This July 1st, Benning can make us a playoff team, or a Cup contender.

[flickyoursedin]

On the offensive side I’m still hoping Benning can get rid of Eriksson and pick up Nikita Gusev and or Jesse Puljujarvi!

[fecklund]

10 hours ago, Hutton Wink said:

"Total mess"?  For one, why did you include players that are either no longer here or about to be gone -- just padding it up to legitimize your narrative?  Granlund is likely gone or a 13th forward if re-signed, and Eriksson will be gone sooner than later.  The rest -- Sutter has two years left, he probably only lasts one at the most, and Beagle was hurt much of last year, and you evidently do not understand his role to begin with (nor Sutter's for that matter).  Baertschi's been plagued with concussions; who knows, his career maybe in jeopardy.  Pearson just arrived and put up good numbers in his limited stint, but he's not a first-line player.  None of these are even the Canuck's primary or key players, so this is your storyline?

Hardly a "total mess" when you cherry pick a few middle/bottom-six forwards.  Far FAR more positive to be considering how Petey, Brock, Horvat, Miller, Gaudette, Roussel, Myers etc. will be faring and the other young players that will be coming in shortly.  Pretty much hyperbole based on nothing.  Want to see a "total mess", go look at the Leaf's defence.

"a few"?

6 players make up 25% of the team dude. 6 players who eat up $20+ Million a year.
The only guy I consider neither here nor there is Pearson, because it remains to be seen whether he'll fit in here or not. (and I alluded to as much)

Too many "middling" players on this team making too much money. 

While the additions of Miller, Myers, and Benn will definitely help, our top 6 is still in need of another true top winger to play with Horvat. Or even 2 .... because you don't have to look far into the future to understand that neither Leivo nor Pearson are top 6 players on a playoff team. They are 3rd line players in that situation.
No better time to fix the future than the present, I say. 

Edited July 1, 2019 by fecklund

[Rob_Zepp]

19 hours ago, fecklund said:

This team is a total mess. Benning has A LOT of work to do to fix that - if he even can.

Wow, for a total mess they sure look pretty good all of a sudden.     If they are a total mess, I wonder what you call some other teams.

[komodo0921]

19 hours ago, Arrow 1983 said:

I wanted to write this before July 1st for the fact it pertains to July 1st.

It looks as if JB is all in and a closer look may show it's not to save his job, but I would argue that it's cause the window is open now mucher earlier then some would have expected. 

Here is way;

1) the emergence of EP, 

2) the possible emergence of Quinn Hughes as someone to possibly to relieve pressure off of Edler 

3) Edlers best days are possible behind him but still have some good years left if only these next 2 years.

4) the contracts of both EP and QH in 2 years will mean the possible loss of our depth players; SB, TP, BS. 

5) A last go with Tanev, he is one of the best defensive defenceman but injuries may end his best years early.

Why we could become a Cup contender with the right signings;

1) there are possible top 3-4 D-men available in this draft (Myers) can relieve mins from often injured Edler maybe Edler doesn't get injured if he doesn't have to play as much

2) there are a few good defensive d-men in this Ufa that could relieve mins from Tanev look at Edler explanation why this could be good

3) there are is a possibility that Eriksson could be traded on July 1st due to his bonus being due 9million owed for next 3 years with a cap of 6 mill for 3 years for a team that wants to play at the floor starts to look better.

4) if 3 happens JB could go after another top 6 forward.

 

Conclusion;

We have depth in forward position now and could add more.

We have 6 possible depth guys at centre now ( BH,EP,BS,JB,AG, and Miller).

Miller if Bo or Petty get injured,

Gaud, if Sutter or Beagle is injured.

So no more Sutter as a possibility on our 2nd line.

If July 1st goes well real depth on defense.

Goaltending is pretty good as well

All this leads more to the thought of Cup contender then playoff hopeful.

I would argue that if Benning pulls off what I have mention;

1) playoffs must be a certainty 

2) a first round exit would be considered a disappointment 

3) year 2 of this plan needs to be contending for the Cup.

 

 

 

Now that free agent season has begun, I do believe we are better today than we were yesterday.

Combining the added offense of JT Miller with the added defensive experience of Tyler Myers and Jordie Benn, imo, gets us to the playoffs but, in no way do I see us as a real serious contender yet.

I'm still of the opinion that 2022-2023 is going to be the year we really start pushing for the finals again.

[TGT68]

If Myers makes Tanev the second unit RHD penalty killer this is a win.  

 

Hughes as first PP spreads Edler a little thinner and we are a little better.  

 

 

[189lb enforcers?]

I wouldn’t call them a contender, not at all, but for the first time since forever it seems, they are not a bunch of pansies. 

 

Today is is a good day. No more being the victim out there. No more prison-sex scenes. The Canucks are done being the other teams’ bitch. 

[189lb enforcers?]

I hope he can steal Pool Party somehow. 

[appleboy]

Myers and Benn will help. Money is not bad. I will give Benning an 80% so far. I am not sold on Myers but a new coach and a different system gives a player a fresh start. He will be 34 at the end. Ok

 

"As the Canucks turns"  This is like a soap opera. 

Will LE go? Can he add a top six? Will he make a move for Lucic ? Can Sutter and Baer get past the first ten games? Will Tanev break his 55 game threshold? Will Edler take a puck in his left nut to keep up with Salo?

 

Will Hoglander be at training camp and make the team?  Probably not.

 

Can Jim restrain himself from moving more picks? If he can do this, I think he deserves some applause!

