Stephan Roget is a Jim Benning apologist. A “meat and potatoes” cultist. A shill for the Acquilini Investment group!
This author has heard it all before, and so we’ll start with a confession—this article is going to have a pro-Jim Benning bias. It’s not because this author is related to Benning, and they’ve never received any money from the Acquilinis—or drinking water, now that we mention it.
Instead, the bias comes from outright, unbridled optimism. There’s always a bright side to everything, and sometimes focusing on that can be a much more enjoyable way to take in the game of hockey—and life in general. This author has plenty of additional thoughts on the bright side of Benning’s tenure that will be shared in a later article, but at the moment we’re focusing on the here and now.
Fortunately, when it comes to Jim Benning’s performance as the GM of the Vancouver Canucks during the 2018/19 season, there’s plenty to be hopeful about. Whereas multiple other writers are waiting in the wings to rake Benning’s season over the coals, this shill is here to present The Optimist’s Jim Benning Report Card For 2018/19.
For the record, we’re taking everything from June 2018 to May 2019 into consideration here—and dividing everything up into convenient transactional categories. Each of those categories will receive a letter grade, and they’ll all be averaged at the end for a final grade.
Trades
Michael Chaput to Chicago Blackhawks for Tanner Kero
June 24, 2018
A small potatoes trade, but a fair one. Kero performed well for the Utica Comets, whereas Chaput spent much of the season in the NHL—albeit for the Montreal Canadiens.
EVEN
Michael Carcone to Toronto Maple Leafs for Josh Leivo
December 3, 2018
Leivo didn’t exactly set the world on fire as a Canuck, but he did establish himself as a genuine NHL talent with middle-six potential—which is likely more than will ever be said about Carcone. The latter’s AHL production wasn’t all that much higher than Leivo’s big league production.
WIN
Darren Archibald and Anders Nilsson to Ottawa for Mike McKenna, Tom Pyatt, and a 2019 6th Round Pick
January 2, 2019
This trade ultimately amounted to a whole lot of nothing. The Canucks lost McKenna right away and Nilsson found success with the Senators, which might tip the deal in Ottawa’s favour—but the cap space and late pick acquired by the Canucks are probably the most valuable assets, so this one’s a draw.
EVEN
Michael Del Zotto to Anaheim Ducks for Luke Schenn and 2020 7th Round Pick
January 16, 2019
Getting anything for Del Zotto—even a slightly retained Del Zotto—has to be considered a win. The fact that the return was a late draft pick and the surprisingly valuable services of Schenn makes this a resounding victory.
WIN
2020 7th Round Pick in 2020 to Nashville Predators for Marek Mazanec
February 12, 2019
Benning badly needed a depth goalie, so he traded for one—and paid the lowest possible price. Mazanec didn’t end up playing all that much for the Comets—or all that well—but trading for him was inconsequential and necessary.
EVEN
Sam Gagner to Edmonton Oilers for Ryan Spooner
February 16, 2019
A cap dump for cap dump trade that worked out in favour of the Oilers. Spooner badly underperformed his contract as a Canuck and will likely start next season in Utica, whereas Gagner provided solid production for the Oilers and may have resurrected his NHL career. A loss—but a “who cares” sort of loss.
LOSS
Erik Gudbranson to Pittsburgh Penguins for Tanner Pearson
February 25, 2019
Both contracts looked equally horrible when this deadline deal occurred, but the Canucks have definitely got more bang for their buck with Pearson thus far. Pearson scored at a greater than 30-goal pace with Vancouver—and while Gudbranson’s play improved after joining the Penguins, he was still very much Erik Gudbranson.
WIN
Jonathan Dahlen to San Jose Sharks for Linus Karlsson
February 25, 2019
Another rather inconsequential loss. A prospect of Dahlen’s pedigree should have resulted in a greater return than Karlsson, but it sounds like Dahlen might be headed back to Sweden anyway—so Karlsson could be the more valuable asset as soon as next season.
LOSS
Overall Trade Grade:
B
Free Agency
Jay Beagle for Four Years @ $3 million
July 1, 2018
Beagle had a solid debut season with the Canucks and made them a better team—as detailed by this author in Beagle’s Year In Review—but it’s still hard to call a contract that will carry him to age 36 anything but a bad deal.
