Jim Benning on SN650

[riffraff]

15 hours ago, Canuckster86 said:

I think the pressure of being selected so high and being a hometown kid is too much for Jake. If we was to go elsewhere without the limelight on him or the stupid media he could succeed.

 

I hope Jake figures it out but the consistancy is an issue, if he played a physical game and was willing to stand up for his teammates ala Josh Anderson, Ferland, Wilson type of players he could find a niche role in the top 6 as a complimentary player. Bring Bertuzzi in September to be a special consultant/coach/mentor for the team and in particular Jake

He just isn’t like those players though in the sense he has no mean streak and mental toughness.

[VaNux]

In my opinion, this off season is a key one for thinning the heard of mediocrity, as much as possible.

 

Also, trading redundancies and depreciating assets when able.

 

To me:

 

Stecher, Tanev, Sutter, Baertschi, Errikson, Motte, Granlund, Leivo, Hutton and possibly Markstrom, are all potentials to be used for a deal to improve 

[86Viking]

5 hours ago, riffraff said:

He just isn’t like those players though in the sense he has no mean streak and mental toughness.

thats not good scouting, all he has is speed, not sure what happened to his wicked shot he had in junior. Hope he can turn it around next year and find a top 6 role on the team.

[JeremyCuddles]

9 hours ago, Canuckster86 said:

You cant compare hits between those 2 players, Goldy is a playmaker with finesse where Jake has the speed and build to hopefully be a power forward.

 

Not sure how Goldobin has had a ton of leeway....This is his 1st full year in the NHL, this is Jake's 3rd year in the NHL.

 

Goldy has a higher offensive zone start mainly due to playing with EP, I am sure EP has a higher offensive zone start compared to the D zone. Jake is a more versatile player would can play a 3rd line role where as Goldy can't. Jake was drafted to be a top line or at worst a 2nd line scoring winger with size. Goldy is an offensive playmaker, who will never hit and be subpar on the defensive side of things.

 

We have better top 6 options? Loui "I dont show up for 77 games a year making 6m" Eriksson? He is still a dud and should not be on Bo's line, time to cut bait with him and try to get some better quality top 6 winger help. 

 

Your not totally wrong, I don't know if the Canucks will sign Goldy for 1 yr but I hope he is given a chance next fall. We had Hutton in the doghouse a ton last year and he rebounded with a solid off season that turned into a good season for us this year. Not holding my breath the same will happen for Goldy but its worth giving him a chance. Worst case you try move move him or have to waive him during the early part of next year.

I can and did compare hits. Cause it plays into my overall point that Goldy when not scoring has 0 effect on the game whereas Jake scores at a similar rate and provides defense AND hits. And yes, Eriksson is a superior top 6 option to Goldy and on top of that Eriksson can even play in the bottom 6. Goldy doesn't deserve to be in the top 6 over the guys we have. Period. His skill set doesn't lend itself to the bottom 6. Period. Goldy has had a ton of leeway. Guy for the first 4 months of the season brought very little effort and yet was still rewarded for it with game time with our best two scoring options. Goldy's point totals if he were playing with the guys Jake plays with would probably nose dive.

 

I agree it doesn't hurt to throw him a one year deal. See if he comes to camp next season with a sense of urgency. He fizzles out. Whatever. Shop him or waive him, it's no skin off our backs. I don't see him beating out a healthy Baer and Pearson on the left side nor do I see him beating out Boeser on the right side. If we don't sign anyone this off season he'll realistically only have one spot that he can take. 

[Noseforthenet]

To me, there's a huge gap in skill level between Tanev and Stetcher. Stetcher has taken a step to get better this year, but let's face it, this isn't the kind of defenseman he was meant to be when we signed him in the first place. I think JB kind of has to decide what direction we're going in this year on the back end. For me, there HAS to be a defenseman on the right side who can chew up some of the hard minutes Tanev has had to play every season. We need him playing more than 60 games. Secondly, if we're re-signing Edler and keeping Hutton, Juolevi should probably be looked at as a piece which can upgrade this defense immediately in a trade. I like the idea of being able to call him up, but that right side needs to be augmented big time. Getting that piece on the right side is going to hurt, no matter what way you slice it.

[Guest]

7 hours ago, TheInsideScoop said:

In my opinion, this off season is a key one for thinning the heard of mediocrity, as much as possible.

 

Also, trading redundancies and depreciating assets when able.

 

To me:

 

Stecher, Tanev, Sutter, Baertschi, Errikson, Motte, Granlund, Leivo, Hutton and possibly Markstrom, are all potentials to be used for a deal to improve 

You know I'm with you in your sentiment, but Markstrom for sure isn't going anywhere.  Demko is one or two years away from being proven in the NHL, and we can't be gambling our entire season on an unproven goalie without a plan B.  