 

[mpt]

Well we aren’t there yet, but we are much better than the end of last season.

 

A physical guy in the bottom 6 like Reaves or Lucic would sure help things nicely

[mpt]

In: Myers, Benn, Miller

Out: Granlund, Gaunce, 1st, 3rd, Hutton, Pouliot

 

Seems like a great offseason so far especially since JB didn’t overpay for Myers and Benn.

 

 

[mpt]

I’d like to see Benning sign a highly skilled career AHL’er to help out our skilled wingers in Utica.

[HockeyHarry]

44 minutes ago, 189lb enforcers? said:

I wouldn’t call them a contender, not at all, but for the first time since forever it seems, they are not a bunch of pansies. 

 

Today is is a good day. No more being the victim out there. No more prison-sex scenes. The Canucks are done being the other teams’ bitch. 

 

[Junkyard Dog]

We are a top 20 team now. 

[khay]

22 hours ago, Lancaster said:

Any team can be a cup contender in any year... just they need a lot of things to go their way.  

If EP becomes a legit 80+ points player, 

If Brock scores 40+ goals,

If Markstrom can establish himself as a top-5 goalie,

If Bo can play like a 2010 Mike Richards,

If Quinn Hughes can be like a 10/11 Ehrhoff,

If Edler can be the old Edler,

If OJ suddenly jumps into the lineup and plays like a Mattias Ohlund,

If Virtanen can finally emerge to be a Tom Wilson-like player,

If Gaudette can be as effective as a Pahlsson,

If Eriksson suddenly turns back to be a 2-way, 30 goal player,

If Baertschi stays healthy and puts up at least 60+ points

If Schenn re-signs and plays as an effective, physical stay-at-home defenseman,

 

Then yeah... the Canucks would probably be lifting the Stanley Cup on Georgia Street a year from now.  

Unfortunately, the Canucks would already be extremely lucky if even a third of those "ifs" pans out.  

 

All of the above? Then, basically impossible.

 

But the bolded points are possible. 

 

- I expect EP to improve like Aho did.

- Boeser in a full season was on pace for 35 goals in the each of last two years. The question is health.

- Bo has improved every season. I wouldn't rule out him getting to 70 points, a bit shy of Mike Richards PPG but close enough.

- Hughes might even be better than Hoff.

- Last year's Edler was kind of like 2010 Edler.

 

Markstrom is not going to be top 5, but he could be top 15. That might be good enough since 16 teams make the playoffs.

OJ doesn't hit like Ohlund so that will never happen. 

Virtanen doesn't have the meanness to play like Tom Wilson. However, he could continue to make progress and get to 20 goals. 

Gaud is still a bit raw so expecting him to be like one of the most efficient defensive player is too much to ask.

If Baer stays healthy, he could hit 20 goals and 45 points. 60+ is a bit too much for him.

 

And just laughing at Eriksson becoming a 30+ goal scorer. 

 

[Shirotashi]

On 6/30/2019 at 4:41 PM, fecklund said:

This team is a total mess. Benning has A LOT of work to do to fix that - if he even can.



Baertschi : at 26 he still needs a fire lit under his ass before he plays 4 or 5 good games in a row. is one concussion away from death. 

Sutter      : "foundational player" who was brought in to be a reliable 2-way shut down guy, but is -30 since arriving, and you forget he's even on your team because he's in the hospital more than the doctors that work there.

Beagle     : is a 33 years old Sutter clone. Overpaid "glue guy" that really doesn't do anything, other than exist.

Eriksson   : scores an own goal on his first day. (HELLO!) Another guy that's kind of "just there"

Granlund   : was on the cusp of becoming a 20 goal scorer before being turned into another useless "200 foot" useless robot. I hope he gets a new start somewhere and does well.

Pearson     : needs to become the 40+ point player he was in LA or say goodnight. 

Spooner     : already gone

Hutton         : already gone

Poopalot      : already gone. 

That's 6 guys that still need to have their asses peeled off this lineup and replaced. JT Miller was a good add, but we have huge holes all through the lineup still, and I'm not even going to get into the Defence.
I don't envy Benning's job, tell ya that much. 
 

Disagree with Sutter Beagle and Hutton, maybe your right about Pearson you need to think about the intangibles with him.

[CanadianRugby]

8 hours ago, mpt said:

Well we aren’t there yet, but we are much better than the end of last season.

 

A physical guy in the bottom 6 like Reaves or Lucic would sure help things nicely

If Reaves or Lucic were being paid like bottom 6 guys.  Yes.  

[fecklund]

5 hours ago, Shirotashi said:

Disagree with Sutter Beagle and Hutton, maybe your right about Pearson you need to think about the intangibles with him.

Pearson's nowhere near my right?  Never met the guy nor has he ever been that close to me. 



 

[mpt]

8 hours ago, CanadianRugby said:

If Reaves or Lucic were being paid like bottom 6 guys.  Yes.  

Eriksson isn’t and he’s there too

[wai_lai416]

everything this season will ride on whether Pettersson will be the pettersson at the start of the season.. or if he's gonna be the pettersson near the end of the season. if he plays the year like the pettersson we saw to start his career? we have a good chance to at the very least make it to the playoff.. if he's the pettersson late towards the season where he's no longer a point a game guy even with the addition of JT Miller.. then we'd be looking at a early spring tee time

[BenSurgeon]

The Canucks are a better team but they still are not a contender and even if the make the playoffs, they will be one and done anyway. That will make ownership happy, two playoff games revenue.