BAD VALUE
Antoine Roussel for Four Years @$3 million
July 1, 2018
Roussel was everything Jim Benning hoped for when he signed him—and then some. Roussel’s infectious antagonism was expected, but he also had the best offensive season of his career despite missing 17 games—and he’s still just 29 years old.
GOOD VALUE
Tim Schaller for Two Years @ $1.9 million
July 1, 2018
Schaller ended the year a little stronger than he began it, but he’s really not a player that belongs in the NHL—and the Canucks will still be paying him nearly $2 million to man the pressbox next year. This signing always seemed unnecessary.
BAD VALUE
Michael Leighton for One Year @ $650K
February 19, 2019
Leighton was an emergency signing, and he did some fine work for the Comets this season. A routine depth contract.
FAIR VALUE
Overall Free Agency Grade:
C-
Prospect Free Agency
Mitch Eliot, Three-Year ELC
December 14, 2018
Eliot had a solid regular season with the Sarnia Sting, but a terrible playoffs. He’ll likely turn pro next season, but he’s a longshot to ever crack the NHL.
AVERAGE PROSPECT
Josh Teves, One-Year ELC
March 12, 2019
Teves looked alright in a one-game audition late in the season, but his ECAC performance suggests an average college free agent signing—far from a guarantee to become an NHL regular.
AVERAGE PROSPECT
Jake Kielly, Two-Year ELC
April 1, 2019
Kielly is coming off three good seasons for Clarkson University, but he’s starting out his time in the organization pretty far down the goaltending depth chart—so he’s got a long way to climb.
AVERAGE PROSPECT
Brogan Rafferty, One-Year ELC
April 1, 2019
Rafferty earned praise for his two-game audition with the Canucks, and appears to be the college free agent with the most potential—which could be on display in the NHL as soon as next season.
ABOVE-AVERAGE PROSPECT
Overall Prospect Free Agency Grade:
C
Re-Signings
Markus Granlund for One Year @ $1.475 million
June 22, 2018
It wasn’t the best season of Granlund’s career by any stretch of the imagination, but he still provided more than adequate value for less than $1.5 million.
FAIR VALUE
Derrick Pouliot for One Year @ $1.1 million
June 26, 2018
Pouliot had a dreadful season and ran himself out of town—so paying anything for him should be considered poor value, especially when it’s twice the league minimum.
BAD VALUE
Sven Baertschi for Three Years @ $3.367 million
July 1, 2018
The only thing stopping Baertschi’s contract from being an excellent value are the concerns over his health. If Baertschi can stay in the lineup for the next two seasons, it will be a more-than-fair deal for the Canucks.
FAIR VALUE
Darren Archibald for One Year @$650K
July 3, 2018
Archibald was a valuable AHL veteran and callup option, and he ended up being thrown into a depth trade. This contract was as routine as it gets.
FAIR VALUE
Troy Stecher for Two Years @ $2.325 million
July 20, 2018
Stecher’s 2018/19 season was exactly what Jim Benning hoped for out of this bridge contract. Stecher delivered much greater value than his salary would suggest—impressing enough to earn a spot on Team Canada at the World Hockey Championship—and the Canucks get him at that same cap hit for another full year. As a bonus, he’ll still be an RFA when it expires.
GOOD VALUE
Jake Virtanen for Two Years @ $1.25 million
July 25, 2018
Virtanen’s bridge contract is an even better value than Stecher’s. Virtanen is younger, paid less, and on the cusp of 20 goals—or perhaps more. As this deal moves into its second year, it stands as a “prove it” contract—which is exactly what Virtanen needs in 2019/20.
GOOD VALUE
Thatcher Demko for Two Years @ $1.05 million
April 24, 2019
Demko has yet to truly prove himself at the NHL level, so he’s being paid less than the average backup goalie. If he performs well for 20 games or so next season, this deal will look like a bargain very quickly.
FAIR VALUE
Overall Re-Signings Grade:
B
Other Stuff
This section won’t get an overall grade, but these transactions bore mentioning.
Brendan Leipsic lost on waivers to Los Angeles Kings
December 3, 2018
The Canucks didn’t really have room for Leipsic, who found himself lost in a sea of middle-six wingers.
