alt kilgore

Amazing how goals can be called back if a ref says he has declassified....er already blown the whistle...in his head. But a goal CAN count after he blows the whistle. Because he really wasn't going to in his head? Or what is it?

Vegas rules

I know this was directed to DSVII, but ... "Yea and Salo, Jovanoski, Kesler, Burrows, Bieksa, Hansen, Demitra, Mitchell, Malhotra saw seasons under 60, hell a handful of them saw seasons under 20 games." Yet Gillis still managed to take the team to two Presidents Trophies and a win away from the Cup. Impressive no? "Gillis did infact run this organization into the ground in an attempt to go all in. I do not blame him for what he did, I supported it and I understood the consequences, something you and countless others do not seem to grasp. The sh*thole he left behind made JBs job 10x harder." You don’t blame him for what he did? Yeah, reading your posts that is pretty hard to grasp. He left JB a few younger stars like Horvat and Tanev to build around, as well as veteran trade chips. Hardened by playoff experience. Some with NTC some without. But any GM worth his salt can find ways to convince those players to move on as well…. knowing there will be a total rebuild. But we didn’t need a rebuild right? Oh, and another plan for the drafting guru might have been......uh....keep your draft picks, and even find ways to add to them. Not reduce them to less than the amount you normally would have gotten "Gillis left no imprint anywhere other than going all in and “almost” winning." Yeah, I’ve pretty much forgotten that its so unimpressive. And I’m sure you know this, but a GM has not a lot to do with picks, especially lower down in the picks. We landed Boeser and Demko, as well as the once touted Gaudette because of Brackett’s connections to the Eastern USHL. Since Brackett was fired for upstaging his boss, how many later picks worked out for JB? Or were given enough time to develop here? As well JB’s only first round picks accredited to him alone are McCann, who he traded after one season, the disaster Virtanen, picked his first year, before Brackett was in charge, and Joulevi, who he overrode the consensus opinion for Tkachuk, by demanding the pick to fill a need on D. (I can only surmise because of his disastrous mistake to pick Virtanen over the D pick Larkin a couple years earlier, who Gillis had pencilled in. ) Hughes was a no brainer. Which even macaroni Jim could figure out. While JB had to be convinced by Brackett, Gradin, and Delorme to NOT take Cody Glass, and take chance on a skinny looking Swede Taking all of that in, including his lack of success developing, he ranks well below .500 even in what should be his strong area - drafting/developing. Of course it doesn’t help when you trade away half of them. Gillis was constantly picking lower down, and as you know, the odds get exponentially worse the lower pick you get. Also, Gillis never put himself up as a drafting specialist. He's admitted he should have changed his scouting staff. He relied on them and didn't pretend he was a great drafter. But there is way more to a GMs job than knowing all the potential draft picks inside and out. Finding support pieces, and not over paying for them, and signing vets to team friendly contracts is huge when you are contending. "2013-14 those are the vibes from the head coach day 1. Gillis did what he had to, to go all in, in 2011. Which when you have disposable assets, its not difficult. He held onto that “almost” for another season, made no changes at the 2012 deadline other than Hodgson for Kassian. Then he goes and holds on the following season, another 1st round exit. The year after that 23rd overall, a sign of things to come. If he was at all smart he would have retooled. But he never let go of 2010-11. Just go look at those rosters between 2010-2013, how much change do you see?" Gillis did what he had to do? Good to know. And why would he not think that the same core could repeat in the next couple of playoffs? They did win the Presidents Trophy again the very next year. You think he should have screwed with that team? I think things like Daniels concussion, just before the playoffs in 2012 may have had a little to do with how they did too. If he was smart, as he was, and allowed to, after those two post SCF years, which he was not, he would want to rebuild, not just retool. Which is what he and Torts and Linden, eventually, were pushing. But there is this other element in the equation….the owner. If he refuses to listen or is swayed by nonsense like “we can turn it around quickly” then there’s not a lot a GM can do if he wants to keep his job. Gillis had the integrity to stand up for what was needed, and got fired for a fantasy and a greedy moron stepped in willing to entertain that owner’s fantasy for $. OMG, I’m not even through half of your giant pile of excuses. I have to stop. But I don’t even think you’ll see this as it seems you must have me on ignore. I don't know why some of us are fighting windmills. Your repetitive responses are all about deflecting, making excuses and blaming someone else. I think I spend time responding to you and the other Benning fan Dazzle, because I find it fascinating in some bizzare way, that there are always a few that just will not accept reality, like a Trump fan, who use the same kind of responses to facts...actual results on the ground....in the same exhausting hyperbolic way.

