Thank you. People seem to forget it's not just about the bad moves he's made, it's about the good moves he has failed to make. For example:
Failed to trade Hamhuis and Vrbata at the TDL and let them walk for nothing. And don't come at me over the NTC's. That is pure nonsense. If he had been proactive in trying to trade these players, he could have got them to waive as he did with Garrison. That's what a competent GM does.
Rather than recognizing how terrible Grudbranson was, he doubled down and signed him to an extension, which he ultimately then traded for another underperforming overpaid player.
Consistently over pays in price and term to 4th liners: Beagle, Schaller, Dorsett.
Failed to recognize when a player's prime has past, and does not move players while they still have value - Tanev, Edler.
Outside of Gaudette and Demko, does not have a single roster player drafted outside of the first round on the team.
Every player in Utica regressed last year, and Benning is still bringing back the same staff
Regularly overpaid in trades with draft picks
Failed to weaponize cap space
Places inordinate value on intangibles such as being good in scrums and in the room
Appears to be on the verge of signing Myers to a boat anchor contract
Benning has been lucky in the draft, but even his overall body of work in the draft is vastly overstated here.
The question I keep asking is is this the GM you want at the helm going into the prime years of your young players? Because quite frankly, there have to be at least two dozen other potential GMs out there that would AT LEAST be the same, and more than likely, have more vision and general management skills than Jim.
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