[Signing] Canucks sign Micheal Ferland

[Gaudette Celly]

17 minutes ago, SilentSam said:

Funny thing is, one day we will win the Stanley Cup,.  and I can only imagine some of the ridiculous questions that will come out of mouths from most of the media here..                 “So Jim,.  How did you do that”? 

EXACTLY. 

 

Called that several years ago -- a subset of confused fans as well as the majority of the critical media who all along have claimed incredulous ignorance (and proudly so) at what's been happening, because they wouldn't listen nor believe what they were told, will wake up one day and "What? Those crappy directionless mixed-messages Canucks under that moron Dim Jim are kicking butt and heading to the playoffs?  But how?  They haven't even started a rebuild let alone do one #properly?!"

 

Wonder what the narrative will be, but expect it will be non-creative in keeping with their one-dimensional perspective.  Elmer got lucky, other teams helped them, other teams suddenly got bad, certain players came out of nowhere, fluky drafting, players outperforming themselves, the salary cap rescued them, etc.  Common denominator -- minimal credit given, and only begrudgingly and underhandedly.

[Shift-4]

12 minutes ago, StealthNuck said:

I just made this the poll of the day. Inquiring minds needs to know.

I only voted pasta because I don't have a used cell phone

Forced vote.

[Camel Toe Drag]

2 minutes ago, oldnews said:

I'm liking what it means for guys like that little pee-rick Kadri - now in Colorado.  Watch your back Nazem - you've got it coming.

 

Or the likes of McMe1st - who could not handle DDorsett - and now has nightmares about Ferland under his bed to contend with (once again).

Hit list should go as ordered:

Matheson

Kotkaniemi

Keith (high across check on Dank) 

Kadri 

Tkachuk

Marchand 

 

This is Ferland’s world. We’re all just living in it. 

[SilentSam]

1 minute ago, EternalCanuckFan said:

Thinking about Ferland's acquisition a bit more, it reminds me a bit of the acquisition of Raffi Torres in 2010.  Now Ferland doesn't have nearly the same rep as Torres and, IMHO, is a much better player.  The comparison though is that Ferland brings the Canucks a similar physical element that Torres brought when he joined the 2010-2011 team.  Now I might be wrong, but I felt that Torres' addition changed the way the Canucks played and the way opposition teams played them.  Ferland may have a similar effect particularly if he can keep his style of play, stay healthy and avoid suspensions.  The Canucks will be even better served if Ferland's play inspires Virtanen.

 

Overall I like the addition and it's helping to bring excitement to the upcoming season.  The main wildcard right now is what the Canucks will do with the glut of forwards they have so that will be an interesting story line to follow over the summer.

Ferland is a far better player than Torres,.  You might see some comparisons in tenacity, but Ferland hits clean.

His “curve” for points production has just started.. getting out of Calgary was a blessing in disguise for this young man and the journey he has been on..

He will flourish with physical composure that the Canucks have acquired here recently, and compliment well with Pete, Brock, Bo, and others.  The weight and task is not solely on this players shoulders here.. Benning has methodically placed it on the ice for every shift we take.

His past 4 seasons he has played 70-77 games per season (of 82).

Not bad for the physical game he brings, he is ruthless,. and needs some healing time for it.

In his past 2 seasons ,   (17/18) 41 pts in 77 games +5.

                                        (18/19) 40pts in 70 games +13.

 

Players will not make the team and sent down or moved on.

[aGENT]

12 minutes ago, The Lock said:

I think with any plan, you don't just have a plan A and that's it. You have a plan B, C, D, etc. Also, the NHL is not exactly a static entity. I would imagine the plan needs to be reevaluated on a consistent basis to make sure things are on the right track. Adjustments can then get made where they need to get made.

 

It would be silly to become GM in 2014 and still have the exact same plan now without some modifications. I honestly think you and Agent are saying the same thing, just in a different way though. You think it's a different plan entirely. Agent thinks it's the same plan with changes. Both could be right in my opinion. It's just a matter of how you look at it.

The 'plan' as described by management, from their own mouths, has always been to rebuild organizational depth from below (predominately drafting but trades as well as things like college/un-drafted UFA's etc) while simultaneously doing what they could to support/add depth etc to the actual NHL team (again via trades, UFA's and kids as they developed etc). It literally has not changed.

 

As it evolves, you certainly tweak along the way. Acquisition 'X' doesn't work out, you move on etc. But the basic rebuilding of organizational depth and youth while supporting the NHL club to the best of their ability, within the constraints of a cap, realities of leverage for a rebuilding team etc HAS NOT CHANGED.