INCONSEQUENTIAL TRANSACTION
Mike McKenna lost on waivers to Philadelphia Flyers
January 4, 2019
McKenna himself wasn’t all that valuable, but losing him to the Flyers did cause a minor organizational crisis in net.
MILDLY CONSEQUENTIAL TRANSACTION
Michael DiPietro emergency recall
February 4, 2019
There was a lot of consternation over DiPietro’s emergency recall—and subsequent shellacking—but his play after returning to the OHL suggests that the experience did nothing but fuel his desire to improve.
INCONSEQUENTIAL TRANSACTION
Draft Picks
It’s simply too early to grade Jim Benning’s performance at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. With that in mind, this section will feature a rating of Trending Up or Trending Down for each draft pick—rather than the more definitive labels featured in other sections. For averaging purposes, there will still be an overall letter grade applied to the section.
Quinn Hughes
Drafted 7th Overall
What else can be said about Hughes? Benning had his choice of two other promising defenders in Noah Dobson and Evan Bouchard, but one year after the draft Hughes still looks like the right choice.
Trending Up
Jett Woo
Drafted 37th Overall
Woo doubled his WHL production in his Draft+1 season and made a good run at Canada’s World Junior entry. He can’t turn pro until 2020, but he’s well on his way to success at the next level.
Trending Up
Tyler Madden
Drafted 68th Overall
Madden starred for the USA entry at the 2019 World Juniors, and was one of the best rookies in the NCAA. Few prospects from the 2018 Draft saw their profiles rise higher this season than Madden.
Trending Up
Toni Utunen
Drafted 130th Overall
After some moderate improvement this season, Utunen gained notoriety for eliminating Canada at the World Juniors—though he remains a longshot prospect.
Trending Up
Artyom Manukyan
Drafted 186th Overall
Manukyan was always a project pick, but he only put up 15 points in the KHL as a 20-year-old—and just one goal in 18 playoff games. It wasn’t the step forward this overage pick needed.
Trending Down
Matthew Thiessen
Drafted 192nd Overall
Thiessen’s rookie season in the USHL was less-than-ideal—though the development path of goaltenders is often unpredictable and it’s too early to write him off quite yet. His play improved dramatically in the playoffs.
Trending Down
Overall 2018 Entry Draft Grade:
A
Jim Benning’s Final Grade For The 2018/19 Season:
B
Whether you’re a long-established resident of Fort Benning or a dedicated skeptic, you have to admit that his performance as a General Manager improved in 2018/19. His trading game saw notable improvement, his re-signings worked out well, and he had perhaps the best draft of his tenure with the team. Benning’s uninhibited unrestricted free agent signings remains his achilles’ heel, but he avoided any absolutely egregious deals—and added one incredibly valuable player in Antoine Roussel.
The Vancouver Canucks improved significantly under Benning throughout the 2018/19 season—in both the present and the future sense. The debate remains open as to whether the improvement was significant enough—but you already know what this optimist thinks.
Nice and ultimately fair summary of his last years work . But ultimately Benning’s stock will rise or fall depending on the 2019-20 season. Miss the playoffs and we will have a new GM in 2020.
I’m not and have never been a Benning defender, but I don’t think this is quite so black and white – it depends on context. If the Canucks finish the season with 75 points again and without insane injuries, Benning will be done. But if they improve to 9th in the west with 88 points and do it with a major injury or two throughout the season? Benning’s probably safe.
Barring the addition of a major impact player in free agency or a crazy powerplay move to pick in the top-3 at the draft, I think this team’s probably destined for a finish around 80 points and 10th place, which probably won’t be good enough.
I’m going to write about this in another article, but I’m starting to form the opinion that in the summer of 2020 or 2021 it might be best for Benning to accept a demotion and hire someone with a greater eye toward pro scouting.
Two points:
First, managers don’t get demoted. They get fired. And for good reason. Someone who used to be in charge hanging around the place doesn’t really work, for them or for the organization.
Second, pro-scouting seems to have improved over the last couple of years.
Never heard of Dale Tallon then… lol
Congratulations. You found one exception versus hundreds of cases where the manager was simply let go.
And “lol” is a tired device.
McPhee in Vegas lol. Ron Francis in Carolina lol. Umm Pat Quinn in Vancouver lol.
Keep getting angry when you are owned though, it’s fun. LOL
1. Pat Quinn was GM from 1987 to 1997. He was fired but never demoted, although he did take on coaching duties for a few seasons in addition to being GM.
