JB spoke with media today - recap

[Honky Cat]

Looks like McCann is going to be inserted into every single proposal now, and why not. He's pretty much competing with Cassels for the exact-same role on our team. We've got 5 really good future centers in Horvat, Gaunce, Cassels, McCann and Vey. Sure they can play wing but Horvat pretty much has our future #2 center position locked up, Gaunce will probably take a #3C or #4C, Bonino will still be in the mix perhaps as a #3C which leaves our 1st line center spot for McCann, Vey or Cassels - all of whom aren't really elite first line prospects. Vey was a point per game in the AHL so might show promise, and Cassels is showing a bit of promise which leaves McCann as a big man out of the picture. He could switch to wing but then he's competing with the likes of Shinkaruk, Virtanen, Jensen and Kassian - all of whom will take up the top-9.

I would say that McCann could conceivably be the better prospect out of Cassels,Gaunce,and Vey...and will be retained at the end of the day....Nothing wrong with having lots of depth though,it could be packaged off for more pressing needs on the team.

[TrevL16]

Whoopps, thanks I fixed the link. Here it is: Link

This is an article about Tanev...where does he mention Markstrom?

[Rypien37]

Honestly the addition I'm most excited about is Dorsett.

This team finally has a protector and goon again. It'll be sweet!

Have you not heard of Tom Sestito?

Dorsett is far from a goon and is a solid light weight....middle at best.

[Honky Cat]

Why do I suddenly hope we DO trade for Ladd and give Ryan a steady taste of intimidation, because Ryan is 'scared-shirtless' of Andrew .. I hope that wanker never wins a Cup.

I am glad that Kesler is gone....he would have been unbearable if he was retained...I will always give him his due as a fierce competitor,but his selfishness clouds that.

This is why I find it odd that Canuck fans are making video tributes for him..?.....maybe 5-10 years down the road perhaps.

[BigRedMachine]

Few key points JB made today: Regarding Horvat

- said they don't want to rush him. Need Horvat to be ready with a solid foundation and developed properly. Said Horvat seems like he can be a matchup guy used to shutdown other teams top lines.

So Horvat has already been downgraded to a future 3rd line centre. Our future looks bright.

[VanGnome]

Lol, Anaheim and defensive depth don't go together in the same sentence. Sbisa wasn't hindered by their depth, he was hindered cause he was terrible (via advanced stats). He's not gonna be a top 4 guy. He's gonna be a depth guy who plays sheltered mins in case of injuries. Book it.

Re McCann, here's a great write up from Canucks Army: Link

They spoke with Grehounds GM who is well versed in advanced stats, even keeps their owns #'s in Jr. He talks about McCann and the #'s.

I think what Benning was referring to when suggesting the defensive depth, was the lack of defensive depth; ie Sbisa was counted on more than what he was ready to handle, and thus negatively impacted his development.

[Canuck Surfer]

Honestly the addition I'm most excited about is Dorsett.

This team finally has a protector and goon again. It'll be sweet!

Dorsett is an extremely good fighter, but not a heavyweight or intimidator, no?

[Canuck Surfer]

So Horvat has already been downgraded to a future 3rd line centre. Our future looks bright.

I think you are forgetting he comes from Boston?

You know, where their shut down guy, Bergeron, plays second line? And Krecji, who plays top line, is almost as good a shut down guy?? But does not have to, because they have had depth guys like Kelly. Much like Benning seems to be adding bodies here?

[Canuck Surfer]

I don't think Bo took a step back this year - it's just the case that Gillis badly needed Bo to make the NHL and almost rushed him last season for that reason, and certainly would have rushed him this season even if he wasn't 100% ready.

Benning is looking at Bo with an unbiased eye. Bo definitely improved in every area but at this point of summer, Bo isn't NHL-ready. Things could change by September, but I think he'll be completing his final OHL-eligible season.

Yes, no step backwards. No dominant play off this year though?

But by getting Bonino and Vey, there is certainly competition if he wants a roster spot. Physically he may be more ready than Vey?

No question Benning was adding depth to the roster though. It does not have to be a sign Bo is more challenged. I take it at face value. If Bo is ready in training camp? I believe he will make the roster.

[PhillipBlunt]

My apologies.

Just read a piece on Kesler and his agent and how they bullied their way out of Vancouver.

Good read and this is the first half:

PHILADELPHIA Shortly after the Canucks announced the Ryan Kesler trade, I received a text from an NHL employee.

Three quarters for a dollar, it said.