 

The supposed 'change'  or evolution over time, is the simple advancement of that same plan. Benning started out with no prospect pool, little cap space, little movable pieces, almost zero youth pushing for spots and clearly facing a re-thing with the high likelihood of being a poor-middling team with little leverage to attract FA's. So he did what little he could and acquired young guys with upside and some NHL fillers. Then more fillers and stop gaps and the odd long shot with upside.

 

And now slowly, as we transition out of the re-thing with youth they picked and developed being the driving force, his leverage and assets have increased. We're no longer signing/trading for stop gaps and dwindling 'upside'. We now see an uptick in quality of assets in both trade and FA's and more leverage on to attract said FA's. And this year, even get favourable terms on them.

[Gaudette Celly]

6 minutes ago, oldnews said:

I'm liking what it means for guys like that little pee-rick Kadri - now in Colorado.  Watch your back Nazem - you've got it coming.

 

Or the likes of McMe1st - who could not handle DDorsett - and now has nightmares about Ferland under his bed to contend with (once again).

It's funny, as much as Dorsett confounded him, what happens when he thinks he's evaded Ferland only to be faced with Roussel?  Or Beagle, or Sutter, or Virtanen, or Gaudette, or any number of guys that will hound him every shift.

[DeltaSwede]

Annoyed my colleagues about the Canucks all day today, none of them are really hockey fans, that's how excited this makes me. What Jim and the rest of the staff have accomplished so far this offseason should get every Canuck fan excited for next season. 

 

Now, time to trim some of that extra fat and we are looking at the very least like a bubble team come playoff time. 

[Ralph.]

7 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

oh, its going to be more than that. It will be generational. The most generational ever. Draft of a lifetime. Best draft in the history of the NHL. 

"The #FakeCanuckBase will never admit it, but the 2020 draft will be the draft of the century! Bigger and better than ever! We're going to have a little chat with the league, and make sure this obsolete "lottery" system is done away with and the Canucks will pick first overall, this year and every year moving forward! No more concessions will be made without getting our fair share in return! Oh, and the Chinese will pay our players' salaries too."

 

- Jim Benning, 2019

 

[SilentSam]

4 minutes ago, Hutton Wink said:

EXACTLY. 

 

Called that several years ago -- a subset of confused fans as well as the majority of the critical media who all along have claimed incredulous ignorance (and proudly so) at what's been happening, because they wouldn't listen nor believe what they were told, will wake up one day and "What? Those crappy directionless mixed-messages Canucks under that moron Dim Jim are kicking butt and heading to the playoffs?  But how?  They haven't even started a rebuild let alone do one #properly?!"

 

Wonder what the narrative will be, but expect it will be non-creative in keeping with their one-dimensional perspective.  Elmer got lucky, other teams helped them, other teams suddenly got bad, certain players came out of nowhere, fluky drafting, players outperforming themselves, the salary cap rescued them, etc.  Common denominator -- minimal credit given, and only begrudgingly and underhandedly.

... but HUT,  what if these idiots are right?

.... I think I’ll donate my living body for experiments on Mars..  what about you? 

[DefCon1]

21 hours ago, Alflives said:

And Myers 31 points adds a lot to our blue line.  (Hughes too). We are going to score more, and allow less.  That’s a team that is definitely a lot better. 

Yep, especially with no Pouliot, Hutton and Del zotto back there giving up the puck. I trust Myers and Benn more than those guys plus we also added Hughes to the lineup...He only played like 5 games last year so those are huge upgrades to the defense that has Tanev, Edler and Stecher. People also seem to forget Joulevi could very well be a call up this season.

[oldnews]

3 hours ago, Dr. Crossbar said:

The problem is, as you've often said, people talk in absolutes and fail to leave open the possibility for changing dynamics and solutions they can't see. That doesn't mean solutions don't exist to various issues, they take time to address. 

 

I'm confident Benning will continue to draft well for the future - that's his specialty - but also be more precise in his signings and trades based on our needs.

 

It's not a perfect process but we are improving and we have been upgraded. We are getting better in an imperfect process. If we wait to be perfect, it'll never happen.

 

Exactly - there is not a single team - ever - that made no 'mistakes'/miscalculations on route - not even SCChampions get there via a 'perfect' process.

The 'plan' imo was and is a good one - that recognized the specific context and limits. 
It's no 'accident'.  It's no fluke.  It's imperfect, but they keep working, keep looking for opportunities to add the right players - and keep drafting and developing as well as they can.

