Jim Benning Year in Review Part 1/3 "The offseason"

[Gstank29]

May 21 2014

Was the day that the newly appointed president of the Vancouver Canucks Trevor Linden, announced the hiring of the GM of the future, Jim Benning. Benning came from a hockey rich culture in Boston, where he was the assistant GM and was thought of as one of the greatest hockey minds in the NHL. It didn’t take long to see why, With in the first couple of weeks if being hired as the GM of the Canucks, Benning’s office walls were filled with the depth charts of every NHL team. This is the kind of dedication that was previously never shown by former GM Mike Gillies, who always seemed to be lacking in sleeps and called everything “a process”.

Benning’s first task would be to find a head coach, as the Canucks had fired John Tortorella after a disappointing 36-35-11 (24th in the NHL) Season which saw the Canucks completely self implode in 2014, after being one of the NHL’s best teams in the first 3 months of the season. With lots of Coaches who had been fired earlier in the offseason already finding jobs, Benning turned to a coach who had an amazing pedigree in Willie Desjardin. Desjardin had just won the Calder Cup with Dallas’s farm team the Texas Stars and was looking to make the jump to the NHL after spending a couple of years as a Head Coach in the AHL. I was reported the Pittsburgh was the first time to offer Desjardin a job, but they said that he have to keep some of their current coaches. So when Benning offered Desjardin the job with no limitation, Desjardin accepted the job.

The second task that Benning had was to trade Kesler. During the Olympic's there had been rumours that Kesler wanted to be traded to a “contender”.These reports only escalated as we got closer and closer to the trade deadline. As the trade deadline came and went Kesler remained a Canuck, despite reports that Anaheim offered a top 10 draft pick, a prospect, and possibly another prospect/pick

June 27-28 (NHL Entry Draft)

Fast forward to Draft day, Benning showed that he would not put up with disgruntled players for long as he traded Ryan Kesler and a 2015 3rd round pick to the Anaheim for Centre Nick Bonino, Anahiem’s 2014 3rd round pick, Defenceman Lucas Sbisa and Anahiem’s 2014 1st (which was 24th overall). For most GM’s this would be considered a successful day at the office but Benning wasn’t done. Next he flipped that 2015 3rd (the one he aquired from Anahiem) to the New York Rangers for Derek Dorset, a player who could bring grit, some offence, and had previously played under rookie head coach Willie Desjardins. Still working the phones, Benning traded defencman Jason Garrison and a 2015 7th, and the rights to Jeff Costello to Tampa Bay for Tampa Bay’s 2014 2nd (50th overall). Still not done Benning traded the pick he had just acquired from Tampa Bay to Los Angelos for Linden Vey. At the time this trade made sense as Vey could fill the 3rd/4th line centre spot, that was vacant and suppose to be filled by rookie Bo Horvat. Vey was a pending RFA which means he had to stay in the NHL next year, or could be claimed off waivers by any other team.

The draft starts and there are rumours that Benning was trying to acquire the 1st overall pick, but as the start of the draft approaches Florida decides to kept the pick and drafts Aaron Ekblad.

5 picks later it was the Canucks turn to pick, With the “big 5” taken the Canucks go with the hometown boy Jake Virtanen. Virtanen being drafted signalled that Benning wanted a more “Meat and Potatoes” type of team. Virtanen was one of the must proficient scores in the draft, with 45 goals in 71 games and was also known for being able to play a physically dominant game that would make any team cringe.

With the pick that Benning acquired from Anaheim in the Kesler trade, the Canucks drafted Jared McCann a two way centre who was noted as having a great 2 way game but only scored 1 Point-per-game, which caused concern about whether he had the offensive game to be a top 6 centre, and caused him to “fall” into the Canucks lap.

In the second round Benning went with the best player available, which just happened to be a goalie named Thatcher Demko. Demko was rated the number 1 goalie in the draft but was the second goalie taken as Calgary wanted a goalie who they could develop more quickly in Mason Mcdonald.