Thats a fair assessment of a trade that saw the Canucks receive Nick Bonino, Luca Sbisa, and the Anaheim Ducks other first-round pick for former Selke winner Ryan Kesler. Even admitting that Keslers not the guy who destroyed everyone and everything in the 2011 playoffs first the Nashville Predators, then the San Jose Sharks, then, finally, himself hes still worth more than the sum of those spare parts. No offence to Nick Bonino, who is likely to replace Kesler as the Canucks second line pivot, but hes no Ryan Kesler replacement. (Say what you will about Boninos points, but he was playing for a team committed to scoring goals, not a team allergic to it. And hes not the same shutdown corner.)

But the Canucks dont care. This wasnt about who they got. It was about who they got rid of. This wasnt a hockey trade. It was a Tylenol trade.

Benning wanted to keep Kesler. For all of an hour. Looking over the roster he had inherited, and considering his pursuit of a meat and potatoes team, i.e. the Louis Armstrong diet, Kesler seemed to fit it. And then, shortly after he plugged it in, the phone rang. As Jason Botchford noted in the best get of the weekend, Keslers agent, Kurt Overhardt, called Benning on Day 1, before the new GM had even had a chance to adjust the height, posture correction, and armrests on his desk chair, and things got shouty almost instantly.

They stayed shouty for weeks. There was a lot of threats both ways, Benning told Botchford. Kurt would phone and yell and scream at me. Id yell and scream at him. Wed put it to bed.

Kesler wanted out, and he wasnt budging. But he wouldnt go just anywhere, and with his no-trade, he didnt have to. He would only go to the best teams, teams that are contenders without Kesler, and could conceivably become super-teams with him. Screw rivalries. Those are the concern of Vancouvers residents and players, and Kesler had no interest in being either any longer.

So he also had no concern for the Canucks making a trade that helped them too, a fact that was clear as day when Kesler whittled his list of destinations from six teams to three, and after Pittsburgh started looking a little shaky, two. Six teams might have given the Canucks room to create leverage. But then they might turn things around, or get enough back to prevent Keslers new super-team from winning the Cup. So two it is.

Kesler and Overhardts gameplan: be loud. Be aggressive. Make it clear that the longer Keslers around, hell be a headache and a distraction and Luongo part two but less fun and move him now or this phones never gonna stop ringing. Make the Canucks make the trade just to hear themselves think.

And then, just for giggles, Kesler burned the Canucks on the way out. Asked to explain his reasons for wanting to go, he mumbled, in his inimitable way, The fact theyre in a rebuild and are looking to get younger and are years away from being a contender, I think it was just time for me to move on and win, and hopefully take home a championship.

At the risk of sounding like an embittered fan, Kesler was never about the Canucks. He was about Ryan Kesler. Thats fine, mind you, so long as hes on your team. Selfish and miserable athletes come through pro sports franchises all the time. An all-encompassing desire to win is a nice quality when you make the playoffs. Its a lot less nice, however, when the guys not wearing your colours.

The guy was always a beanbag. But he was our beanbag. Now hes not, so goodbye and good riddance, beanbag.

Trevor Linden admitted that the Canucks briefly considered refusing Keslers outrageous demands, telling him theyd see him at training camp, sweating him out. But in the end, Jim Benning, who drives the bus, would rather have three quarters than the loudest, most obnoxious dollar around, so he dropped Kesler off at the curb.

Can you imagine Kesler sulking around the locker room next season? Kesler was already not particularly well-liked in the room.

The guy is prickly, and by my contacts within the Canucks organization, that attitude went well beyond his dealings with media and stretched to team employees, few of whom will be sad to see this transaction finally get made.

Inside the room, Keslers wish to be dealt at the March 5 trade deadline was seen by one Canuck veteran I spoke with as a guy jumping ship when times were tough. He was happy to be a Canuck when they were winning the Northwest and making Cup runs, but the minute times got tough he was ready to move on.

Guys like that are easy to let go.

http://vansunsportsblogs.com/2014/06/30/kesler-trade-shows-benning-isnt-afraid-to-win-a-deal-by-losing-it/

Thanks for posting that nuck nit. Kesler is such a c*#+. Just one or two injuries away from the end of his career. Here's hoping that Miller shuts him out and Juice levels him with an open ice hit.

[Kragar]

Lol, Anaheim and defensive depth don't go together in the same sentence. Sbisa wasn't hindered by their depth, he was hindered cause he was terrible (via advanced stats). He's not gonna be a top 4 guy. He's gonna be a depth guy who plays sheltered mins in case of injuries. Book it.

