TheRussianRocket. Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Note: mods, this is not another redundant 'this guy should be GM' thread and I have questions about him and would just like a discussion about that strictly. If you feel this should be moved to Canucks Talk then do so but I am initially going to post here as Benning's name has been around the Canucks in general for the last little bit and he's a former Canucks player :] So yea, I've heard a lot about Jim Benning as of late like I'm sure most of you have and he seems to be the front runner for GM atm. He was a former 6th overall pick and under performed but still had a solid career. Went to play 4 seasons in Vancouver from '86-90' where he then retired a year after. However, I was wondering if any of you know more in depth about him than the average joe like myself? I generally know he's worked his way up the ranks and has really deserved to be where he is at now with his managerial career. He served as an amateur scout for the Ducks for one season from '93-'94, then joined as a scout for the Sabres from '94-'98, and where he eventually became director of amateur scouting for Buffalo from '98-'04. He then became assistant GM for the Bruins in 2006 and he is currently still there as the assistant. ...as you can clearly see, Benning has had a taste in almost all levels of management and is well experienced with 10 years of scouting and 8 years of managing. That's nearly 20 years of organizational involvement, wisdom, exposure, and understanding. I assume it's not a coincidence when he joined Boston in '06 it was then where the Bruins began to build their current kingdom and soon after were on the rise and are now a set franchise for years to come. One can conclude Jim played a major part in the making of that and if Canucks were to get him which he is looking as the favourite atm, it'd be an instantaneous upgrade and he also has his name on Lord Stanley. He played one season with Trevor in Vancouver and an added bonus is he's a Western Canadian born in Alberta, *hint hint* just like Linden. ...Although this is general info, wonder if someone has more details as to what he actually did as AGM and possibly his scouting time in Buffalo? Like for example Gillman here did a lot of the contract works and etc so does anyone know what Benning did more into the specifics? Would be appreciated if someone could share if they have the knowledge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theminister Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elvis15 Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 ^ We can forge his signature now at least! EDIT: but JR posted a piece from Buffalo in one of the other threads. Didn't really have much detail, but outlined the time he spent in Buffalo and Boston in general. I don't know that I can say either team did exceptionally well with their draft picks (it's not hard to draft Seguin with the #2 overall for instance) but they certainly didn't seem to do badly at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tearloch7 Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I remember Benning the player very well .. he was a smaller, skilled puck moving D-man with a good, accurate shot and good vision on the ice so his first pass was excellent .. he was a top Junior and was picked 6th overall. He was a major part of a successful Leafs team for a few years, especially on the PP as I remember it, before coming to the Canucks .. a lot of people thought the Leafs rushed him, (sound familiar) and he seemed to lose confidence so they traded him to Vancouver. So a great Junior, and successful scout and Asst. GM with a smart GM in Boston .. I think he is a real surefire GM, tho let's see if the Leafs try to 'poach' him .. "GM envy", anyone? Edit: Forgot to mention that everyone seems to consider him very skilled at talent assessment .. not sure of his 'contract' work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henrik Kesler Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 He's got experience and has had one hell of a front seat to seeing how one of the current NHL powerhouses was built. Why wouldn't you want this guy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YEGCanuck Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Sounds like Benning may be worth consideration. Someone mentioned Gilman and if he is a cap specialist I think it is only fair to give him due consideration as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theminister Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Not that it matters to the discussion but his younger brother was Brian Benning, also a d-man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRussianRocket. Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 Thanks for your input guys. Anyone else that may have a bit more info :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theminister Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Thanks for your input guys. Anyone else that may have a bit more info :/ This is him working. http://youtu.be/MYKU-bUJre0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tearloch7 Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 ^ ^ ^ I am not ready to watch that sober .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theminister Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 ^ ^ ^ I am not ready to watch that sober .. You sober up? Just when you think you know a guy.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sims Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Here is a link posted by someone in another thread. It seems like he was responsilbe for drafting a lot of the Bruins current core as well as the Sabre's old core and has been involved in a lot of the Bruins recent trades. From all accounts seems very knowledgeable in drafting/finding skilled right players and getting good value in trades. http://sabrenoise.com/2014/01/07/jim-benning-right-guy-sabres-gm-job/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRussianRocket. Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 ^thanks a lot for that. ...idk about you guys, but he seems like the GM we need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Kneel Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 He played for us during the down years! and a year with Trev..if he's the one, we should grab him, otherwise another team will troll our pick. The more I hear the better I like him (except for the Roy). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
people please Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Gillis>> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boudrias Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Like the idea that he was a Canuck at one time. Boston is fixed at the GM position so he is likely to listen to an offer. Nice mix of his playing NHL at 'D' and Linden as a forward. I prefer management who has played the game at a high level and have shown the ability to manage as well. Linden and Benning have done that. My reservation with Gilman is that he has not. However Gilman has a pretty decent record on the management side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tearloch7 Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 You sober up? Just when you think you know a guy.... I dinna drink anymore .. ergo, I shall never watch it ../g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoneypuckOverlord Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 That's fine but we should still keep an open eye. Markus NAslund has gm experience and has a winning record. Pre NAslund days modo had a losing recored post NAslund days modo has a winning record. How bout ex sabres gm Darcy regher? Lives in b.c was an outstanding gm for the sabres for so many years for a team that has self salary caps for many years. Extemely competitive team for lots of years. Another option is waiting for heads to roll to see which other gm might get axed? Keep in mind hiring an ex assistant is not all cozy. Winnipeg hired ex assistant for the Blackhawks and look at how that turned out. 3 playoff misses in a row. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaSwede Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 The connection with Linden (they played together for a year in Vancouver) and the success he has enjoyed during his managerial career with the Sabres and Bruins with scouting and player management he is the perfect man for the job. He is ready to step into a senior role as a General Manager. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langdon Algur Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 ^ We can forge his signature now at least! EDIT: but JR posted a piece from Buffalo in one of the other threads. Didn't really have much detail, but outlined the time he spent in Buffalo and Boston in general. I don't know that I can say either team did exceptionally well with their draft picks (it's not hard to draft Seguin with the #2 overall for instance) but they certainly didn't seem to do badly at all.If he had anything to do with the Seguin trade I would count that as a strike against him, unless he's the guy who said if your going to do this get Reilly Smith. Getting Smith before he established himself was a brilliant move, trading Sequin not so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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