With his third round pick Benning drafted a 6’7 overage defence man named Nikita Trymakin from the KHL. Trymakin was an overeager but had a strong performance at the World juniors which saw his draft stock rise significantly. Trymakin is a smooth skating defensive defenceman

In the 5th rounder Benning took a potential power play quarterback in Gustav Forsling, who had a strong U18 performance with 4 goals and 1 assist.

With his last two picks Benning took Kyle Petit in the 6th round and Mackenzie Stewart in the seventh round. Petit projects has a 6’4 4th line centre who has a strong defensive game, and Stewart is a big physical, stay at home defenceman who has a mean streak.

July 1st (Free agency)

Free agency the only time of year were top 6 forwards, top 4 defence man, and number 1 goalies can be brought with money. After the NHL draft know one knew what Benning would do in Free agency. The Canucks had two goalies in Markstrom and Lack, but no one knew if they could handle a full 82 game season. With a glaring hole at the most important position in hockey, Benning went and solidified their goaltending by signing former All-star and 2010 US Olympic team goalie Ryan Miller to a 3 years 18 million dollar deal.

Another need for the Canucks was to find someone who could score goals, as finishing as the 2nd worst offensive team in the league isn’t going to get you a playoff spot no matter how good you are defensively. In comes Radim Vrbata, a relatively unknown player who had quietly become a player who other teams had to watch, otherwise the puck would be in the back of the net. At 2 years 10 million dollars, the Canucks got the top 6 wing they had desperately needed in previous years.

Feel free to add anything I forgot. I think it's all there

[NucksCelts]

Crap.... It's 2016 already.... I napped too long

[UFCanuck]

May 21 2015

Was the day that the newly appointed president of the Vancouver Canucks Trevor Linden, announced the hiring for the GM of the future Jim Benning. Benning came from a hockey rich culture in Boston, where he was the assistant GM and was thought of as one of the greatest hockey minds in the NHL. It didnt take long to see why, With in the first couple of weeks if being hired as the GM of the Canucks, Bennings office walls were filled with the depth charts of every NHL team. This is the kind of dedication that was previously never shown by former GM Mike Gillies, who always seemed to be lacking in sleeps and called everything A process.

Bennings first task would be to find a head coach, as the Canucks had fired John Tortorella after a disappointing 36-35-11 (24th in the NHL) Season which saw the Canucks completely self implode in 2014, after being one of the NHLs best teams in the first 3 months of the season. With lots of Coaches who had been fired earlier in the offseason already finding jobs, Benning turned to a coach who had an amazing pedigree in Willie Desjardin. Desjardin had just won the Calder Cup with Dallass farm team the Texas Stars and was looking to make the jump to the NHL after spending a couple of years as a Head Coach in the AHL. I was reported the Pittsburgh was the first time to offer Desjardin a job, but they said that he have to keep some of their current coaches. So when Benning offered Desjardin the job with no limitation, Desjardin accepted the job.

The second task that Benning had was to trade Kesler. During the Olympic's there had been rumours that Kesler wanted to be traded to a contender.These reports only escalated as we got closer and closer to the trade deadline. As the trade deadline came and went Kesler remained a Canuck, despite reports that Anaheim offered a top 10 draft pick, a prospect, and possibly another prospect/pick

June 27-28 (NHL Entry Draft)

Fast forward to Draft day, Benning showed that he would not put up with disgruntled players for long as he traded Ryan Kesler and a 2015 3rd round pick to the Anaheim for Centre Nick Bonino, Anahiems 2014 3rd round pick, Defenceman Lucas Sbisa and Anahiems 2014 1st (which was 24th overall). For most GMs this would be considered a successful day at the office but Benning wasnt done. Next he flipped that 2015 3rd (the one he aquired from Anahiem) to the New York Rangers for Derek Dorset, a player who could bring grit, some offence, and had previously played under rookie head coach Willie Desjardins. Still working the phones, Benning traded defencman Jason Garrison and a 2015 7th, and the rights to Jeff Costello to Tampa Bay for Tampa Bays 2014 2nd (50th overall). Still not done Benning traded the pick he had just acquired from Tampa Bay to Los Angelos for Linden Vey. At the time this trade made sense as Vey could fill the 3rd/4th line centre spot, that was vacant and suppose to be filled by rookie Bo Horvat. Vey was a pending RFA which means he had to stay in the NHL next year, or could be claimed off waivers by any other team.