Not really a mystery - no team follows some kind of fantasy #proper-rebuild process - and the ones that most closely resemble the fantasies of the #proper-rebuild crowd - are no more successful than the mean.

 

The roster looks a whole lot better - but there are no guarantees - thats' why they play the games.

 

Crap happens.  Teams like St Louis can find themselves in last place half way through a season.  And then cool shizz happens - and they rise on route to a SC.

Hopefully the past number of M.A.S.H. seasons were a precursor to that kind of unexpected rise.   If not, I'll still be watching, wondering what could/will make them better -  being here simply contingent upon Stanley Cups is a fool's game.

Edited July 11, 2019 by oldnews

[-DLC-]

38 minutes ago, SilentSam said:

Funny thing is, one day we will win the Stanley Cup,.  and I can only imagine some of the ridiculous questions that will come out of mouths from most of the media here..                 “So Jim,.  How did you do that”? 

Listening to them now, I had to shut it off.  This question:   "does this make them a certain playoff contender?"

 

Do they not realize how volatile that race is?  That it's impossible to determine who will/won't be there?  Sure, there are teams projected to be .... but what if they break their legs?  All have food poisoning in April?   

 

There ARE no certainties and that's what makes it so great.  That any underdog can get on a roll (especially with a hot goaltender and healthy team) and the guys who should win (TB) often don't.

 

It makes us better.  We have a better chance if all goes well and according to plan.  Fingers crossed.

 

But, to me, those questions are only their way of laying the foundation to set things up to fail.  That the "expectations" for these guys come with baited breath as they wait to explode with "we knew it".  That all the negativity they're throwing around re the cap, etc. will be dragged out, dusted off and "I told you so'd" to death.

 

I hate that it's always extremes - that you're either going to or you're not.  How about maybe's?  Wait and see's?

 

I listen to the media with a grain of salt (and shot of tequila?).  I like to get news that is reported but the opinion based stuff is blowhard 80% of the time.  I get it - "talk" radio and they have to talk....but don't be "experts" in everything.  Present it as opinion, not fact.

[DefCon1]

4 minutes ago, DeltaSwede said:

Annoyed my colleagues about the Canucks all day today, none of them are really hockey fans, that's how excited this makes me. What Jim and the rest of the staff have accomplished so far this offseason should get every Canuck fan excited for next season. 

 

Now, time to trim some of that extra fat and we are looking at the very least like a bubble team come playoff time. 

I think at this point, we could make the playoffs. The huge x factors which did not play all season last year is Hughes. Add Myers, Ferland and Miller and it would only add to our scoring.

[ForsbergTheGreat]

9 minutes ago, tas said:

the plan hasn't changed. the plan, from the very first press conference, was to build a new group with a new core drafted and developed by the team, while at the same time supporting that group with enough veterans to allow for a competitive atmosphere, rather than succumbing to a losing culture like the oilers. 

 

The first press conference JB stated he thinks he can turn the team around quickly. He went out and signed a bunch of Ufas and got the team back into the post season

 

the goal was retooling on the fly. Bringing in close to nhl talent that can make an impact right away to give the team the best chance at winning. 

 

While he tried to build a competitive team he failed. He stated his definition for being competitive was playing meaningful games in late March and April. That did not happen and it resulted in us firing our head coach due to missing results. Wd claimed the team had two different focuses that don’t align very well. (To Win and to develop) at the same time.  

 

It wasn’t until WD was on his way out and the twins were about to leave that the new strategy came into play. We finally accepted rock bottom and stopped trying to put Leipsic on the pig.  More focus on player development regardless of results.

 

 

9 minutes ago, tas said:

it's like steering a ship -- sometimes you get blown off course, but that doesn't mean the path or destination has changed. you just correct as necessary. desjardins wasn't moving the group in the direction they expected, so they corrected the course. 

 

See the problem I believe so many have is they define the path as a high level broad opinion. Like getting younger, or filling stop gaps or “develop a new core” But you can’t effectively measure the impact of those results. Every rebuild requires a team to develop the next core. The path is the strategy the team used to get that core. 

 

[Goal:thecup]

 

As well as (hopefully) putting stoppers into the anti-Benning spewers, this off season shows that considerable respect is due to Franscesco Aqualini and his family.

 

Many posters have blamed him for interfering with Benning's plans and decisions, or only wanting playoffs for the revenue, etc.

 

I have always respected the way the Aqualini family has been forthright in setting goals (mainly: The Cup) and having the wherewithal to open their wallets to get management virtually everything they wanted.

 

At the draft table this year, where Aqualini and Benning seemed to be discussing things and agreeing on plans, was perhaps where JB was given the green light to execute this off-season's plans.

