"We could've moved Ryan Miller. There were teams calling on Ryan Miller." - Jim Benning

[CroSen]

nothing wrong with a GM wanting to create his own team

There is if he is too black and white in his approach...ie...keep/overvalue the guys I bring in, get rid of/undervalue anyone related to the last regime.

[Neversummer]

Mid way through this coming season, it will be Miller who wish that he got traded.

Canucks should have eaten some salary, traded Miller to SJ and go with rebuild of Lack/Markstrome.

[Seven pounds soft]

I see this as a statement to get millers trade value up for a deadline trade.

A guy can dream anyways.

[oldnews]

I like the Bachman signing.

Can and should be added into the consideration of the return for Eddie as a result of the space created at the starting position in Utica.

Lack

for

Brisebois

Richard Bachman

7th 16 (ie a player like Tate Olsen)

Is it really worth all the moping?

Huge Eddie Lack fan here - maybe my favorite player - but Dave Pratt is a moron - jus'sayin'.

[oldnews]

Wise move for Benning to pump Miller's tires.

Yeah, we could have moved MIller, but he's too valuable to us to consider moving.

What would people here prefer to hear? McDerp.

[Nave]

I think the Canucks have done a good job of having amicable splits. Maybe having Linden on board helps that

[Nave]

I like the Bachman signing.

Can and should be added into the consideration of the return for Eddie as a result of the space created at the starting position in Utica.

Lack

for

Brisebois

Richard Bachman

7th 16 (ie a player like Tate Olsen)

Is it really worth all the moping?

Huge Eddie Lack fan here - maybe my favorite player - but Dave Pratt is a moron - jus'sayin'.

I agree Benning has done a good job managing the goalie situation. Got Demko last year and Bachman this year, plus he scouted Markstrom a lot and feels confident with him

[NucksFanInOz]

I will miss Lack, but I still believe in what we have going forward is solid enough to compete. Miller isn't as awful as he is made out to be. Vancouver is just a tough market.

[SaintPatrick33]

No wonder we have to overpay Free Agents to come here.....the people booing miller should be ashamed, what is booing going to do now? The Lack deal has already been completed, Miller is our best goalie and people boo him Lol. Disgrace.

[oldnews]

Here's what I think (hope is a better word) transpires - and Benning comes out all roses.

The Canucks have a very good season.

Markstrom proves himself as an NHL backup - which was part of the difficulty in the equation of keeping Lack - having Markstrom as the go-to guy next to Eddie may have also made Benning slightly nervous - it's not simply about Lack, it's about the combination of the two goaltenders.

Ok - so the Canucks play out this season with Miller and Markstrom.

They deal Miller next year at the draft for a pick - there was interest and teams calling after all, and a year less term may make him even more attractive if he has a decent season.

Eddie Lack is a UFA next July 1st.

Eddie pulls an Antoine Vermette and returns to Vancouver, re-signing at no assets cost.

The Canucks pocket Guillaume Brisebois in the process (and a 7th) and add another pick (at no asset cost, as Miller was a UFA signing) in the Miller deal next summer. Benning reaps returns on both of them, adding three picks for two UFAs (Lack, like Miller, was a UFA in the first place).

The Canucks have a tandem of Lack and Markstrom after another year of both proving themselves at the NHL.

Jim Benning makes off as a bandit and a genius - Eddie Lack returns to the city, to 100s of thousands of people lining the streets of Vancouver from the airport to GM Place. It's Linden returns V2.0, the mini version.

Benning is immortalized.

[oldnews]

Try a dream for a change, Vancouver.

It beats moping.

Be the change...

[TOMapleLaughs]

Try a dream for a change, Vancouver.

It beats moping.

Be the change...

I'm dreaming of a rum and coke. Double.

[oldnews]

I'm dreaming of a rum and coke. Double.

Drown away.

[TBHILikeTheWild]

Benning is more loyal to his players, then the team apparently...

he shows absolutely 0 patience or loyalty to most players brought in from the previous regime, but shows unlimited patience with the guys he brought in himself...

If linden Vey was a Gillis signing, Benning would have traded him for a bag of pucks/waived him long ago.

Benning is more loyal to his players, then the team apparently...

he shows absolutely 0 patience or loyalty to most players brought in from the previous regime, but shows unlimited patience with the guys he brought in himself...

