) GMs who seem to come up in conversation for GM vacancies.

I would also state the obvious and avoid hiring internally at this point. I can't think of many successful examples at the moment besides Brian McLellan for Washington with Julian Brisebois a TBD.