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Jim Benning on TSN1040 Midday Show Feb 12/2015


Robongo

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Toronto and Edmonton have won cups.

But look at both franchises recently. Would you honestly say these are two well run franchises????

Certainly Toronto hasn't won in anything resembling current era. However, aren't they the highest value franchise in the league? From the business side I would say they are very well run.

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FWIW, one draft was enough for Edmonton to still be a better franchise than the Canucks. So I really don't see what we have to brag about. Despite being great to good for most of the past 15 years, this team is still in the bottom half.

Edmonton is still in the top half of NHL franchises.

Caps/Rangers/Stars/Laffs and Sens are right around the average which is now .510. Edmonton is .519. Canucks? A dismal .489.

Canucks are -79 all time. Their best since 1975. They've been even from 1975 onwards, but never have made up their first 3 seasons of losses.

At one point in 1992, the Canucks were -279.

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http://www.tsn.ca/radio/vancouver-1040-i-1410/benning-on-tsn1040-midday-show-1.206370

The gist:

- May be a slow deadline around the league. A lot of General Managers are nervous about taking on contracts with term beyond this season because of the uncertainty with the salary cap.

- Kicked tires on Evander Kane but doesn't sound like they were very close. Got a text from Chevy the morning of saying Canucks were out as they made a bigger deal.

- Brandon McMillan was added because they are looking to add players in the 22-26 age group. Says Brandon is relentless night to night and does all the little things well, a do everything kind of player. We ran into injuries and wanted to make sure they are covered with character players that show up every night and give them a chance to win. Wanted depth for the stretch drive.

- Still doesn't know when Richardson will be back. Thought it would be day-to-day but they're still waiting for his foot to keep improving.

- Doesn't know when Bonino will be back. Taking it day by day. Could be a week, could be a couple.

- Will sit down as a group and determine which UFA's to bring back. Still hasn't done that yet so no negotiations have begun with any of the soon to be UFA's. Wants to see where the salary cap will be next year.

- Have been negotiating with Chris Tanev. Tanev is part of our core and wants to get him done. The negotiations are going well and hopes to have something done sooner rather than later.

- Says most teams happy with their goalies in season and expects there to be more of a market for goalies during the draft. Will continue to monitor it during the season but a goalie trade will probably happen around the draft.

- Management have a good idea of the plan for the present and moving forward. They'll continue to be active talking to other GMs to see what's available and the price to get players but with an eye on the future.

- Finds it perplexing that the team seems to get up for the tough teams and play real good but other games when he thinks we are going to do well, we seem to have a tough time. They are still trying to figure that out but like our team overall.

I find it a little upsetting that he didn't mention that "..It's a process.."
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1.) The comment about uncertainty with the cap for next season suggests to me that guys like Matthias, Dorsett, Richardson (assuming he's healthy) and Sanguinetti will be moved unless they can be signed to a low caphit deal by the deadline. The team may as well get something for them while they can. An extra few picks wouldn't hurt with the cupboard re-stocking.

The only way this doesn't happen is if the team suddenly springs to life and starts looking like world-beaters who could go somewhere in the playoffs, or, if no other teams show an interest. :)

The RFA signings will be interesting. Tanev, Vey, Kenins, McMillian, Sbisa, Weber, Stanton, Corrado, Clendening and Markstrom (not to mention the guys in Utica) will either have to be signed or traded. I'm assuming Tanev is the highest priority (well d'uh!) and will get a significant increase. Sbisa is probably second on Benning's list. Due to cap constraints, the other guys will be signed to something closer to the minimum allowed by the CBA, or they will be moved individually or as part of a package.

2.) McMillan is a good depth move for now, and could be a decent addition assuming that a guy like Dorsett is moved or just not re-signed. True, it depends on how the guy plays, and how much he is willing to take in a new contract. If he is here over Dorsett then the team likely saves around $500,000+ in salary (Dorsett is $1.6 million, McMillian is an upcoming RFA with a current caphit of around $625,000).

3.) He finds it perplexing that the team seems to get up for the tough teams and play poorly against easier opponents?

What, is he new around here? This has been a Canucks' conundrum since forever.

regards,

G.

It would totally suck to lose Dorsett..we gave up a 3rd rounder to get him..I'm hoping that JB re signs Dorsett and Matthias.

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1.) The comment about uncertainty with the cap for next season suggests to me that guys like Matthias, Dorsett, Richardson (assuming he's healthy) and Sanguinetti will be moved unless they can be signed to a low caphit deal by the deadline. The team may as well get something for them while they can. An extra few picks wouldn't hurt with the cupboard re-stocking.

