(The Province Article) Preaching Patience and Selling Hope

[Tre Mac]

Here's an article from The Province today illustrating how the Canucks are not planning to go big on the UFA market this year:

 

Quote

How much will the Canucks improve next season? Trevor Linden and his NHL troops hope more than what he's indicating in this photo. The Canucks, despite having $23 million extra to spend, insist they will continue with the youth movement. Arlen Redekop / Postmedia News Files

Inside the boardroom at Rogers Arena, the most influential voices in the Vancouver Canucks’ organization are holding one of their interminable pre-draft meetings.

Team president Trevor Linden is at the table along with general manager Jim Benning; assistant GM John Weisbrod; Jonathan Wall, the director of hockey ops and analytics; and Stan Smyl, the director of collegiate scouting.

These are the men entrusted with the Canucks’ key hockey decisions, a hyper-competitive group of hockey men who’ve been gifted $23 million or so in cap space this off-season after watching the Canucks miss the playoffs three years in a row.

Linden is asked if that money changes anything for his NHL team.

“Not for me,” he said. “The foundation of your team is built through the draft. I think we have to recognize where we are and be prudent and patient and not get ahead of ourselves.”

Funny, isn’t that something the Canucks have been accused of the past couple of years?

“Talking to our fans, I think they’d be happy seeing our young players (in the lineup) and our team playing competitive, entertaining hockey,” Linden continued. “I think they’d rather see us stick to the plan and be patient than spending a bunch of money.”

As for winning more games, that’s in there, too. It’s just not at the top of the list.

With another playoff season and another Stanley Cup celebration now over — at least we think the Cup party is over; anyone seen Ovie lately? — the Canucks turn to what’s become the most exciting part of their season: the draft and free agency.

Linden terms this as the “next chapter” in their story, and if that story has gone through some revisions over the last number of years, the president now says he’s clear on its central themes.

Trevor Linden says the team’s momentum seemed to shift downward after rookie sensation Brock Boeser got injured partway through last season. Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images Files

By now, the faithful are familiar with most of those themes, but there also seems to be something different about the way Linden delivers the message this time; something more direct, something which isn’t open to interpretation.

“When I think about the teams that have success, the core that drives the bus on a nightly basis are acquired through the draft,” he says. “Maybe, you can add a core piece or two through free agency or a trade.

“(Roberto) Luongo was an example of that. But generally speaking, those guys aren’t available through trade or July 1. They have to be drafted and that takes time.”

To that end, the Canucks hold the seventh pick in the June 22 draft and pick again at No. 37. There has been plenty of, er, informed conjecture about the Canucks’ commitment to the seventh pick, but Linden says it would take a huge offer to move out of that spot.

“Never say never, but it would have to be a very compelling situation where we can add a young piece,” he said. “We feel very good about where we are. To stay consistent with the story we’ll make the pick and I imagine that will happen.”

As for free agency, the Canucks have acres of cap space and have to replace the Sedins’ production on the ice and their presence in the locker room. The Canucks will be out of the running for the whales — John Tavares, John Carlson, Ilya Kovalchuk — but 23 shmill could buy some help.

But it’s not part of the story the Canucks are trying to tell.

“It’s exciting on one hand, it’s scary on the other,” said Linden. “There’s no replacing (the Sedins). We’re going to take the training wheels off now. We’re kind of on our own. It’s going to be a big challenge.

“I think you look from within and the guys who are going to get those opportunities. I think of a guy like Brendan Leipsic. He’s going to get an opportunity for an offensive role. I think Sven (Baertschi) is going to have a greater opportunity. There are a lot of guys like that.”

And Linden believes the faithful want to see those players given an opportunity. He also believes the fans got a taste of the Canucks’ new wave last season and liked what they saw.

“For whatever reason, last year felt better until Brock (Boeser) got hurt,” Linden said. “There was a sense things were different, whether it was Brock doing what he was doing, the style of play, the kids who were here doing what they were doing. For me there was a shift in our fans because there was some hope there. I think we need to continue that.”

Translation: don’t expect any fireworks this off-season. As for next season, the narrative will be about Elias Pettersson and Adam Gaudette. Maybe it will be about Thatcher Demko arriving as an NHL goalie. Hopefully it will be about Jake Virtanen taking another big step.

Just don’t expect it to be about wins and losses.