If linden Vey was a Gillis signing, Benning would have traded him for a bag of pucks/waived him long ago.

Most of this fanbase shows absolutely 0 patience or loyalty to Canuck's players. We're known for treating everyone like crap, and most of this board wanted Bieksa, the Sedin's, and basically the entire core shipped off. Why on Earth is JB held to such a standard that he has to hold the veterans' hand when everyone on CDC says to hell with them, and their NTC's are garbage? Then you want him to fix the team, but he apparently can't move any of the players that have won exactly 0 cups in their tenure here...

Like really, how much do you have to be a hypocritical hater to be mad at JB for this?

[We Are All Cynics]

I like Lack too but face it people, he's only proven he's a career backup goalie so far. He's 27 years old and still not ready for a starting role! How long are we supposed to give him? I mean come on CDC, it's not like he's still young and developing, he's 27 years old! Luongo was on his sixth season as a starter at that age.

Jonathan Quick is 29 years old and was starting for LA at 23. In fact most bonafide starters throughout the NHL, Miller, Luongo, Brodeur, Roy, etc, were all ready to go in their early twenties.

That means if Lack does eventually make the leap to being a starter one day and handle a 50 plus game workload, he's likely going to have a very narrow window of time in his career before he fades out quickly to being a backup again.

We got what we could get for Lack based on what other teams were willing to offer. I'm happy Benning didn't pull a Gillis and play the patience card believing he had more value simply to end any question who the starter would be this coming season and stop the fans and media from perpetuating another goaltending controversy. That's one screwup I really feel Gillis is guilty of. He should've moved a goalie immediately after the SCF loss both to prevent the goaltending fiasco that occurred but also to actually improve the team.

The situation reminds me of Backup Bob Essensa that finally got us in the playoffs in 2001. Burke dumped him in the offseason despite being a fan favorite and his response to fan outrage was "it's not a popularity contest.'

[messier's_elbow]

Like how Dane Fox was supposed to be better than Drouin by now?

Lol who was spouting that none sense?

[SamJamIam]

I'm dreaming of a rum and coke. Double.

When are you not?

I'm happy JB and TL are giving Vancouver fans a dose of reality. They've existed in a waking dream state barely removed from EA sports-fueled fantasies for too long. They have a strategy that they outlined over a year ago and they're sticking to it.

Most of the complaints here are such ridiculous nitpicking, it's not even funny.

"We gave Bartkowski/Sbisa/Dorsett one million too much!" Yup, we're doomed because of a couple mil. Not to mention if we had lost Sbisa or Dorsett to FA, the same people would complain that we gave away valuable picks for near-rentals. Damned if you do, and Damned if you don't.

"We should have traded Matthias at the deadline". For what? In a deep draft, we would have gotten what, a 4th maybe?

"We should have gotten more for Lack/Bieksa." From who? The best offer we had was from SJ because of their team needs. And why aren't these same critics more pissed at SJ's greaseball GM?

Market value kids, learn about it, understand it, and you'll have no reason to complain.

[erkayloomeh]

You can't possibly be that dense to actually think Lack is going to be a backup. Ward has been going downhill for the past three years. Carolina traded for Lack as a replacement for Ward not a bloody backup. Sometimes you should think critically about these things instead of regurgitating management's rhetoric.

lol. Exactly bang on.

And who is our goalie of the future anyway

Markstrom.....Demko. both have potential. Eddie has already shown what he can do.

Stupid to Trade him. He will be the canes number one by the time they are at 40 games this year.

[Jagorim Jarg]

Could've is the most useless word in the English dictionary.

It's two words, and these days it's one of the least used in favor of idiots who write everything the way they sound them out like a five year old.

Could of

Would of

Your/you're

Their/there

[Jagorim Jarg]

Why does it seem like they are predestined to ignore or neglect to do their homework on any player brought in by another regime JUST because of the link to the former regime, despite everything? So many decisions just stink of favoritism and patronage, and they can make whatever excuses they want (the Eastern conference doesn't know anything about our players, what a crock, they know more about our players than you might, guys) they have systematically reinforced their fave buds and dismissed anyone outside the 'circle of trust'.