 

I also wouldn't trade Motte or Leivo.  Those two could easily score 15 and 25 goals respectively, with Motte being a key player on our Penalty Kill.  We were 11th best on the PK, that's nothing to sneeze at. 

[Jaimito]

Here is the audio feed. 

 

https://www.sportsnet.ca/650/vancouver-canucks-radio/april-4-canucks-vs-predators-post-game-show/

[PhillipBlunt]

Benning knows what he’s doing. This will be a momentous off-season. 

[AlwaysACanuckFan]

8 hours ago, PhillipBlunt said:

Benning knows what he’s doing. This will be a momentous off-season. 

In Benning I trust!!

[Provost]

13 hours ago, Noseforthenet said:

To me, there's a huge gap in skill level between Tanev and Stetcher. Stetcher has taken a step to get better this year, but let's face it, this isn't the kind of defenseman he was meant to be when we signed him in the first place. I think JB kind of has to decide what direction we're going in this year on the back end. For me, there HAS to be a defenseman on the right side who can chew up some of the hard minutes Tanev has had to play every season. We need him playing more than 60 games. Secondly, if we're re-signing Edler and keeping Hutton, Juolevi should probably be looked at as a piece which can upgrade this defense immediately in a trade. I like the idea of being able to call him up, but that right side needs to be augmented big time. Getting that piece on the right side is going to hurt, no matter what way you slice it.

You are right l, Stecher isn’t the kind of D  he was meant to be when we signed him.  He is much much better.  An undrafted NCAA player who has been a top 4 D and has been able to successfully play 30 minutes a game for stretches to cover injury.  That is gold.

 

Having said all that, it is a no brainer that we need some upgrades on D.  

[73 Percent]

Does anyone know when end of season media is?

[IBatch]

On 4/6/2019 at 5:59 PM, Down by the River said:

The only way that they get a top 6 via trade is if they take back a horrendous contract. They just don't have the pieces/depth to get a top 6 forward straight up/without sacrificing the future. 

 

______ Petey Boes

Baertschi?? Horvat Pearson

Roussel Gaudette Virtanen

________ Beagle _________

 

Spooner, Schaller, Sutter, Granlund, Eriksson, Leivo, Goldobin, MacEwan, and Motte are all big question marks for different reasons. Canucks will move on from some (Goldy?), be forced to keep some (Sutter/Eriksson), and can platoon some (Leivo, Motte). I've got Baertschi as a question mark because it is all dependent on his health. Very solid second line guy, but only if he can stay healthy for more than 65+ games. 

 

There is just a ridiculous number of bottom 6 forwards on this team. 

They can always get waived if it gets to that.  A package like he was talking about if it’s a trade could include JV which would open up a spot.  Don’t know what else is there that he has to work with to get value back...Sutter looks untradeable a the moment but if he plays enough games and does well he could end up going somewhere next TDL (one year left on his contract is a lot more palatable for a team that needs what he offers going into the playoffs).  

 

Bear is a solid player in the top six when he plays...next year lets hope he does and plays most of the games.  Wouldn’t worry about that too much.  Rousell is a great addition, Motte plays his heart out each and ever shift and that’s contagious...Schaller a big disappointment, waiver material.  Goldobin needs fresh scenery and isn’t bottom six material or top six at least with us, time to move on.

 

McEwen needs a turn, and moving on from Granlund, Schaller and it Spooner wouldn’t be the end of the world.  

 

In the end I wouldn’t worry about the quantity of bottom sixers, some are dead weight others good for depth.  And as we saw with Gagne this year Benning is ok with burying a guy and trading him later on to make space for someone else.  

 

As as far the top six goes, we need one more winger to play with EP and Boeser...Or with Horvat.   Drafting him and going with what we have for now isn’t the end of the world, but signing a free agent while he gets NHL ready makes a lot of sense too if playoff next year is the goal.  As long as it’s not another LE albatross which is always a risk...same with RHD.  

 

With a healthy team we make the playoffs and I don’t expect us to be with the usual suspects in the lineup that inevitably miss games (Edler, Sutter, Tanev), at one point you have to think they won’t get injured right ?? Not me anymore... four years in a row top five in man games lost.  Hughes for 82 games will help our cause a lot, same with EP and Boeser taking another step.  Might be enough just the way it is now with no changes, adding some changes would help that along undoubtedly though.  

 

Id like to see Sutter and Tanev traded...if nothing else to free up cap space for these free agents and reduce the man games lost...

[WeneedLumme]

9 hours ago, PhillipBlunt said:

Benning knows what he’s doing. This will be a momentous off-season. 

 

42 minutes ago, AlwaysACanuckFan said:

In Benning I trust!!