“If we can continue that story we started last season and build on that, our fans can see there’s hope here,” Linden said. “If we can be known as a team that’s well-coached, hard-working and competitive and has a chance to win every night, that’s success for me.”

And maybe one of these years it will be about something else.

Personally I believe this is the right way to go.  I really see this management group learning from previous mistakes and really starting to be on the same page from ownership to coaching.  I bolded the part about the upcoming draft and whether they'll move the 7th pick, I think that's the right mindset to have. 

 

http://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/ed-willes-canucks-preaching-prudence-patience-and-still-selling-hope

[goalie13]

Totally agree with this approach.

 

Keep building slowly through the draft and once the team is close, only then make some trades and sign some free agents to complete the puzzle.  Going for a quick fix just doesn't work.

[kloubek]

I generally agree with it as well.  It's the only way to amass enough talented players required to build a team.

 

HOWEVER, I think that if a guy comes up in FA that can fill a need your team has, you might as well pounce on it if the guy is young enough and likely to be able to be part of your core moving forward.  This is especially true for the kinds of players that rarely hit free agency.  Top of my list in this regard: Tavares and Karlsson.  If a talent like that becomes available, and both are young enough to move forward with our team for years to come, I feel Benning should take a good hard look at guys like these. Each fills a need on our team... a top center and a top d-man, and talents of this level are unlikely (but not impossible) to find in the range with which we are picking this season.

[DADDYROCK]

HOPE,

1st OA PICK AT THE DRAFT WOULD BE NICE,the Canucks have never ever had one .

Hard to get better with the direction at the "LOTTO DRAFT" screwing us year after year.

WE COULD USE SOME LUCK AT THAT STUPID DRAFT.

[Coconuts]

It's what I've been hoping for, throwing big money isn't going to help us at this point. We're not there yet, we're not looking for someone to put us over the top. We aren't getting Tavares or Karlsson. It just isn't happening.

 

We're still a fringe playoff team at best and we're likely in for another year of growing pains and that's okay. I'm fine with another lost season and more high picks if it's the young guys driving the bus. We're not likely to have success in the post-Sedin era right away and patience is something we're gonna need.

[combover]

Then trade tanev and add draft picks so we can “build through the draft”. 

Besides I don’t think many if any “big fish” want to come and be part of the poorest run and worst teams in the league over the last three years a team with more hole in their line up than a teabag,but that won’t stop spender jim regardless of what the PR man says. 

 

prediction - July 1st  benning throws yet another stupid contract offer to a ufa to land try and land a “big fish”.

spender jim has proven he has little to no self control when the ufa time comes. 

[Crabcakes]

I've said this before, Benning keeps the lines of communication open with all the GM's in the league.  So he is making calls but this doesn't mean that he is shopping anybody or draft picks.  

 

Stick with drafting and developing.  Only add players who are going to help with development like a replacement for Derek Dorsett or someone who can take the hard minutes so developing players don't have to play roles that are beyond their ability at this time.

[Nave]

“Talking to our fans, I think they’d be happy seeing our young players (in the lineup) and our team playing competitive, entertaining hockey,” Linden continued. “I think they’d rather see us stick to the plan and be patient than spending a bunch of money.”
I agree. However, if we can get Tavares or Karlsson we should go for it. 

[PlanB]

28 minutes ago, DADDYROCK said:

 

WE COULD USE SOME LUCK AT THAT STUPID DRAFT.

JB >>>>> draft luck that we ain't getting! 

[gerry35]

1 hour ago, combover said:

Then trade tanev and add draft picks so we can “build through the draft”. 

Besides I don’t think many if any “big fish” want to come and be part of the poorest run and worst teams in the league over the last three years a team with more hole in their line up than a teabag,but that won’t stop spender jim regardless of what the PR man says. 

 

prediction - July 1st  benning throws yet another stupid contract offer to a ufa to land try and land a “big fish”.

spender jim has proven he has little to no self control when the ufa time comes. 

I have missed your positive attitude and your "glass half full" outlook on life 

[Pete M]

1 hour ago, Crabcakes said:

I've said this before, Benning keeps the lines of communication open with all the GM's in the league.  So he is making calls but this doesn't mean that he is shopping anybody or draft picks.  