2. George McPhee VOLUNTARILY stepped aside as GM to become president of hockey operations. It was his idea to do so. In fact, he picked his successor. It had nothing to do with his performance as GM, which was beyond exceptional.
3. Francis was demoted and fired two months later. Like I said, having the old GM hanging around is untenable.
But thanks for playing and all that.
Good article, more or less speaks my voice too. I like the fact that Benning also was able to rectify a past mistake in the Gudbranson trade whereas others may have doubled down on their mistakes. Shows a little humility and also that Benning is learning and improving as a GM. Hopefully we have every reason to be optimistic this year.
Well said!
He did double down , Gudbranson was resign for $4 million per season where he was reportedly offered 2 second round picks the year before. Jared McCann also looked good for Canada at the world championships
The resign is what I’m talking about, he gave him a chance to prove himself, didn’t work out, pulled the trigger, essentially, listening to his critics. Is this not what you want in a GM? Always improving, and listening to the fans where applicable? Also, hindsight is wonderful, could have got this for him, could have got that… all just rumours, we’ll never know and I don’t lose sleep worrying about what ifs.
The McCann trade was so long ago I hardly remember and if I’m honest, I don’t care if he is a great player, he is a headache that has been on 3 teams already, I don’t want a guy like that in the dressing room. Bad heads ruin good teams.
How convenient you don’t remember the trading of a 1st round draft pick from a rebuilding team – and a 2nd round pick as well.
Well I could spend my summer agonizing about every mistake the GM made from years gone by, pounding my fists, picking fights online or I could look forward to next season with optimism and hope. As my glass is half full, I choose the latter.
Pearson was on three teams in the same season. I don’t buy the “bad seed” label.
Also, wasn’t the goalie trade with the NYR, not Nashville?
This report card was more fair or realistic rather than optimistic.
Give it a rest bro, you post here more than Trump does on twitter lol Shut-in? Old folks home?
Aren’t you going to switch to Matty T and troll yourself today?
Please, could you not engage and leave the site (mods?) – the way you cowardly trashed the late, great Jason Botchford and offered NOTHING upon his passing still leaves a bitter taste, as I am sure all compassionate hockey fans will agree. Vile, cowardly pos arentcha Low-cust.
Forgot the password huh….
“great”? In the words of the dude…yeah, well, you know, that’s just like your opinion man. I suppose reasonable people can disagree on the definition of great.
Don’t listen to them, 1915! Your contributions are always welcome here.
There is no “them”. There is one troll that posts under a variety of names.Good to see you’re participating in the blog,Stephan.
Well, that’s what I think, too. But I thought a caveat was fair!
It isn’t.
Nice, I can’t find anything that I disagree with. Can’t wait til next season!
Fair assessment of JB’s year. I’m happy that he’s obviously working the phones more this year than last and it will be interesting to see how the next four weeks work out for Benning and the Canucks. The narrative that this defence needs to improve is accurate however compared to the start of last year I believe it already is by taking out MDZ, Guddy, and Pouilot while adding in Hughes
I think Benning is big game hunting this offseason! I just talked about it on Chris Faber’s podcast, so look out for that shortly.
The only reason for the (at this time) 5 trashes is because you called him out
5 trashes is actually puzzling, I could name more than 5 of his personas off the top of my head. Slow day for our resident troll. Maybe the meds are kicking in.
Benning is not perfect by any means but has made some progress as a GM more recently. This is a fair assessment article and his free agency savvy is better than it use to be. One thing Benning does do well is make trades where not much is ever given up and his drafting mostly is promising. However Big Jim’s club must make the playoffs next year if he’s to hang around. He’s had a fairly lengthy mandate so far but 19-20 shall be a pivotal year for Benning and the Canucks.
I don’t think the playoffs are far-fetched if certain conditions can be met:
– Markstrom and Demko continue to provide above-average goaltending.
– The proposed reduction in shot-blocking leads to fewer injuries to key defencemen like Edler and Tanev.
– Baertschi, Roussel, Beagle, and Sutter stays healthy. Pettersson doesn’t lose games due to cheap shots.
– Gaudette, Virtanen, and Goldobin take a big step. Juolevi can make the team and contribute.
