Did Planned Tanking and Management Blow Up Work?

[DSVII]

1 hour ago, Baggins said:

Oh I'm not the one doing the whining. That would be the tankheads. Whine because they want to shoot for the playoffs and continue to whine when we don't make it. Whine about wanting high picks, yet whine we didn't get them by intentionally tanking. Intentionally losing is for the losers. That's the mindset the brought about the draft lottery in the first place. Now you whine when we don't the pick for where we finished because of that lottery.

No one advocating a rebuild wanted to shoot for playoffs. We wanted accumulation of assets. Shooting for playoffs was management's stated goal.

 

Drafting high picks is great. You can't control the lottery, which is also fine. But actively acquiring picks and prospects to play to our supposed strengths with Jim (drafting) has been lackluster up until this TDL. Trading away a top prospect, a 2nd and 4th pick in a year when we had 3rd highest drafting position? That was counter-productive and gave us nothing to show for a year of suffering. 

 

It's about smartly managing your cap space so you have the flexibility to make trades where you can add a prospect/pick by taking on another team's contracts (Arizona - Datysuk). We have not done that. We're a cap team that finished 29th that can't even facilitate those trades.

 

It's not about intentional tanking, but about smartly moving aging players out for returns that can replenish the farm. And the canucks, up until this last TDL, have not done that.

 

My one and only expectation for rebuilding the next year remains the same. That we end the year with 7 or more picks, and if possible, increase our # of picks in the first 3 rounds. it would be a welcome departure from what this team has been doing the last 2 seasons

 

[Boudrias]

If the Canucks had started their rebuild when they should have in 2012 or 13 they likely would have been in on the generational talent represented by McDavid, Eichel, Laine, Marner and Mathews. All players to build a team around.

 

That opportunity is gone. What it means now is that any hope for an eventual CUP contender will be Bennings ability to draft a ringer. Much higher odds against CUP success. If he is very good the Canucks might hope for a respectable playoff team. We often comment about the 'empty cupboard' that Benning inherited. That is no exaggeration. When fans call for Benning to 'throw the dice' on a player IMO they really do not grasp where this franchise is. That type of gambling is something the Canucks cannot afford to do. Teams with deeper talent pools can take those gambles. If Benning gambles and fails he threatens any hope of this franchise from recovering any modicum of respectability. Long term failure could kill this franchise.  

[wai_lai416]

On 2017-04-24 at 10:04 AM, 189lb enforcers? said:

If Toronto had been "unlucky" enough to have drafted Laine or Tkachuck, they still be well on their way to having a stud core.

 

Same goes for Edmonton. So planned tanking does and did work. And the consolation prize for missing McJesus was Jack and for missing AW was Laine. Too bad the Canucks had playoff plans those years, as stated from their PR guy, Slim. 

 

Only the Canucks would manage to finally come to the draft table within lotto pick contention... in a draft year like this one. It's not all luck. Having said that though, Canucks's Luck is a very curious phenomenon. 

Jack and Patrick both being a top 3 pick franchise player. I dunno if Toronto gets a tkackuk they'll still make the playoff.. it'll be another great piece but not one that'll bring them to a new level

[NewbieCanuckFan]

On 4/24/2017 at 1:24 PM, Boudrias said:

We often comment about the 'empty cupboard' that Benning inherited. That is no exaggeration.

Actually to be honest, given how short windows often are - I would've been MORE upset with Gillis had not 'gone for it' (instead of stockpiking picks - he used them to acquire NHL ready players).  He came up one game short & paid the price when the window shut.