The draft starts and there are rumours that Benning was trying to acquire the 1st overall pick, but as the start of the draft approaches Florida decides to kept the pick and drafts Aaron Ekblad.

5 picks later it was the Canucks turn to pick, With the big 5 taken the Canucks go with the hometown boy Jake Virtanen. Virtanen being drafted signalled that Benning wanted a more Meat and Potatoes type of team. Virtanen was one of the must proficient scores in the draft, with 45 goals in 71 games and was also known for being able to play a physically dominant game that would make any team cringe.

With the pick that Benning acquired from Anaheim in the Kesler trade, the Canucks drafted Jared McCann a two way centre who was noted as having a great 2 way game but only scored 1 Point-per-game, which caused concern about whether he had the offensive game to be a top 6 centre, and caused him to fall into the Canucks lap.

In the second round Benning went with the best player available, which just happened to be a goalie named Thatcher Demko. Demko was rated the number 1 goalie in the draft but was the second goalie taken as Calgary wanted a goalie who they could develop more quickly in Mason Mcdonald.

With his third round pick Benning drafted a 67 overage defence man named Nikita Trymakin from the KHL. Trymakin was an overeager but had a strong performance at the World juniors which saw his draft stock rise significantly. Trymakin is a smooth skating defensive defenceman

In the 5th rounder Benning took a potential power play quarterback in Gustav Forsling, who had a strong U18 performance with 4 goals and 1 assist.

With his last two picks Benning took Kyle Petit in the 6th round and Mackenzie Stewart in the seventh round. Petit projects has a 64 4th line centre who has a strong defensive game, and Stewart is a big physical, stay at home defenceman who has a mean streak.

July 1st (Free agency)

Free agency the only time of year were top 6 forwards, top 4 defence man, and number 1 goalies can be brought with money. After the NHL draft know one knew what Benning would do in Free agency. The Canucks had two goalies in Markstrom and Lack, but no one knew if they could handle a full 82 game season. With a glaring hole at the most important position in hockey, Benning went and solidified their goaltending by signing former All-star and 2010 US Olympic team goalie Ryan Miller to a 3 years 18 million dollar deal.

Another need for the Canucks was to find someone who could score goals, as finishing as the 2nd worst offensive team in the league isnt going to get you a playoff spot no matter how good you are defensively. In comes Radim Vrbata, a relatively unknown player who had quietly become a player who other teams had to watch, otherwise the puck would be in the back of the net. At 2 years 10 million dollars, the Canucks got the top 6 wing they had desperately needed in previous years.

Benning was appointed GM in 1 Month.

[smithers joe]

we should have a cdc year in review...

[Gstank29]

Benning was appointed GM in 1 Month.

Crap.... It's 2016 already.... I napped too long

Caught that. Still a work in progress

[erkayloomeh]

I like everything gmjb has done except signing miller and dorsett to there current contracts. For Miller It's too long and too much dough tied up. I had confidence in lack and turns out he has been really good. That six Million would look good this summer. If Benning manages to get an asset for miller then fine. Love Dorsett. That's just too much money and don't like the length either.

[mpt]

Looks like this team is like San Jose, no heart, time to restructure again, half the team has been useless this playoffs

[Gstank29]

I guess it's all good?

[24K PureCool]

Benning will be judged this off season, which is happening in t-minus 2 days. He gave this core their last chance and they failed to the flames no less. Everyone on this team not named Sedin, Horvat, Baertschi, Edler, Tanev, and Lack (you just have to love that personality), should all be used as trade pieces. Let the youth in, see how much wonder that did to the Flames.