You were referring to how Benning could have approached his "bad hand" dealt by Gillis. Putting aside for a minute the fact that we were in the SCF, one win away from the Cup with Gillis. Two Presidents trophies. And if we'd actually won game 6 or 7 you'd no doubt be on the Gillis bandwagon along with the whole city. And on CDC we'd still be going through the fine points of his brilliant moves to add the right depth players, and resigning valuable veterans to team friendly contracts. A very simple answer to your question though on how Benning should have played his "bad hand". Keep your picks. If things are that dire, as you believe they were, then the only avenue is a rebuild isn't it? Are you arguing that the Benning/Aqua dream of "turning this team around quickly" was the wisest approach.....even in hindsight? If thats true, wow You don't trade away picks in Forsling and McCann in your first year. And so many other draft picks during his tenure. Including 3 first rounders if you include McCann. And a lot of second rounders. You start a rebuilt as Gillis realized was necessary. You keep ALL your draft picks. You trade the veterans with value that don't have a NTC/NMC for MORE draft picks or young prospects. Then work on convincing some of those that do have NTCs. You at least try. If the hand dealt him was truly that terrible, wasn't the only solution that we needed to restock and start over? How do you defend Benning deluding himself for so long that Gillis actually left him a good enough hand that he didn't need to rebuild? Please explain that.

Brackett's departure was just the latest astoundingly short sighted vindictive decisions by JB when it came to off ice positions of hires that he thought were outshining him. Gilman, Linden,.. For the first time we had a decent and talented amateur scouting department that found lower picks like Demko, and Boeser, and recommended top picks Petey and Hughes, after Bennings disasters before with Virtanen and Joulevi who he insisted on. His excuse to the firing was his disingenuous reasoning that he let hang in the air, and was repeated in here, that Bracket was demanding the final say on the #1 pick. He wasn't. He only wanted the power to hire and fire his own staff. As a year before Benning came swooping in and fired two of them without warning. Benning was a child emotionally. The last kind of personality you want leading a major sports franchise

Keep digging. "8 years to accumulate talent" That is asking waaaaaaaay too much. Didn't Gillis trade away the next eight years of #1 picks? Oh.. Actually Gillis only traded away a #1 round pick once. And was just before the season we went to the Cup final. To add to the blue line. Perfectly understandable as Salo, Bieksa, and Mitchell all had injury troubles . Even if it didn't work out (Ballard). And this was the #25 overall. A reasonable gamble. Benning traded two, and both in the top ten. One a disaster, Gudbranson, and the other for Miller, who was a decent return, but the timing was way off for where the team was. Then he impatiently traded away the number one pick McCann, and promising picks like Forsling before he was even given a shot here. A GM job is also about developing the players already drafted like Hansen, Burrows, Kesler, and convincing them to sign team friendly contracts. Sedins included. And finding decent support players, good in the playoffs, like Max Lapierre, Chris Higgins, Raffi Torres. And again, not overpaying them. Adding Hamhuis and Erhoff and a young Tanev on the blue line. anywoo, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Haven't even touched on the front office politics, the pro-scouting, LE, OEL, the baffling re-signings of players like Virtanen. Over paying players like Pearson, Beagle. The buyouts from previous bad deals. Its almost surreal how much damage one hapless GM can do. I said I'd give JR 3 years. At first I was thinking contender. Now, after having the time and hindsight on just how damaging Benning has been, I'll be happy if in 3 years JR just brings this franchise back to a 'normal' state. ie, a decent farm, rated at least mid pack. Petey signed. Myers and OEL figured out somehow, along with it an above average blue line. To where we are at least a 7th or 8th place team, and improving still.

I was going to react to Drakrami's post too. I was going to say that, if you watch the games, you'd have to say that Barkov has absolutely outplayed Tkachuk. But Tkachuk is a master at not doing much all game, but quick to see an opportunity in front of the net to tap the puck in after players like Barkov have done most of the work.

It was a gorgeous play!

Oh H God please no. Here I've been biding my time, knowing KS must be getting close to retirement, thinking he will finally skate off in the distance. But he could come back even more powerful, like a supervillian. With new powers over situations like, say, a Canuck player up for a suspension. I wonder how that would go. One of Bettman's favorite lackeys, now heading all of NHL officiating.

Not to mention going outside the box to get Burkey’s opinion while he was still steaming at Canucks management from freshly being fired. Before the headshot rule. A legal hit, a half second late….. Longest suspension in SCF history Notice they never bring up the Rome suspension to compare whenever there is some potential suspension in the playoffs. It’s indefensible and they’re embarrassed to even bring it up

Tchuck gets two for “roughing”? Defending himself from the backlash of a hard hit. Bizarre

Yup. I said from the start of the JR hiring. I'd give him 3 years based on the amount of garbage he had to clean up. Its only fair if Benning had 8 years. That would actually take him to the beginning of Dec. of 2024. See if the work he does this off season and during next season and TD and next off season will all pan out in the first couple of months of 2024. If it all comes together even sooner, all the better, I don't even want to think about the possibility that we could be in the same stagnant position after three years. I have a lot more faith in this management team

