Jim Benning: Trade Deadline Press Conference & TSN1040 interview

[THERETOOL]

I think that's more to keep Kassian motivated for the rest of the season.

If he keeps playing hard the rest of the season and playoffs then he should have good habits next year and should keep improving.

nah , I just dont think he was willing to lie . He seems like a very straight shooter to me . no b.s , no hollywood crap .

ya get what ya see , and what i see is a guy who lives breathes and eats hockey . we are lucky to have him i think

if he knows something we dont about Zack , and he thinks we may get a great return for him , then I think we gotta trust him

[luckylager]

Something else: It really doesn't matter how an individual expresses their thoughts, so long as you understand their message. It's the product that matters and the fact that a few nerds on cdc have the audacity to question a real "hockey mind"'s use of vocabulary in an interview is ridiculous.

CDC pubic speaking Nazi - " He can't possibly know about hockey, he says: ya, umm, really good, well and stuff"

Nerds ;(

[GreyHatnDart]

I wouldn't care if Benning used sock puppets to communicate.

Actually I would prefer it

Seriously dude...

[sinphase]

Do you think McCann could make the jump straight to 1st line?

(I know Virt is an RW, but...) Would a Virtanen-McCann-Kassian line make sense?

Not likely. He still doesn't have the size to be a 1C. We still have Henrik. Plus going by how WD transitioned Horvat to 3C, it's more likely that McCann will start off as 4C if he makes the team.

Really hope WD doesn't move McCann to wing cause this guy is such a skilled C, equally good at making plays and finishing.

[dura_mater]

So if zero teams called about Higgins and MG didn't offer Higgins or ask him to waive his NTC then it suggests the reporter(s) who asked trawls CDC for ideas. This doesn't surprise me as the whole job of media is people buying the paper or reading their article so they can generate revenue. What better way to accomplish that then write about controversies fans stir up on CDC. It's worrisome though because it potentially devalues players.

[TheRussianRocket.]

[blackpluto96]

nah , I just dont think he was willing to lie . He seems like a very straight shooter to me . no b.s , no hollywood crap .

ya get what ya see , and what i see is a guy who lives breathes and eats hockey . we are lucky to have him i think

if he knows something we dont about Zack , and he thinks we may get a great return for him , then I think we gotta trust him

This. It was not a huge secret Kass was being shopped when he was struggling and benched but it'd be crazy to trade him now given how much he's improved in the past ten games.

[blackpluto96]

who is that grumpy old guy sitting in the chair asking questions like JB owes him money? He annoyed me to no end.

[Mattrek]

> Goal is to make the playoffs each and every year. Plan is to inject youth each season with veterans and teach them the right way to play bringing them up in a winning environment and ensure they develop properly.

This is the part I'm most excited to hear. Did you ever think that as a Canuck fan you go into a season expecting to be in the playoffs year in and year out regardless of who's on the team? I sure didn't. Go Benning!

[aGENT]

I like holding onto Higgins as insurance in case Matthias walks, but if we re-sign Matthias, I don't see how we can make room for our prospects when Higgins is clogging up that LW roster spot (now that we've added Baertschi and Kenins is clearly NHL-ready). Not only that, things get even more clogged if we end up re-signing Dorsett, which I hope we do (AND we spent a 3rd rounder to get this guy)

Yeah I "get" why he'd want to retain Higgins for insurance for both this years playoffs and in case Matthias walks but the math's not adding up for next season especially assuming we re-sign Dorsett and Matthias which we SHOULD do.

There's 8 winger spots available next season and assuming Vey's our spare forward we have:

Daniel, Burrows, Baertschi, Higgins and Kenins on LW and Vrbata, Kassian, Hansen and Dorsett. That's nine wingers and that's without guys like Jensen, Virtanen, Shinkaruk etc pushing for spots. Do we really want Vey AND someone else sitting unless there's injuries all the time? Doesn't seem like good asset management. Especially considering we should have actual ready prospects we can call up to fill in next season.

SOMEBODY has to move. Of all those players, Higgins is the most likely to go IMO no matter how much of an awesome 2-way glue guy he is.

Edit: Come to think of it, doesn't Jensen have to be on the big club or risk waivers next year too? If so that's 10 wingers for 8 spots... To be honest with the Baertschi acquisition, I wouldn't be surprised to see Jensen packaged/flipped.

[Benchsplinters]

At the end of the interview Benning said "Virtanen will be fun to watch next year" Implying that he will make the team? Here comes a 150 page thread on whether Virtanen will make the team

The question may be fun to watch where? Might that be in the AHL?

Trying to interpret every word uttered by Benning just leads to a lot of supposition if anything. What is more clear in that statement is that he is happy with Jake as a prospect. I am as well.