– We don’t lose Edler to free agency.
Benning already made a bunch of additions or subtractions that we will benefit from over the course of a full season:
– Pearson and Leivo can provide Top 9 scoring. Maybe Spooner steps up his game. Hughes plays the full season.
– Addition by subtraction. No Nilsson, Pouliot, or Gudbranson.
Add another good free agent winger or defenceman or swing a hockey trade and there is no reason why we can’t improve by 5+ wins to take a wild card spot.
I applaud your optimism and often fall into the same trap. If all those do fall into place, you’re likely right, they have a decent chance. I’ve come to learn that the problem is the length of the list that has to go right for them to make it.
Very optimistic but if all works out that way I agree. As you said, add a decent free agent or trade piece and we might be contenders. I also see Horvat, being given the ‘C’, stepping up, embracing the role and elevating his game, he is just that kind of guy.
I think aiming at the playoffs is a must next year for sure.
Mmmmm Lovely head of hair for a 60 year old and not a grey in sight. What a stud. Great work Jim, any chance of some playoffs yet?
I think Benning’s tenure has to be put into 2 categories. Sedins era and post Sedin era.
Most critics look at FA, ie Loui and Sutter, and see a complete fail. In context, Loui had chemistry with the Twins on the International stage and the team was trying to win for the Sedins. People can blame ownership, GMJB or Trev, but Danny and Hank deserved to have the organization try and compete. Like a batter down 1 with 2 outs in the ninth inning, GMJB was swinging for the fences.
Post Sedin era, his FA signings were more of a support role that won’t bury them in Salary Cap hell. You can tell now that he wants to build off the youth in the organization and add complimentary pieces. Bo/EP/Brock/Quinn/Demko (w Depitro coming) are a solid frame work that will only get better. Only Bo wasn’t drafted on his watch. Adding a scoring forward in this upcoming draft that can join the top six in a year or two will help a team on the rise.
The future looks bright and if the injury situation is “normal” next year the team should make the playoffs
Ditto and fair article, JB seems to had learned from past decisions but context also has to be considered as to why those decisions were made at the time; he was hired as a 1st time GM with extensive experienced as a, “scout”. The inexperienced as a first time GM did become more obvious after hindsight as he was trying to build a roster based on what he was handed but the most recent decision(s) seems to now indicate that despite draft lottery setbacks and previous roster management decision(s) JB and team was still able to build a solid core moving forward with cap space to add a player if they deemed this core is ready to compete. This is now his core and I hope he will be given another opportunity to continue to build and develope this core.
I couldn’t agree more!
That’s a fair assessment. How do you see Gagner as a win for the Oilers other than in terms of nostalgia? He put up 10 points in 25 games, Spooner had 4 in 11. Neither is worth their contract. And as CA has pointed out, Benning should get limited praise for fixing his own mistakes (i.e. signing Gagner when it was clear that his stats were inflated by the Columbus PP).
Again I see the Gagne signing as a Sedin era decision to try and improve the power play. Loui Sammy all these guys were acquired to try and play with Danny and Hank. Turns out the only true fit was Burr in his prime!
Gagner actually looked like an NHL player during his time with the Oilers. Spooner absolutely did not as a Canuck. It’s not a huge win, but I think the Oilers got more out of Gagner and will continue getting more.
I think this discussion is (mostly) irrelevant. Gagner was not going to play for the canucks again. The trade was to get him back in the nhl. Not really about winning or losing. Neither player currently has value.
Stephan, beyond the fact that I liked this article and others that you’ve posted, I just wanted to give you props for engaging in the comments section. It’s nice to see more than a post-and-dash and this is one of the more interesting discussions despite the trolls.
Thanks for noticing! It’s something I’ve been making an effort to do more.
Judging by the trashes, matty t et al disagree, but good on ya Stephan
Don’t think I’ve fully understood this. Gagner and Spooner scored at basically the same rate, no?
Darren Archibald and Anders Nilsson to Ottawa for Mike McKenna, Tom Pyatt, and a 2019 6th Round Pick
The real purpose of this trade was for Vancouver to make room for Demko. By that measure, both clubs came out ahead.
To get a 6th round pick for a UFA goaltender that had a 3.33 GAA and 0.899 SV% is an absolute win. League average in the same period was 2.80 GAA and 0.911 SV%.