The only way this doesn't happen is if the team suddenly springs to life and starts looking like world-beaters who could go somewhere in the playoffs, or, if no other teams show an interest. :)

The RFA signings will be interesting. Tanev, Vey, Kenins, McMillian, Sbisa, Weber, Stanton, Corrado, Clendening and Markstrom (not to mention the guys in Utica) will either have to be signed or traded. I'm assuming Tanev is the highest priority (well d'uh!) and will get a significant increase. Sbisa is probably second on Benning's list. Due to cap constraints, the other guys will be signed to something closer to the minimum allowed by the CBA, or they will be moved individually or as part of a package.

2.) McMillan is a good depth move for now, and could be a decent addition assuming that a guy like Dorsett is moved or just not re-signed. True, it depends on how the guy plays, and how much he is willing to take in a new contract. If he is here over Dorsett then the team likely saves around $500,000+ in salary (Dorsett is $1.6 million, McMillian is an upcoming RFA with a current caphit of around $625,000).

3.) He finds it perplexing that the team seems to get up for the tough teams and play poorly against easier opponents?

What, is he new around here? This has been a Canucks' conundrum since forever.

regards,

G.

You're crazy if you think Benning is even considering trading Dorsett right now! He's been one of the best and most consistent players on the team this year. If he trades him, then the team goes down the drain. There are other players that are more likely to be traded at the deadline (or dealt with at the draft or over the summer); Higgins, Burrows, Bonino, Bieksa, etc.

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It would totally suck to lose Dorsett..we gave up a 3rd rounder to get him..I'm hoping that JB re signs Dorsett and Matthias.

I also want to re-sign these guys (and Richardson). This being said, if the trade deadline arrives, and these guys are still not ready to make a commitment to the Canucks (or they want too much in a new deal), then they should be traded. They can always be re-signed in July after they have a chance to see what the market is willing to pay them. If they choose not to re-sign here then the team is up a pick. Another factor here is just how well the team is doing, right?

The cap situation is a cause for concern by most GM's (or so I've heard). Trading for a UFA makes a lot of sense in that you don't necessarily have to have them around next season. This means that guys like Burrows, Higgins, Bieksa and Hansen (all of the usual suspects) are not as desireable to buying teams because they still have a year or two still left on their current deals.

Another factor here is that a lot of people want some of the Canucks prospects to be on the team next year. In order for them to be here there has to be a spot for them. UFA's are the easiest guys to look at to supply these spots.

You're crazy if you think Benning is even considering trading Dorsett right now! He's been one of the best and most consistent players on the team this year. If he trades him, then the team goes down the drain. There are other players that are more likely to be traded at the deadline (or dealt with at the draft or over the summer); Higgins, Burrows, Bonino, Bieksa, etc.

And you're crazy if you think I said that Benning was thinking of trading Dorsett right now... however, in another few weeks he may well change his mind. :)

I also mentioned that where the team was, and how their playoff prospects looked at the deadline, would determine how interested Benning was in re-signing players like Dorsett *right then*. If the team looks like they aren't getting into the playoffs, or if they weren't going to go very far if they did, then trading Dorsett doesn't really change things.

On the other hand, if Dorsett is unwilling to sign (or shows that he is perhaps interested in trying the free agent market), or he wants a substantial raise which screws with how Benning sees Dorsett fitting into the cap structure for next year (he currently has a $1.6 million caphit), then what are Benning's options?

Option one: try to sweet talk Dorsett into taking a lesser deal and maybe he re-signs before next next season, let alone before he reaches UFA status. Option two: Benning wishes Dorsett well in the playoffs and moves him out for the best deal possible. Hopefully Dorsett will see that being here is a good thing and he signs here in July.

Tanev is getting a substantial increase next year. What makes it easier to pay for that: signing Dorsett at something around $2 million and 2+ years, or pencilling in a guy like Kenins at around $1 million with his new contract?

As to trading the "usual suspects" to get this needed cap-space, it's easier said than done.

If you are going to talk about trading Bieksa and Burrows then you should also give a logical reason why they will waive to go to another team. They have expressed no interest in leaving town (to my knowledge). Being closer to their hometown is all well and good, but they could have done that before they signed their current deals. They could have asked to be traded last year when things were going really crappy. I do not see these guys being traded, unless something comes up to change their minds.

The caphit of Bieksa and Burrows is also a factor against them being traded, unless the Canucks are also willing to keep some of their cap, or they are willing to take back a bad contract, something which would likely impact on younger players having a spot next year and re-signing RFA's. There's no free lunch here.

I don't see Bonino being in any danger of being traded until 2016 - 17 when he is a pending UFA. Right now he has a very manageable caphit of $1.9 million.

Higgins, and I'm assuming you'd include Hansen, could be traded as their caphit isn't bad ($2.5 million) for the type of players they are and what their roles would be on any team. The downside is the length of term left on their deals. Higgins has two more years to go, and Hansen has three years to go. This is something which could give other GM's pause to think due to this uncertainty over next year's cap. I see there being less interest in them at the deadline than perhaps at the draft or in July.

regards,

G.

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