You are right though, now comes the polls and flood of threads on, "Vertanen is going to make the team because Benning said so!"

I suppose the 40 year drought without a SC championship tends to manifest those hopes and dreams. Any little hope or glimmer is inevitably held onto as a possible chance the cup is coming this way. Can't blame loyal fans for thinking and hoping that. Go Canucks.

[wallstreetamigo]

It almost feels like Benning is building up the asset pool to give him options to go out and get a true impact player even if that means a bit of a overpayment. I like that approach. Gillis worried too much about bending teams over in trades and it cost him dearly imo. Benning is not afraid to pay for guys he really wants. The key to that working though is taking full advantage of drafting, trading, and signing to build enough organizational depth so that when you want to pull the trigger on an impact deal it does not create a huge hole elsewhere to do so.

[Benchsplinters]

I want this team to get younger and quicker. I have absolutely enjoyed watching Bo Horvat dangle his talents this year. He probably won't be rookie of the year but he is going to be a dandy to watch grow with this team in the future.

Our prospect pool is exciting, especially when you consider how well the youngsters have played filling in the injury gaps of the team and to think that one or two of those prospects might make the team next year is intriguing to me anyway.

I am glad Benning did not trade any of our real potential away at the deadline. I would much rather see a youthful group, mentored by a few older and experienced players, playing their hearts out to prove their value rather than watch the exasperatingly play of those who are out there just for the money most of the time.

[Apple Juice]

When asked which prospect was flying under the radar, Benning said Andrey Pedan.

A big physical defenseman. When he picked him up from the Islanders he was more of an offensive defenseman. Benning sees him as more of a puck moving, stay at home, physical player. Pedan is buying in to this and is beginning to do very well. He sees Pedan as a possible call up for next year and he may challenge for a regular spot the year after.

Sounds like a replacement for Bieksa.

I was kinda hoping he would talk about Nikita Tryamkin but was a pleasant surprise that he mentioned Pedan. Also mentioned that they're doing the exact same thing to Pedan as they did with Boychuk and McQuaid.

Benning sounds like he really really likes Higgins for whatever reason... that sucks

He also said that he got zero calls for Higgins from other teams, so that tells you where the level of interest on him is (considering that Benning mentioned specifically when asked about Kass that other teams did call to make inquiries about our players, you can deduce that there's zero demand for Higgins)

I like holding onto Higgins as insurance in case Matthias walks, but if we re-sign Matthias, I don't see how we can make room for our prospects when Higgins is clogging up that LW roster spot (now that we've added Baertschi and Kenins is clearly NHL-ready). Not only that, things get even more clogged if we end up re-signing Dorsett, which I hope we do (AND we spent a 3rd rounder to get this guy)

Because Higgy is a guy that works hard every time he steps on the ice, every time he comes to the rink, and every time he comes in for video/strength and conditioning workouts. He's a veteran and he is a great role model for rookies to come into the locker room and see a guy like that working his hardest at everything he does which induces the young guys to do just the same. He sets a great example as to how he's been a constant in the league and shows the young guys the right way to be a professional athlete. That's why he likes Higgy so much. I'm sure he talks to Willie every week as to who's performing well in the locker room and what type of character the players are on and off the ice so he can make moves to build the team with the type of players he wants

[wallstreetamigo]

Just a few examples. A package of say Higgins, Vey, and Jensen or Bieksa, Vey, and Jensen plus maybe a later pick to get a young top pairing defender or top line quality centre is not unrealistic and would not cripple any area of our roster.

[Phil_314]

It almost feels like Benning is building up the asset pool to give him options to go out and get a true impact player even if that means a bit of a overpayment. I like that approach. Gillis worried too much about bending teams over in trades and it cost him dearly imo. Benning is not afraid to pay for guys he really wants. The key to that working though is taking full advantage of drafting, trading, and signing to build enough organizational depth so that when you want to pull the trigger on an impact deal it does not create a huge hole elsewhere to do so.

That's probably the best way to do it. Having a solid foundation of veterans, along with a deep prospect pool, sets a team up for both immediate and future success, and the transition becomes easier when the team can package some guys to get one impact player (think Mike Richards for Simmonds, Schenn (top prospect), 2nd).

I want this team to get younger and quicker. I have absolutely enjoyed watching Bo Horvat dangle his talents this year. He probably won't be rookie of the year but he is going to be a dandy to watch grow with this team in the future.

Our prospect pool is exciting, especially when you consider how well the youngsters have played filling in the injury gaps of the team and to think that one or two of those prospects might make the team next year is intriguing to me anyway.

I am glad Benning did not trade any of our real potential away at the deadline. I would much rather see a youthful group, mentored by a few older and experienced players, playing their hearts out to prove their value rather than watch the exasperatingly play of those who are out there just for the money most of the time.

