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Watching Vice's The Dark Side of the Ring got me thinking .... While not exactly mainstream per-se Pro-Wrestling has been part of the global Cultural pastime for decades now. It's an industry that is shunned upon by the mainstream but respected enough by the global audience with names like Batista, John Cena, and Dwayne Johnson all starring in billion dollar (or near that) grossing blockbusters. Kevin Owens, while not as big as a name as those mentioned, Is quite a big WWE star in his own right. A former WWE World Champion and recently main evented night 1 at Wrestlemania 39. Over the last year there has been a developing relationship between Owens and former Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau especially when Boudreau revealed to the media that he was quite a Wrestling fan and one of his favoriate wrestlers was Owens himself. Since then, and before Boudreau got fired, Kevin Owens has been quite the representative for the Canucks even wearing a Canucks jersey during a WWE live event. The WWE, now sold to the same company that owns the UFC, is looking to only be bigger than ever in the Sports-Entertainment landscape. Vancouver Canucks Management and ownership should have found a way to capitalize on this opportunity brining brand awareness to the Canucks and perhaps do a co-promotion with the WWE. Imagine if WM39 Kevin Owens came to the ring wearing a Canucks jersey or Boudreau accompanying Ownes and Sami Zayn at WM and promoting the Canucks? or perhaps in other cross promotion ideas. Was Canucks Management too hasty? in letting go Boudreau ? Perhaps they could have worked an agreement with Boudreau in staying in the organization in a VP or even as a special broadcaster for the Canucks? Imagine the visibility the brand would have gotten if they continue this Owens/Boudreau thing as part of the Canucks organizaiton. Heck maybe Rick Tocchet could join as the assistant coach but Boudreau as the head coach. And when Boudreau has to commit to a WWE event Tocchet can take over as interim head coach. So we still get Tocchet helping the team while Boudreau will bring visibility to the Canucks brand both in the wrestling space and mainstream? For all we know we could have had a legion of Canucks fans become fans due to them being WWE fans? Imagine if the next Saudi event Boudreau joins Owens and Sami Zayn (since he can now perform in Saudi Arabia for some reason), they all come in with Canucks gear talk about it. And perhaps The Canucks would be considered Saudi Arabia's hockey team and would get an influx of fans and perhaps merchandise. Maybe even play some games in Saudi Arabia with the Canucks as part of the NHL's global series.

That's a steal ... and really amazing Rangers were able to him with a relatively team friendly cap hit

To be honest I totally forgot he was a Canuck

If the Media is over anxious it's only because the organization hasn't earned anything that give them the benefit of the doubt. We also have to remember how much we derided the media for being negative only for reality to strike us in our faces. I remember last few years how people said the media was overly negative and reacting but they have been more right than we have in the outcome of this team. I remember years ago Rey Ferraro was critical on the moves Canucks have made but people here just brushed things off. If anything I think some of us here (or even many) are too easy to accept what Management does (either Allvin or Benning) that we become too overly optimistic and, at time, arrogant. I think someone in Sportsnet said it best what arrogance do people think that the Canucks are a playoff (dare I say even top 3 division team) when the Vegas odd makers, who do this professionally and build data models to predict the outcome, had mostly the Canucks missing the playoffs?

You say that now but this could be Benning's greatest legacy as the Canucks GM that left a positive impact

possibly but it would have been much nicer to have drafted Robertson

If that is what you want ...

Guddy is meat and potatoes though the kind of thing that makes Benning

I think my concern here is people were throwing McCann under the bus saying he had a bad attitude. It felt more like rumors to me and I thought it was unfair to do this to, at the time, a 19/20 year old

I think this interview is something I highlightend before McCann was a kid when he joined the Canucks and people here (either to make themselves feel better about the trade or for whatever reason) threw him under the bus. I always thought it was in poor taste for us to do this.

For all we know she could have been talking about Virtanen

I remember reading a list saying he was one of the great draft steals since the 2005 lockout

Thank you Montreal, Detroit, and Arizona

Well it doesn't help that most of last name is pronounced like "Douche"

I wouldn't call 32 playoff games little experience. He has more playoff expereince than Jack Eichel who now has a cup

Cap will also go up for other teams nerfing the benefits Canucks will have once it does go up.

I would have taken him for that term and contract. JR/PA out GM'ed?

Basically going to replace the position of OEL at better value. Though this does hurt in the final year or his deal where OEL's cap penalty is at 4 million since the combination of that plus Soucy's contract will be a bit higher than what OEL's cap hit would have been. It will be like OEL is back I probably would have preferred if they kept the contract to 2 years to be honest

I think Daniel believed in what he said (and why wouldn't he since he saw OEL as a peer and comrade) part of me feels like Benning was doing a fib. Like his last hail Mary nuclear option to save his job. Basically when Benning did the trade I imagined Benning doing this

You do Remember

Even if this was a miscalculation by Daniel Sedin it's a miscalculation by someone who, at the time, had zero front office experience in the NHL. Besides that is not entirely true there were already many warning signs on OEL in terms of declining performance, foot speed, etc. I brought this issue up during the time the trade was made many many here just scoffed at it saying stuff like "what does the media know" or "analyst don't know anything". I think many here just choose to believe the narrative Benning (and I guess Daniel Sedin) sold to the fanbase instead of people outside the organization who had a more objective view on the matter. I remember discussing last year how the media is already talking about buying out OEL in the future as a problem and people said "oh look at the media making stuff up blah blah blah OEL is still a good dman that's just a LITTLE overpaid".

Yeah well thank got Daniel Sedin isn't one making the decisions then If he was then something really must be wrong with the Organisation

But we were told by Benning he was a 1st paring dman

I wanted him but that term and hit was too much.

Well you know a contract year would do that to you