The “Prospect Free Agency” deals are near impossible to assess right now. Only in a couple of years will we know how good they are.
Most of Benning’s trades have been inconsequential, with modest gains at best. The original Gudbranson and Sutter trades were the only that could have had impact and they were failures. Trading is a D.
Good article though.
Trading for Baertschi, Leivo, Pearson, Dorsett, Granlund, Motte, Goldobin, and Schenn were not inconsequential. They weren’t blockbusters, but in aggregate they had a considerable effect.
How many winning seasons or playoff rounds has this considerable effect turned into again?
Oh I forgot. Every trade is supposed to win you the cup.
And it would have happened if the Oilers had accepted the McDavid-for- Pouliot offer.
The six years of stripping the franchise of both depth and prospects under Gillis would have a similar recovery time.
The Canucks should be very close to – and likely contending for – a playoff position this coming season.
Rubbish from Bud again. How long are you going to blame the last regime for. Lol. Keep sucking on JBs jock strap!
He has been dining out on this same deluded garbage for years… it’s dull, boring and incorrect———- a bit like his life, which is spent on here everyday, even in summer lol.
Yeah, I didn’t weight those too heavily. Was basically just assessing whether they had promise or not. Rafferty is probably the only one of the bunch with real potential.
I thought this was an amazing article and bang on. IMHO, Benning made the team better both through addition and subtraction. Comments:
– I thought they came out slightly ahead on the Nilsson trade
– I thought getting Schenn was a big win, only because it facilitated the Guddy trade…without it, they wouldn’t have had enough RHD to get through to the end of the year.
-I didn’t think the Pouliot signing was that bad…they dealt him down and it was only a 1 year deal
– Similarly for all the hand-wringing around Benning FA signings, he doesn’t do that many beyond 1 – 2 year deals. If a $3mil popular C and $1.8mil 2 year deal are your worst singings (in 2018), thank god.
Thanks, I think you’re amazing, too.
-On Nilsson, I tend to agree, but since the Sens seem to want to keep Nilsson around I called it a draw.
-I agree about Schenn, especially since he came with a bonus pick
-I don’t think the Pouliot signing was bad or unreasonable, and it didn’t really hurt–but they also definitely didn’t get $1.1 million worth of hockey out of him this year.
-Agreed. I think Beagle will continue to be important for the next couple years, and Schaller is a barely consequential mistake.
Hard to argue with most of what you wrote. A fair review needs to be more critical of his bumbling the goalie situation. The draft was good, at least what we can project today. The signings again were god awful, showing he doesn’t learn from his mistakes. The Gudbranson trade was brilliant, but one needs to remember the context. Acquring Guddy in the first place was a major blunder so hard to give him props for neutralizing a terrible mistake that should noy have been made in the first place.
Jake Virtanen on the cusp of 20+ goals? You truly ARE an optimist!
Yeah, people whine about MDZ and I still hear about Bartkowski as a bad deal. I don’t get it, how is a one year deal such an albatross? It’s ridiculous, and only matters to those who insist on hating Benning. If they’d hang their hat on the conditional 5th rounder we gave up for Phillip Larsen, I’d entertain their comments. As it is, it leaves me feeling like most of the bashers just copy someone else’s narrative and don’t have many original thoughts or understanding of the game.
Benning is far from perfect, but there has been more good than bad. This was a good piece, and didn’t sugar-coat it at all, it seemed pretty balanced to me. Anybody who just falls back on the same old tired arguments like “worst team in the league over 4 years” ignores the facts and often contradict themselves. Seriously, people, if you wanted to blueprint a rebuild it would probably start with “be the worst team in the league for 4 years”, although actually finishing last every year would be the ultimate. You need a whack of top picks to build a winner, and there’s no better way to do it than suck for a few years. Nobody told Edmonton 4 years was the max for the plan, you can’t suck for a decade, but you get the point.
partly from a tweet by Dimitri Filipovic
The list of defensemen Benning traded for or signed.
Philip Holm
Andrey Pedan
Luca Sbisa
Adam Clendening
Matt Bartkowski
Philip Larsen
Erik Gudbranson
Derrick Pouliot
Michael Del Zotto
Luke Schenn
Gustav Forsling
Troy Stecher
Ashton Sautner
Evan McEneny
Jalen Chatfield
Mitch Eliot
Josh Teves
Brogan Rafferty
Why so selective?