 

For example, swing for the fences again this draft but be willing to move picks and spend cap to acquire the necessary to turn the team into a contender.

 

This team is going to provide a lot of great entertainment this year, progress further than we have for years, and add successes to the players' development.

 

Go Canucks Go!

 

[stawns]

14 minutes ago, Camel Toe Drag said:

Hit list should go as ordered:

Matheson

Kotkaniemi

Keith (high across check on Dank) 

Kadri 

Tkachuk

Marchand 

 

This is Ferland’s world. We’re all just living in it. 

as fun as it was reading calgary fans comments on the signing, especially after the terms were disclosed, it was great reading about how happy they are that Ferland is back in the Pacific so he can terrorize McD.

[stawns]

3 minutes ago, ForsbergTheGreat said:

 

The first press conference JB stated he thinks he can turn the team around quickly. He went out and signed a bunch of Ufas and got the team back into the post season

 

the goal was retooling on the fly. Bringing in close to nhl talent that can make an impact right away to give the team the best chance at winning. 

 

While he tried to build a competitive team he failed. He stated his definition for being competitive was playing meaningful games in late March and April. That did not happen and it resulted in us firing our head coach due to missing results. Wd claimed the team had two different focuses that don’t align very well. (To Win and to develop) at the same time.  

 

It wasn’t until WD was on his way out and the twins were about to leave that the new strategy came into play. We finally accepted rock bottom and stopped trying to put Leipsic on the pig.  More focus on player development regardless of results.

 

 

 

See the problem I believe so many have is they define the path as a high level broad opinion. Like getting younger, or filling stop gaps or “develop a new core” But you can’t effectively measure the impact of those results. Every rebuild requires a team to develop the next core. The path is the strategy the team used to get that core. 

 

funny how he managed to do it all.

[luckylager]

1 hour ago, oldnews said:

I agree - I 'm not selling him short - if you read the post you're responding to I think he has a reasonable chance of outcompeting Pearson.

But the point is this - I think Pearson and Ferland probably have an edge for those 2nd line winger spots in the present.

And when you get down to it, Roussel is a better 3 LW than he is - and Virtanen better suited to a physical, shutdown role.

Baertschi is a great luxury to have as a legit top6 - who may be 7 on the depth chart of skilled forwards presently - and with injuries, will be needed if the team intends to compete.   It's not long ago that the complaints around here were - 'the team has only 3 top 6 forwards'...I think they have 7,, possibly more now.

I think you're splitting hairs though.   It's no secret that Baertschi played 26 games last year - his talent is undeniable - his health, uncertain.

Agreed.

 

I just have a soft spot for Baer.

 

Fine to trade him though. He's not suited to a checking role

[Chickenspear]

20 minutes ago, Darius said:

speaking of upset....this is the quality of anti Benning threads inundating hfbaords.  Notice how almost 50% would chose the lose Boeser option.  Yeah, real good Canuck fans I tell you.  I need a shower after going there.

 

[SilentSam]

1 minute ago, debluvscanucks said:

Listening to them now, I had to shut it off.  This question:   "does this make them a certain playoff contender?"

 

Do they not realize how volatile that race is?  That it's impossible to determine who will/won't be there?  Sure, there are teams projected to be .... but what if they break their legs?  All have food poisoning in April?   

 

There ARE no certainties and that's what makes it so great.  That any underdog can get on a roll (especially with a hot goaltender and healthy team) and the guys who should win (TB) often don't.

 

It makes us better.  We have a better chance if all goes well and according to plan.  Fingers crossed.

 

But, to me, those questions are only their way of laying the foundation to set things up to fail.  That the "expectations" for these guys come with baited breath as they wait to explode with "we knew it".  That all the negativity they're throwing around re the cap, etc. will be dragged out, dusted off and "I told you so'd" to death.

 

I hate that it's always extremes - that you're either going to or you're not.  How about maybe's?  Wait and see's?

They’re so confused after having the Blues pegged for the first overall draft pick last January..

most of these guys are watching the game after slugging a couple of pops, or in the off season waking up with dehydration from the 19th hole or a friends barbecue the night before..  just so senseless.

 

I personally would like to dress up as a journalists and go to a Canucks Press Conference..  have a short list of 2 or 3 really good questions, and then heckle everyone else’s . 

Even openly question some “quoted” questions from other Journalists there..  

maybe the Canucks need a publicist like that.. one that can fire back the idiocricy.. shut them down..

Damn , Bertuzzi would be good at that , wouldn’t he?   It would be fantastic!