Or it could be crazy if many of the youth can force their way onto the team (much like when Tampa and Ottawa's AHL teams each won the Calder Cup, their top guys moved up together to become NHL regulars). With some more blue-line studs and time for the forwards to play and develop together, we could have quite the wave of young talent coming up. Even if it's not as potent it would still be a major step forward. They could be a major force if the young vets and prospects gel well together.

[Guest Dasein]

Edit: Come to think of it, doesn't Jensen have to be on the big club or risk waivers next year too? If so that's 10 wingers for 8 spots... To be honest with the Baertschi acquisition, I wouldn't be surprised to see Jensen packaged/flipped.

A 2015 2nd round pick at the draft?

That being said, Jensen can also play RW (as can Burr) so the depth chart is really like:

LW - D Sedin, Higgins, Matthias, Kenins, Baertschi / [Gaunce & Shinkaruk]*

RW - Vrbata, Kassian, Hansen, Dorsett

W - Burrows, Jensen / [Virtanen]*

[X]* being the prospects next up in the depth chart in the system that have an outside shot

And that's not counting Vey (C/RW)

I think the six I bolded are not going to be moved - Daniel & Vrbata (obvious), Matthias & Dorsett because we are trying to re-sign them, Baertschi because we literally just acquired him, and Burrows (gut feeling - could totally be wrong about this one because it's more emotion rather than reasoning)

There are going to be a lot of tough decisions to be made by management as to who to keep and who to let go. I would rather it be this way than go into the summer trying to figure out how to fill the holes

I remember watching the YouTube clip of BOS management making decisions about their roster during the 2013 SCF - saying how they have to let Ference go, hearing from Horton's agent that he won't come back, and deciding to get rid of Seguin. I imagine that we would be going through a similar process every summer from here on out

[Amish Rake Fighter]

Benning's following a fairly standard GM blueprint of having a 2 month plan, a 2 year plan, a 4 year plan and a 6 year plan.

[Guest Dasein]

Because Higgy is a guy that works hard every time he steps on the ice, every time he comes to the rink, and every time he comes in for video/strength and conditioning workouts. He's a veteran and he is a great role model for rookies to come into the locker room and see a guy like that working his hardest at everything he does which induces the young guys to do just the same. He sets a great example as to how he's been a constant in the league and shows the young guys the right way to be a professional athlete. That's why he likes Higgy so much. I'm sure he talks to Willie every week as to who's performing well in the locker room and what type of character the players are on and off the ice so he can make moves to build the team with the type of players he wants

I get that but at the end of the day, he is not the only "role model" on this team, you know what I mean?

We have a lot of veteran leadership in the room who are showing the young players what it takes. At the end of the day when the young legs start coming up, we have to start parting with veterans one at a time - I feel like Higgins is the expendable LW with the rise of Kenins and the addition of Baertschi if Matthias is re-signed

[aGENT]

A 2015 2nd round pick at the draft?

That being said, Jensen can also play RW (as can Burr) so the depth chart is really like:

LW - D Sedin, Higgins, Matthias, Kenins, Baertschi / [Gaunce & Shinkaruk]*

RW - Vrbata, Kassian, Hansen, Dorsett

W - Burrows, Jensen / [Virtanen]*

[X]* being the prospects next up in the depth chart in the system that have an outside shot

And that's not counting Vey (C/RW)

I think the six I bolded are not going to be moved - Daniel & Vrbata (obvious), Matthias & Dorsett because we are trying to re-sign them, Baertschi because we literally just acquired him, and Burrows (gut feeling - could totally be wrong about this one because it's more emotion rather than reasoning)

There are going to be a lot of tough decisions to be made by management as to who to keep and who to let go. I would rather it be this way than go into the summer trying to figure out how to fill the holes

I remember watching the YouTube clip of BOS management making decisions about their roster during the 2013 SCF - saying how they have to let Ference go, hearing from Horton's agent that he won't come back, and deciding to get rid of Seguin. I imagine that we would be going through a similar process every summer from here on out

Yeah Burrows, Jensen, Dorsett (and I think occasionally Hansen) can/have played either wing. What side doesn't really matter...it's the number of spots that are the issue.

I'd tend to agree with your "not likely to be moved" list. Burrows isn't an emotional issue for me. He is too versatile (can play any line, excellent PK'er etc) and is always a good Sedin option for injuries/slumps. His cap hit (and NTC) also makes him harder to move anyway. The "emotional" reasons to keep him are just the cherry on top of the very logical ones.

The rest are pretty obvious as you mentioned... other than perhaps Dorsett. I'm sure we'd like to re-sign him (especially after giving assetts to acquire him) but if the dollars and available spaces don't make sense...Kenins has proven capable of filling that role. Ideally we'd keep both though!

It's a good problem to have but it is a problem!