Only one of those players was acquired in 2018/19, and he set a team record for most hits in one game.
No context!
That’s is like me looking at your shopping list when you have the flu.
Whoops cough syrup and Dramamine only… you must have problem
Here’s the deal with almost everyone on that list:
Holm – 1 yr deal – traded
Pedan – 1yr deal – traded
Sbisa – 3 yr deal – claimed in expansion
Clendening – 1 yr deal
Bartokowski – 1 yr deal
Larsen – 1 yr deal
Guddy – 3 year deal – traded in 1st year
Pouliot – 1 yr deal
Del Zotto – 2 year deal traded in 2nd year
Schenn – 1 year deal
Stecher – 2 year deal
Sautner – 2 year deal
McEneny – ELC (3)
Chatfeild – ELC (3)
Eliot – ELC (3)
Teves – ELC (1)
Rafferty – ELC (1)
ZERO term or commitment. The longest term Benning has given on D has been to Tanev. Second was to Guddy and he got out of that one fast.
This could be Benning`s legacy. For every 18 defensemen Benning signs, drafts or trades for only 1 will become a NHL regular or to extrapolate Benning will get 6 regular NHL defensemen if he works his way through 108 candidates. He only played in the league as a defenseman for 9 years so that explains the learning curve.
Gudbranson, Del Zotto, Schenn, Forsling and so on ARE NHL defensemen. Not paritcularly good ones, but good enough that they find ice time.
On defense? Benning’s legacy will likely be Hughes, Stecher, and Juolevi – maybe Tryamkin, Brisebois and Woo as well.
In terms of signings – his biggest ‘legacy’ moves (as of today) have been re-upping Tanev and finding Stecher as a college UFA.
In terms of trades – his legacy on D will always be the Guddy trade.
In terms of the draft – 8/14 D picks are likely going to get at least ELC’s. – Hughes and Juolevi are probably going to form the core tandem.
Objectively, well done piece Roget.
I truly believe that GM’s, especially first time GMs get roasted for trades/FA signings/drafts in a vacuum. Hence my assertion that GMJB should be judged Sedin era and post Sedin era.
Most fans and media took his moves while Danny and Hank around as “ trying to make the playoffs with a past it’s prime roster”. I would love for the “journalists” and fans to walk into a room with the Twins and say… we are tearing this down and would you Daniel and Henrik agree to be traded to separate teams! Swedish translation “NO”
What would be a great article is a comparison to similar GMs and how they dealt with aging super stars.. Detroit comes to mind.
I know the Twins never won a cup, but they deserved all the deference the owner/GM could give them.
No GM has made all the right deals and never bought high and regretted the signing years later. My cursory knowledge of the cap situation has salaries dropping off during the time the Canucks will contend for the cup again,
Do you think in 3 years we could use Loui’s 6 mil???
The Utica development program seems off the rails and I still don’t see a consistent plan for the Canucks . The Edler situation has not been handled well. Otherwise a good take
a good articlle.
What would a plan look like? If there was a plan, would management be wise to advertise it?
We don’t know what’s going on with Edler, the lack of progress could be over a NMC, which most of us here agree, the Canucks cannot give him.
I think the article is optimistic. The article focuses on things Benning did not what he could have done or his overall strategy. First, his free agency strategy last year was misguided at best. Even if you agree with Benning that the team needed more grit, signing 3 players was over kill. There were other needs that could have been filled like defence. Many people suggested Calvin de Haan.
Second, was the strategy for the first year players in Utica. That strategy didn’t work and left many of the prospects frustrated. Development in Utica in general was more miss than hit last year.
Finally, his performance at the trade deadline was abysmal. He mismanaged the Edler situation and has nothing to show for it. He wanted to resign him, then got an offer last minute and asked him to accept the trade. Talk about mixed messages. He learnt nothing from the Hamhuis situation.
I’ll say it again as a former Benning apologist, we deserve better. Mediocre isn’t good enough.
Ok apologists, trash away😊
First, his free agency strategy last year was misguided at best.
You can argue about the players he ultimately signed and the terms of their contracts. What is not arguable is that Benning needed to sign a passel of forward free agents during last summer to have the man-power to get through the season. He could not depend on prospects like Dahlen, Lind, and Gadjovich being ready for the NHL when injuries struck.
