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Grade Benning's work on draft day 1


Lui's Knob

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I'll start. Failed to make his team better by trade or stockpiling top picks. Status quo is not what the team needs or what the fans want. Blew the SJ deal. Also still stuck with 3 goalies and likely now a disgruntled Bieksa. Also doesn't pick a local boy in Harkins

D-

Grades?

Really? How can you grade until the test is over. You get a thumbs down for not thinking.

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Lol most of you don't know squat about hockey prospects or scouting for that matter. Stay happy behind your keyboards peasants. Benning is laughing at all of you.

Didn't like Messier being captain and shipping out Linden? You don't know squat about owning a team or being a GM

Didn't like torts as a coach? You don't know sqaut about coaching or being a GM or owner

Didn't like drafting Nedved over Jagr? You don't know squat about scouting

Didn't like the Neely trade? You don't know squat about being a GM or making trades in this league.

And on and on. Hope you've never complained about any moves in the past.

Your "you are not a scout/GM/owner/player/puckboy/journalist/etc" argument that you and others with no real rebuttals is weak.

If you like every move that Benning makes, that is fine. Nothing wrong with support but to me it's like those that pretended Phantom menace was good just because it was Star Wars. Just don't expect everyone to follow you and don't make impotant attempts at elitism if you don't have a real argument to make

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Didn't like Messier being captain and shipping out Linden? You don't know squat about owning a team or being a GM

Didn't like torts as a coach? You don't know sqaut about coaching or being a GM or owner

Didn't like drafting Nedved over Jagr? You don't know squat about scouting

Didn't like the Neely trade? You don't know squat about being a GM or making trades in this league.

And on and on. Hope you've never complained about any moves in the past.

Your "you are not a scout/GM/owner/player/puckboy/journalist/etc" argument that you and others with no real rebuttals is weak.

If you like every move that Benning makes, that is fine. Nothing wrong with support but to me it's like those that pretended Phantom menace was good just because it was Star Wars. Just don't expect everyone to follow you and don't make impotant attempts at elitism if you don't have a real argument to make

Little bit dramatic there bud.

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Benning is supposed to be good at identifying young talent in the draft. We will judge and see what happens in 4-5 years how many of these guys pan out, but as of now have to reserve judgement.

As for trades and signings he has some improving to do.

Let's remember Gillis was good at contacts because he included NTCs or NMC in most if not all of them to sign guys below market value.

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He did what he could today. I'd say any fault would lie in selling picks too cheaply earlier on but for today, I would give him a solid C.

I think the idea he somehow got less than the absolute maximum he could get for Lack is ridiculous.

Does a lobotomy hurt or do you just feel the same as before?
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Honestly…. Not bad. They weren't big name prospects but if you look at the talent he got at those spots. Not bad. My overall grade for Benning is B+.

Here's my grades

Boeser at 23: A+ I love this pick. Best player available. Split between Boeser and Konecny, but Boeser also offers the size dimension as well as the durability diminution.

Brisebois at 66: A- I love this pick. The kid is a do it all type of defenseman and honestly, the fact that he made captain at 17 is astounding. The kid still isn't 18… How often do you see a 17 year old become captain when they aren't some generational talent at 17. He has to show some great qualities. Third round, I'm down. Cole Cassels was also a third round pick who was just a decent all around prospect, but he showed great leadership qualities, and improved every day. Now look at him. Give this kid time, I have good feelings.

Zhukenov at 114: B+ High end offensive potential, high end motor. The kid has skills and abilities. All he needs is to add size. Sounds like a great pick for the 4th round. If he can add size to his frame, he has the ability to crack the roster.

Neill at 144: B+ Neill at the 5th round is a steal in my opinion. 6'3, 215 pound 2 way defencman who can put up 40 points in 60 games? Wow… That is impressive. He needs to improve on his overall skating which will allow him to use his physicality more, but this is exactly the kind of player that I think has a good chance that one day in the future, people look back in a couple of years and say, how did he fall that far. Also, walking out of this draft with both a left defensman and right defensman was huge. Neill has definite NHL potential. In my opinion, he's a steal this deep.

Gaudette at 149: B Not a bad pick. Not much info on the kid but I get the reasoning. Zhukenov is a high risk prospect due to his lack of size. Gaudette is similar in that he has high offensive potential but is a project. He has smaller stature and needs to gain size, but hey, what he does is offer a second high risk, high reward prospect. Kind of a safety pick to offset the high risk.

Jasek at 174: B Again, another pick who is kind of a project, but shows high offensive potential. Chances are one of Zhukenov, Gaudette or Jasek should pan out. He's also still 17 and very young. This year will be interesting to see if his offensive side starts to flourish.

Olson at 210: B This late in the draft it is a crap shoot. Last year Benning decided to go with size on the backend with Mackenzie Stewart. This year he decided to do the same. 6'2, 175+ pounds or so, and putting up 24 points as a defensman. You can't ask for much better this late in the draft.

Overall

All in all I like this draft. Boeser should be a stud. Brisebois and Neill are quality two way smart defensive prospects with size. Zhukenov, Gaudette, and Jasek are all high risk high reward players. Chances are, 1 of them should pan out at least. And finally a big defenseman who put up surprising decent numbers really late. Overall I think good drat. I give Benning a B+.

With no moves here is our Current prospect pool. ( I didn't include Bo Horvat, Ronny Kenins, Linden Vey.)

Baertschi-McCann-Virtanen

Shinkaruk-Gaunce-Boeser

Jensen-Cassels-Grenier

Blomstrand-Zhukenov-Gaudette/Jasek

Hutton Clendening

Pedan Corrado

Brisebois Subban

Tryamkin Niell

I think that looks pretty good and pretty deep to me. The youth movement is on people

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I really like LiveWire's assessment, and I agree with him more than I would like. Was I disappointed in him pissing off Juice? Yes. Did I want Hamilton? Yes. But these things are out of Bennings control, the only thing he can control is who to pick in the draft, and IMO he did a bang up job, drafting guys with great potential who just need a little development.

Solid B+ for Jimbo. I also love the way Benning discusses the prospects. You can tell he studied them a lot and has a true passion for the game on the scouting side of things.

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I would give him a C+

- Didn't get the Bieksa deal done when he should of, though will say Doug Wilson may be more to blame if reports are true

- Should of traded; Higgins, Hansen to make cap room for Mattias and other free agents (frason/Santorelli)

- I do like the pick, Boeser, I've read he's a more skilled version of Mike Fisher. A few other teams scouts were raving about him, also remember this draft is similar to the Kesler one :towel:

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I dunno, the defense wasn't addressed at all and while it could still be done in the future, wasting the opportunity to do it now makes no sense.

It just appeared that Benning had no idea what he was doing over the weekend. Not just the draft, but overall. I don't think he'll make up for it during free agency, but even if he does make some trades and signings, what will that even accomplish? More pretend mode bs?

Prediction? Pain. More pain. Apparently Canucks fans haven't suffered enough.

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I dunno, the defense wasn't addressed at all and while it could still be done in the future, wasting the opportunity to do it now makes no sense.

It just appeared that Benning had no idea what he was doing over the weekend.

It makes no sense to the point that one can only conclude that he doesn't know what he's doing, what other conclusion is there? His job was to acquire a couple of 2nd round picks and go after those defencemen.

Even if that was his plan, with the Bieksa and Lack trades, he obviously didn't understand that failure was not an option, and would be completely unacceptable. He had no business waiting around to try and get a better deal, he needed to make the deals as soon as he had something on the table that would work, and if not, find a different trade. That was his job!

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