You have to like the way he is able to find Calder finalist after Calder finalist. First Brock, who might have won if he hadn't had his season end prematurely, now Petey who will probably win, and next year Quinn Hughes will likely be a finalist barring injury.

 

And his recent acquisitions have been pretty likeable too, with his bottom six UFA signings last year, his recent young UFA pickups, and the trades for Leivo and Pearson.

 

Well, except for the haters, who yammer on about stopped clocks, blind squirrels and dumb luck, and label every player who's not an instant star a bust.

[Nucker 67]

Should be a busy, exciting off season. There's the Draft, where the Canucks will get a good player (Boldy? Zegras? Caufield?) I had this thought that Benning could deal Tanev at the Draft for an extra high pick. (Perhaps for the Rangers' #23 or #31? Canucks would probably have to add). An extra 1st would make it extra exciting for the fans at Rogers and really speed up the completion of the rebuild. Wouldn't it be sweet to also pick up Heinola, Lavoie or Hoglander.

 

Benning said they were going to look at bringing in a top 6 forward and another Dman. I'm assuming the forward will be a winger for Bo. Just for fun:

 

Baertschi - Pettersson - Boeser

Pearson - Horvat - CONNOLLY

 

I picked Connolly (will be 27) because he's a BC boy, has size and would be another 20+-goal scorer playing with Bo and Pearson. He'd also be cheaper. Hopefully the 2019 1st will be ready by 2020/21 to play in the Top 6 (most likely replace Baertschi)

 

Edler - MYERS

Hughes - MCQUAID

Hutton - Stecher 

Rafferty

Schenn

Juolevi

 

I'm guessing McQuaid (32), because of his ties to BOS, his size and toughness, experience and he could be a good partner for Hughes. And he's cheaper. I also figured, go big or go home, literally, so why not swing for the fences and get Myers (29) as well. He would be expensive, but the Canucks have the cap space. 

[Jaimito]

3 hours ago, WeneedLumme said:

 

You have to like the way he is able to find Calder finalist after Calder finalist. First Brock, who might have won if he hadn't had his season end prematurely, now Petey who will probably win, and next year Quinn Hughes will likely be a finalist barring injury.

 

And his recent acquisitions have been pretty likeable too, with his bottom six UFA signings last year, his recent young UFA pickups, and the trades for Leivo and Pearson.

 

Well, except for the haters, who yammer on about stopped clocks, blind squirrels and dumb luck, and label every player who's not an instant star a bust.

Yeah, if it is just one yr it might be fluke. Two yrs in a row, he knows what he is doing. Three?  Let's wait and see. 

[oldnews]

On 4/6/2019 at 5:18 PM, vannuck59 said:

Ok so Benning has no idea what happening on the farm come on its his job to know what's going on with his prospects if he wants to scout he can go scout, give someone the GM rains that can be an effective GM. 

Uh this is pretty daft.

 

I may not see my family for a few months, but that doesn't mean I don't know what's going on with them - we talk all the time.

But there's nothing like going to see them.

People - as usual - reading way too much into nothing.

[oldnews]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/650/the-playbook/jim-benning-travis-green-discuss-plans-next-season/

 

 

Feel bad for these guys always having to answer questions from that field of media asshats.

[oldnews]

On 4/7/2019 at 4:49 AM, Canuck Surfer said:

So first of all, who are we going to lose? Eriksson? Spooner?? Schaller???

 

Who cares! Honestly, who gives a flying tuck up the wazoo... All would be on waivers before we shed an important young player. Look how Motte took Gagner's spot.

 

And then one, maybe two guys will be injured. These guys were, and are NHL calibre bodies. Who are a couple of fries short of a happy meal. But fill a place until Dach, or whomever arrives.  Gaudette does need require waivers. Macewen would clear.  

 

It wont be costing us anyone we are concerned about losing.  

 

 

It will be like last year.  CDC will be panicking cuz we have ''too many bodies?'' And Benning will three, not one UFA forward.  And the year before...

Exactly.

The team has nothing like a "too many bodies" problem

 

There will be some guys that get pushed out of the picture - like Gagner was this year.  As Gaunce was this year.  Like you say, there are a number of placeholders that it simply doesn't matter if they become/remain peripheral.

 

I'm in strong opposition to the idea that it's time to deal young players like Virtanen - imo that is an awful 'plan'.  The irony - the people that sandbag him on here - that run him down and devalue him - propose to sell low on him at this point.  That's no way to 'rebuild/transition'.   The only way players like Virtanen should be moved - is if a team /teams come knocking with offers you simply can't refuse.  There's no need to start dangling/moving youth at this point = horrible assessement of where the team is imo.  Virtanen - like McCann - is still quite young and has time to emerge - dealing him prematurely could be a helluva mistake - and selling low on him at this point is simply ill-conceived.