And don’t give me smart ass remarks about “apologists.”
Don’t appreciate your tone. If you can’t debate without your snide remarks, I suggest you focus your remarks elsewhere. I’m not interested thank you.
If you don’t like it then don’t refer to people who might dare to disagree with you as “apologists”.
Edler had a full NTC. Edler says he will not waive. Where is the mixed message?
Hamhuis waived for 2 teams. Chicago choose to use assts on with forwards, and acquired no defenceman (eliminated first round). Dallas choose to go with Chris Russell; they lost in the first round.
Yes Edler had a full NTC. Benning stated before the deadline that he wanted to resign him. He began negotiating with his agent a few weeks before the deadline. Benning didn’t speak to him about trade possibilities nor did he solicit the market. Fine, rightly or wrongly, he wanted to resign him and pursued that plan.
However, Calgary approached the Canucks with a trade just before the deadline and he goes to Edler to get approval. Edler declines.
If he wanted to resign him, why approach him with a trade? If the offer was so good, why not understand the market before engaging in talks with his agent? Benning himself said he was surprised by the value of defencemen at the deadline. Didn’t he check with the other GMs?
You blur both context, timelines, and statements to fit a truthy/falsey narrative.
Overriding context is that Edler suffered a serious facial (with concussion) injury Feb 4th.
There were no negotiations with Edler prior to the TDL. Apparently the Canucks did approach Edler’s camp in January and asked him what he thinking. Do you want to stay? Do you want to move on? Etc.
Again, dealing with an injured player (especially a respected team leader and the injury is a concussion) there are other considerations both for teams that are interested in acquiring the player and for the Canucks.
Edler returned Feb 28th, one day prior to the TDL. Benning, as has been apparent, is in constant communication with all GMs in the league. Benning approached Edler a full week (if not more) prior to the TDL and said if he want to go to a contender, he can make it happen. Edler refused to waive.
The recognition of Edler’s value and wanting him to be a part of the Canucks in the future does not affect Edler’s decision. Edler exercised his negotiated (and paid for) right. Fans can complain for management giving NMCs as a strategy (cap wizardry I believe it has been referred to), but they have little right to complain when a player chooses to stick to their agreement, or current management adopts a strategy to respect the terms of a contract the team signed.
I’m not speaking to Edler’s decision except that it was fair for him to believe that the Canucks wanted to keep him and he could stay at his preferred location long term based on Benning’s statements.
You make a good point re injury. However, in a January 31st interview with Sportsnet, Benning says he wants to resign Edler. This was before the injury. Also, Benning still approached Edler to waive while he was injured. Furthermore, other teams made offers while he was injured. It seems the injury wasn’t a factor.
Three to four days (not a full week as you indicate) before the TDL, he asks Edler if he wants to waive per TSN quote. Per Botchford, Feb. 28 article, Benning asked him to waive for Calgary and Benning was surprised at the interest in Edler.
So if he wanted to keep Edler why ask him to waive? Specifically, as you say, Benning already asked him in January if he wanted to move. Does that make him feel the team is committed to him?
If Benning’s thinking changed after the Calgary deal, how could he say he wanted to keep him before gauging the market? By any measure, this is an about face.
Well, Gudbranson is gone, but at least we still have Benning to fight about.
Lol
MyNHLTradeRumours is reporting that Benning offered Virtanen and Tanev in a Zucker trade. If that was it, *facepalm*.
Give it a rest bro, you are posting more drivel than Trump does on twitter. Don’t they let you old fossils out at the old folks home? lol
Curious what about that proposed deal you don
Curious what specifically about that proposal you don’t like? Is it the Virtanen or the Tanev or is it just the combination represents too much value?
I would expect Forever1915 would say that it’s an overpay. Zucker is a good player, but he’s probably a 45 point player, and unlikely to get more unless you inflate his stats by playing him on the top line. Tanev has too much value to this team to add to a Virtanen trade for Zucker. I don’t want to move Virtanen at all, but if it was as a package for a stud, OK, you have to give something to get something. How many people even knew that Zucker scored 20 goals the last couple of years? He’s the kind of guy you try and sneak onto your team on the cheap, not the kind of player you pay a premium for.