Re McCann, here's a great write up from Canucks Army: Link

They spoke with Grehounds GM who is well versed in advanced stats, even keeps their owns #'s in Jr. He talks about McCann and the #'s.

Agree with your defensive depth comment, as I never thought they were all that deep there. I have heard a few Duck fans down here rag on Sbisa a bit, but I didn't notice enough of his play to comment.

Poking around his stats: A mid/late 1st-rounder, I was surprised to see he was called up to the NHL right away by Philly, playing half a season with reasonable minutes/game. Seems odd to me to push a young non-elite D so soon. Maybe it hurt his development? The Ducks basically gave him a year in Junior after that, but then right back in the NHL for two full years. Hopefully there is something our coaching staff can do with him to get him back on track and live up to his draft position.

[KSniper88]

Looks like McCann is going to be inserted into every single proposal now, and why not. He's pretty much competing with Cassels for the exact-same role on our team. We've got 5 really good future centers in Horvat, Gaunce, Cassels, McCann and Vey. Sure they can play wing but Horvat pretty much has our future #2 center position locked up, Gaunce will probably take a #3C or #4C, Bonino will still be in the mix perhaps as a #3C which leaves our 1st line center spot for McCann, Vey or Cassels - all of whom aren't really elite first line prospects. Vey was a point per game in the AHL so might show promise, and Cassels is showing a bit of promise which leaves McCann as a big man out of the picture. He could switch to wing but then he's competing with the likes of Shinkaruk, Virtanen, Jensen and Kassian - all of whom will take up the top-9.

I wouldn't say Gaunce would be our 3c or 4c, just seems for me McCann is going to be better than Gaunce and Cassels. Gaunce just seems a bit lethargic..

[Rollieo Del Fuego]

So Horvat has already been downgraded to a future 3rd line centre. Our future looks bright.

Kesler was our shut down 2nd line cetre.

[erkayloomeh]

I'd love Jim Benning thoughts on gaunce.

I see Ryan Keslers actions stemming from the whole luongo saga and not wanting things to drag on. Still like the guy.

There is just so much work to do for JB over the next few years. McCann, Horvat shink and company are not going to be saviors. We will have a lot of guys who aren't going to be able to.contribute once these guys developed. (Bieksa, Hamius, twins, etc.)

[Gaudette Celly]

Think it's pretty clear from his comments that he's trading spare parts for Kane and Ladd.

Benning is NOT going to trade for Kane, unless he flips him elsewhere.

It's nice to hear he hasn't been shopping Shinkaruk, there's been a lot of trade speculation and it'd be nice if it was put to bed. It won't be, but it'd be nice. The fact GM's have called on McCann is intriguing, it shows that he's coveted. He may very well end up being a steal for us.

It has been, many times, and not just by Benning himself but via simple rational analysis. But people will believe what they want to believe (now they call Benning a liar), so it will likely continue. And now they figure they can throw McCann into every trade proposal, too... not that it hasn't already been happening. I think the first one I saw was 3 days after he was drafted.

[-Vintage Canuck-]

Thanks for posting a summary!

[BanTSN]

I wouldn't say Gaunce would be our 3c or 4c, just seems for me McCann is going to be better than Gaunce and Cassels. Gaunce just seems a bit lethargic..

Oh yeah. Real conclusive.

Anyway, Gaunce is bigger, so I wouldn't say that he's less build for 3c or 4c duty than McCann, when the time comes.

[Guest Dasein]

Yes, no step backwards. No dominant play off this year though?

But by getting Bonino and Vey, there is certainly competition if he wants a roster spot. Physically he may be more ready than Vey?

No question Benning was adding depth to the roster though. It does not have to be a sign Bo is more challenged. I take it at face value. If Bo is ready in training camp? I believe he will make the roster.

No doubt.

If Bo shows he's ready and is one of our nine best forwards (aka the Top 9), he makes the roster - not just for a 9 game "tryout" - for the whole 82 games. There's no "tryouts" in regular season. They'll say that to the kid and the media, but if he's in our top 9 opening day roster, then he will stay.

[TheXFactor]

My apologies.

Just read a piece on Kesler and his agent and how they bullied their way out of Vancouver.

Good read and this is the first half:

PHILADELPHIA – Shortly after the Canucks announced the Ryan Kesler trade, I received a text from an NHL employee.

“Three quarters for a dollar,” it said.