I hate the Knights for their unfair leap frogging. With new more generous rules about how many players could be protected, pressuring GMs against a stagnant cap that year. They were given not just an advantage to be able to instantly hold themselves up middle of the pack, they were given the keys to create a monster team. First taking advantage of teams protecting one player and let another one go....who turned into the better player after all. Like Theodore from Anaheim, or Karlsson from Columbus. Or Marchessault and Smith from Florida. They also netted ten draft picks and six players from side deals, including two first-round picks and four second-round picks. They used analytics in their decisions with the rest of the roster. Overlooked players that just needed ice time. What GM wouldn't love to create a team that way. Avoid the prima donnas. Fleury excepted. Perfectly understandable for McPhee to take full advantage of the Count's gift. I hope they don't cash in on it. Its hard as bleep to get to a point, as a GM, where you have no bad contracts. Value and production in all areas. Where the coach can run 4 lines all night. Good depth, and more coming up the pike. Seattle had most of these advantages too. Could you stomach playing in Seattle's rink with a banner hanging from it already? Full of gloating American fans pointing it out to us every home game until we ever can put up one ourselves? Please hockey god No! A cities fans have to suffer first dammit! Go through some lean years. Have a Benning or two pass through. Riots in the streets! Sports stations closing! Suffer like we suffer! But no one can suffer like we do other than Buffalo. but on a personal level I'd be happy for Stone to lift the Cup. And their new 4th stringer sensation Hill is a BC boy. That could be a story.

Cue the comeback!

Game 6 AND game 7.

Where's Juice?

Being down 4-0 in a game seven at home. We feel your pain Dallas fans.

goaltending in the playoffs is a funny thing A top ten goalie, maybe rated even higher vs a goalie who has never played in the playoffs, a goalie no one even heard about. Its about who gets hot and who gets cold. Or who can withstand the pressure as you get closer to the Cup. coughLucough.

Meh, they've had a lot of success in their short life, getting to the final, and now probably getting to the final again. That's two thirds the amount of SCF appearance the Canucks have had in over 50 years. That should be plenty of reason to gain a foothold there. in fact it may make them even hungrier. Nope. They definitely have to suffer at least one cycle where they get terrible and have to rebuild. Where they have to be sellers and start over. Do it without Bettman's help next time. Then I'll have more respect for them.

I'd be shocked to see JB land another executive job of any kind in the NHL. I'll go out on a limb to say also that I know many here, including me to be honest, were crapping all over Travis Green and his job. But how much of Green's lack of success was directly related to the mix of players that Benning gave him? The quality of character and commitment? The revolving door of unimpressive support players? The overspending, over-valuing of acquired players so there wasn't anything left in the cap to complete a team that Green could actually use for how he wanted to coach. I think JB also screwed a new NHL coaches resume by the product he was forced to make use of. I kind of feel sorry for Green now TBH. .........I just looked up whats the latest news for Green and I can only laugh at finding out that Calgary is kicking the tires on hiring him. Where all Canucks players AND coaches go to die.

Honest to god, I think Benning actually helped Calgary more than Vancouver during his time as GM. By players he gave them, either directly or indirectly, or players he could have taken from them that he blew. Could have (possibly) taken Bennett for Virtanen (instead of buying him out) Could have not been so enamoured with Baertschi that he gave up a second round pick that turned into Rasmus Andersson for Calgary. Could have not "ran out of time" with Toffoli, Stecher, or Tavev, who all ended up in Calgary. Could have traded Markstrom to an eastern city before his contract ran out. (he has been great for the Flames, until recently) Could have denied them Tkachuk, and had him for ourselves. Even if he didn't want to stay, as trade bait he'd have been quite valuable. But I think he may have stuck. This is Vancouver folks, not Cowtown. During Bennings time, Calgary got better, at least on paper, and Vancouver continued to stumble along losing value. Not saying Benning did all the work for them, but he sure helped. I don't think I've ever seen that level of incompetence in an NHL GM. Actually helping to improve, not just any team, but their biggest geographic rival, while de-valuing their own. I know i have to to stop lamenting about Benning, but ffs, I'm still p'd off how he sabotaged this team again and again, for almost a decade, with the rubber stamp of a clueless and impatient owner. And how much of a hole that JR and PA have to patch up now.

18 actually! Both he and Tchuk would have been useful here. Another Benning failure was not getting the deal done when there was interest from Calgary in a Bennett > Virtanen trade. Radically different trajectories since then. https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/virtanen-bennett-trade-would-make-sense-for-canucks

Holy %^&#! I'm happy for them too, but i'm gobsmacked at how much this bronze showing for them creates this kind of national frenzy. And a day off work! We should get at least that for a Gold ffs! Is it just that Latvia hasn't had a lot of international success with their sport teams or other kinds of tournaments, or do they really love hockey that much? Somewhere in between? Wow. Silovs will be a hero there. Almost like Hasek was for Czechoslovakia. And this is for a Bronze. Love the Latvian people! This is why Canada has to help defend Ukraine all the way. If Ukraine falls, Baltic states like Latvia are next.

Myers should be able to benefit from a more tight defensive system from Tocchet. Even just that forwards may be in a better position to help him out. That or some other GM might take a flyer on Myers after watching him here. Especially if the cap does go up. Its not completely bonkers to think of taking on Myers cap hit for one year, if they have dibs to sign him after that for a reasonable number. D that size doesn't grow on trees.