I think instead they should go into free agency with moderate to conservative intentions.  I think players like EP might help - the ability to dangle the opportunity to play with him.

Personally, I'd target Brock Nelson principally.   He's a big, hard working, two way player with plenty of upside - who just produced 53 pts while getting 45.4% ozone starts.  That is the kind of winger support I'd love to see with Pettersson - may be able to be signed in the mid range of term/cap - and he's very versatile so if in due course the team drafts a powerforward fit for EP, then he's a guy that can still play virtually anywhere in your lineup.   That's the kind of move I'd like to see in free agency among forwards.  Another option is to not jump the gun and perhaps look at Brayden Schenn next July 1st while running with a serviceable option for next year - although I think in EP's case they are likely to make haste to complement him.  But looking at it at this point....if they were to sign a Nelson....

 

Nelson EP Boeser

Pearson Horvat Baertschi

Roussel Sutter Virtanen

Granlund Beagle Motte.

Leivo LE

 

Of course that leaves some extra bodies to compete to take spots from those players - Gaudette, Goldobin, Schaller, Spooner.

Imo Gaudette was and is not ready to replace a player like Sutter.  Gaudette = 59.4% ozone starts, 47% corsi, 40.4% faceoffs, 12 pts in 56 games - pretty obviously not ready - and not that productive in even the 'easier' minutes - but the potential was clearly there and his timeline will be up to him.   I think if there's a roster guy above that the team may consider moving, it might be Baertschi - although he could be pretty effective with Horvat still, particularly with the addition of Pearson who'd take some pressure off him to provide a forecheck - that harder areas linemate makes a difference imo - that could be a really effective 2nd line, particularly if the bottom six Sutter and Beagle lines are healthy.

 

Likewise on the back end - don't break the bank, but make sure to get another 'foundational' RHD if they're intending to make the playoffs.   Not a secret - I propose Stralman, who shouldn't take high end cap/term, and could really stabliize and enable a young blueline, while taking some pressure off Tanev, Stecher.

 

Edler Stralman

Hughes Tanev

Hutton Stecher

Juolevi Biega

 

With plenty of good depth emerging in Utica.....Sautner looked very good, Brisebois needs more time, Rafferty, Teves interesting additions, Woo is a wildcard that could push soon, Pouliot probably in a situation similar to Goldobin - might have a small window in camp to take a large step, but will be in tough.  Schenn could be good Utica depth.

 

For some folks those may not be shiny enough acquisitions - but then again, for most people around here Beagle, Roussel weren't shiny enough and yet they made a huge difference.  But there is another wildcard in the mix - and that's their top 10 pick in this draft - and depending on who that turns out to be, there could be another challenger for one of those top end spots in the near future, so I'd be tempted to stay in the mid-range of Nelson/Stralman type targets - players that will be effective up and down the lineup regardless, but certainly not out of place at the top end (and if the team is healthy/deep, they arguably don't need to be chasing the shiny objects - they could be very solid to their 12th F and 6th D (and that is fundamental in any event).

 

 

 

[oldnews]

nvmd

[lmm]

On 4/6/2019 at 4:31 PM, Jester13 said:

Go pound sand. You want him to be a micro manager for the farm team? The coaches in Utica are professionals, and Benning is right to look into things now that this season is done, not before. 

 

On 4/6/2019 at 4:44 PM, luckylager said:

There's always the possibility JB did in fact leave the farm to the farmhands because he was busy managing and scouting for the Canucks; add to that the Twitterverse is full of melodramatic blow hards who believe JB can be at two places at once and every other GM is micromanaging the people they hired to do a job.

 

At my job, which is in management a role, I'm left on my own until year end review. I either enjoy the review, or get my ass handed to me and screwed over on my bonus.

 

So I wouldn't be upset if JB isn't down in Utica regularly throughout the season. His job is in Vancouver and if the hands in Utica aren't up to standard, fire them after a year end review.

 

If the choices are 1) JB at an NCAA game scouting FA's then off to the OHL and Q to scout prospects, or 2) three days in Utica scouting the management and coaching staff he hired... I'm going with option 1. 

 

Staff can be reviewed at year end based on results and player interviews. 

 

"Hey Doc, I think I have cancer, but I'll be in for my annual check up in 9 months, see you then"

doesn't make much sense.

It depends on what the problem is and whether if needs fixing right away.

It turned out that Jim had to fix 2 problems in Utica anyway, he moved both Palmu and Dahlen.

So if that is the tip of the iceberg, Jim should not wait, if it is just 2 players that don't fit in Canuck plans he is right to leave it til the end of season.

 

This fits nicely in with the Do the Canucks need a President thread, because if Jim is too busy being GM to oversee Utica, he probably needs help