That’s a fair assessment of a trade that saw the Canucks receive Nick Bonino, Luca Sbisa, and the Anaheim Ducks’ other first-round pick for former Selke winner Ryan Kesler. Even admitting that Kesler’s not the guy who destroyed everyone and everything in the 2011 playoffs — first the Nashville Predators, then the San Jose Sharks, then, finally, himself — he’s still worth more than the sum of those spare parts. No offence to Nick Bonino, who is likely to replace Kesler as the Canucks’ second line pivot, but he’s no Ryan Kesler replacement. (Say what you will about Bonino’s points, but he was playing for a team committed to scoring goals, not a team allergic to it. And he’s not the same shutdown corner.)

But the Canucks don’t care. This wasn’t about who they got. It was about who they got rid of. This wasn’t a hockey trade. It was a Tylenol trade.

Benning wanted to keep Kesler. For all of an hour. Looking over the roster he had inherited, and considering his pursuit of a “meat and potatoes” team, i.e. the Louis Armstrong diet, Kesler seemed to fit it. And then, shortly after he plugged it in, the phone rang. As Jason Botchford noted in the best get of the weekend, Kesler’s agent, Kurt Overhardt, called Benning on Day 1, before the new GM had even had a chance to adjust the height, posture correction, and armrests on his desk chair, and things got shouty almost instantly.

They stayed shouty for weeks. “There was a lot of threats both ways,” Benning told Botchford. “Kurt would phone and yell and scream at me. I’d yell and scream at him. We’d put it to bed.”

Kesler wanted out, and he wasn’t budging. But he wouldn’t go just anywhere, and with his no-trade, he didn’t have to. He would only go to the best teams, teams that are contenders without Kesler, and could conceivably become super-teams with him. Screw rivalries. Those are the concern of Vancouver’s residents and players, and Kesler had no interest in being either any longer.

So he also had no concern for the Canucks making a trade that helped them too, a fact that was clear as day when Kesler whittled his list of destinations from six teams to three, and after Pittsburgh started looking a little shaky, two. Six teams might have given the Canucks room to create leverage. But then they might turn things around, or get enough back to prevent Kesler’s new super-team from winning the Cup. So two it is.

Kesler and Overhardt’s gameplan: be loud. Be aggressive. Make it clear that the longer Kesler’s around, he’ll be a headache and a distraction and Luongo part two but less fun and move him now or this phone’s never gonna stop ringing. Make the Canucks make the trade just to hear themselves think.

And then, just for giggles, Kesler burned the Canucks on the way out. Asked to explain his reasons for wanting to go, he mumbled, in his inimitable way, “The fact they’re in a rebuild and are looking to get younger and are years away from being a contender, I think it was just time for me to move on and win, and hopefully take home a championship.”

At the risk of sounding like an embittered fan, Kesler was never about the Canucks. He was about Ryan Kesler. That’s fine, mind you, so long as he’s on your team. Selfish and miserable athletes come through pro sports franchises all the time. An all-encompassing desire to win is a nice quality when you make the playoffs. It’s a lot less nice, however, when the guy’s not wearing your colours.

The guy was always a beanbag. But he was our beanbag. Now he’s not, so goodbye and good riddance, beanbag.

Trevor Linden admitted that the Canucks briefly considered refusing Kesler’s outrageous demands, telling him they’d see him at training camp, sweating him out. But in the end, Jim Benning, who drives the bus, would rather have three quarters than the loudest, most obnoxious dollar around, so he dropped Kesler off at the curb.

Can you imagine Kesler sulking around the locker room next season? Kesler was already not particularly well-liked in the room.

The guy is prickly, and by my contacts within the Canucks organization, that attitude went well beyond his dealings with media and stretched to team employees, few of whom will be sad to see this transaction finally get made.

Inside the room, Kesler’s wish to be dealt at the March 5 trade deadline was seen by one Canuck veteran I spoke with as a guy jumping ship when times were tough. He was happy to be a Canuck when they were winning the Northwest and making Cup runs, but the minute times got tough he was ready to move on.

Guys like that are easy to let go.

http://vansunsportsblogs.com/2014/06/30/kesler-trade-shows-benning-isnt-afraid-to-win-a-deal-by-losing-it/

Unfortunately for Kesler, ANA is not that close to winning a cup. While their offense is top notch (before Kesler went there), their defense and goaltending simply aren't good enough. All around skill teams like CHI, shutdown teams like BOS, or LA who has Quick aren't going to lose to ANA in a 7 game series.

[Lintanen]

Anyone else have a feeling McCann is going to be one of the best players out of this draft?

I hear ya. The fact that other GMs have called about him, seems very positive.