 

Stick with drafting and developing.  Only add players who are going to help with development like a replacement for Derek Dorsett or someone who can take the hard minutes so developing players don't have to play roles that are beyond their ability at this time.

Reeves or Martin, just their presence will allow JV to make the bone crushing hits more often...imagine MM having Jake's back and Gud having MM's back.

4th line minutes for either of them when they need to play a heavy physical game and protect the young guns from goons.

 

Also, add a good dman who is better than Hutton and Pouliot

[PhillipBlunt]

21 minutes ago, gerry35 said:

I have missed your positive attitude and your "glass half full" outlook on life 

I found combover's old profile pic

 

[PhillipBlunt]

17 minutes ago, Pete M said:

Reeves or Martin, just their presence will allow JV to make the bone crushing hits more often...imagine MM having Jake's back and Gud having MM's back.

4th line minutes for either of them when they need to play a heavy physical game and protect the young guns from goons.

 

Also, add a good dman who is better than Hutton and Pouliot

If anything, I'd prefer Benning add some muscle to insulate the young players.

[JM_]

1 minute ago, PhillipBlunt said:

If anything, I'd prefer Benning add some muscle to insulate the young players.

its interesting that they're waiting on Archie... they must have some other guys in mind to target in free agency. 

[tas]

26 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

its interesting that they're waiting on Archie... they must have some other guys in mind to target in free agency. 

I suspect it's more "walking away from" than "waiting on" when it comes to archibald. he's proven twice now, years apart, that he's a shrinking violet at the nhl level. 

[JM_]

4 minutes ago, tas said:

I suspect it's more "walking away from" than "waiting on" when it comes to archibald. he's proven twice now, years apart, that he's a shrinking violet at the nhl level. 

I'd still like to see him signed, even if its to be brought up from Utica every now and then. 

[TheGuardian_]

You think they will bring Sbisa back?

 

You know for sure they won't be able to resist spending all the cap space, they haven't so far, so which old FA vets need a retirement payday? You know, to mentor all 2 rookies, to add stability. Enstrom @ 6 mil per for the young Swede's, Pettersson and Dahlen and a bridge partner for Eriksson or Bozak, Ryan or Filppula as interim center(s) at 6 per year? Filppula as a mentor for Juolevi?

 

 

[JM_]

8 minutes ago, TheGuardian_ said:

You think they will bring Sbisa back?

 

You know for sure they won't be able to resist spending all the cap space, they haven't so far, so which old FA vets need a retirement payday? You know, to mentor all 2 rookies, to add stability. Enstrom @ 6 mil per for the young Swede's, Pettersson and Dahlen and a bridge partner for Eriksson or Bozak, Ryan or Filppula as interim center(s) at 6 per year? Filppula as a mentor for Juolevi?

 

 

Id' take Sbisa at 1.5 mil over Del Zotto at 3. Sbisa is a decent bottom pairing guy and he can hit hard. 

[DrJockitch]

I loved the way TL played hockey and have absolute faith in his ability to say the right thing in a press conference.  His willingness and ability to carry that out I am unsure of.

 

This team should be building through the draft.  Both because it is really the only way to really build a championship team and because their pro-scouting is undermanned and out of its depth.  That is clearly on TL and JB.

 

If the general sentiment is we need more muscle, I ask why pay Gudbranson so much as toughness is all he really provides.

 

It bothers me when I see all these posts saying the rebuild is almost done.  We still are lacking the two hardest pieces to get, a number one centre and a number one D man (and quite probably a number 2 D man that isn't close to or well above 30).  Maybe Pettersson will become an NHL centre, and maybe a good one, but could well end up on the wing.  Even with some lottery luck there is no guarantee that you leave with one of those anyway.  I think it is reasonable even at this stage to make a pitch for either of those positions in the rare occasion that a relatively young one becomes available and JT and JC fit those categories.  Don't think either will come here  but worth the pitch.

 

Ultimately I think what we saw last year will be what we see this year.  Some inexpensive vets that don't really move the needle, and may ultimately slow down the rebuild.  Hopefully with the draft in Van next year we will have some lottery luck as we should be very much in the running.

 

[ForsbergTheGreat]

“Not for me,” he said. “The foundation of your team is built through the draft. I think we have to recognize where we are and be prudent and patient and not get ahead of ourselves.”

 

To anyone who argued with me when I said those exact same words.  

 

https://goo.gl/images/M4645v