If he can recreate this years Flames (I want to puke saying that) he will be a very good GM, if he turn us into the next Edmonton then...

(On hindsight, the team did pretty well considering how we have a rookie lineup in management all the way through).

[shazzam]

Is there a list of all of his moves?

Bad moves so far from memory:

Sbisa extension

Vey for 2nd

Should have kept Garrison and traded Bieksa

[Gstank29]

Is there a list of all of his moves?

Bad moves so far from memory:

Sbisa extension

Vey for 2nd

Should have kept Garrison and traded Bieksa

For what i can remember

Clendening for Forsling

Pedan for a 2016 3rd

Baertschi for a 2015 2nd

Kellan Lain for Will acton

Cory Conacher for Dustin Jeffery

Miller contract

Tanev contract

Vrbata contract

Sbisa contract

Dorsett contract

Vey Trade

Kesler trade

Dorsett trade

Garrison trade

[nickels555]

I'd give Benning a C+ for his first year in charge

The good

-restored some semblance of a positive atmosphere after the Torts debacle

-made the team younger

-created the most depth we've probably ever had in the organization

-Along w/TL and WD has restored the positive image of team

-Think has done a better job than previous regimes with the draft.

The okay

-everyone raves over the Vrbata signing, but seem to forget he was a consolation prize after Benning went all in for Jerome Iginla and lost to Colo. (would have been a mistake)

-Tanev and Sbisa are future top 4 guys and were paid accordingly....certainly no "hometown discount"

-Baertschki could be an exciting regular season aquisition, but hate having just the one early pick.

The bad

-Paid way too much for Miller...we were bidding against no one, as Miller wanted to stay on the west coast. Should've been signed for 4 mil at the most. (and 2 yrs w/all our prospects behind him)

-IMO Linden Vey is not going to be the player they thought he would....too many "short"comings

-Time will tell, but looks like an over payment for Dorsett (certainly no discount). If the team is to rise to the next level,Dorsett is no better than a 2.65 4th liner.

The Canucks are probably as far away from being a Cup contender as any team in the League. Horvats going to be a real good player, but the organizational talent pool just isn't there. While there are finally some nice young prospects, try measuring them against some of the other teams in the West....not a pretty picture.

Look at the Hawks tonite rolling out a 3rd line tonite of Vermette Sharp and Shaw. We had Higgins and Hansen on the ice with our goalie pulled, and the season basically on the line. Sam Bennett Sean Monahan Connor McDavid Taylor Hall in division vrs ??....common sense will tell you that it will be hard for the Sedins to equal, let alone surpass this years production. Even if they do...we will never advance thru the playoffs again with them as our leaders.

.

[FireGillis]

Anyone still want to justify the sbisa deal? He's awful! Why the hell did he extend him before seeing him in the playoffs? I mean he was already bad enough in the regular season and looking just as bad in the playoffs! How, could Benning not see this and give him a 3 year deal? Yeah sbisa's real heavy play is coming in handy while he gets burned for goal after goal! Just such an unjustifiable signing!!!

[funkyfresh]

Good

Vrbata signing

Baertschi for 2nd round pick

Dorsett for 3rd round pick

Tanev contract extension

Okay

Kesler trade

Garrison trade

Pedan for 3rd round pick

Vey for 2nd round pick

Jake Virtanen at 6th

Bad

Dorsett contract extension

Miller contract

Clendening for Forsling

Keeping Matthias after trade deadline

Batsh*t "Do You Even Know What You Are Doing" Insane

Sbisa contract extension

[alfstonker]

I must admit I was not enamoured with Clendening, He looked slow to me but I put that down to the jump up. As for the trade itself I liked what I saw and read about Forsling but that wasn't much.

So summing up it is far too early imo to say it was a bad deal.

Miller. We may have paid over the odds but not by much and the truth is we would not be in the playoffs but for him. If we want a winning team to bring rookies into then we need a good experienced keeper. So I don't see that as a bad deal, far from it.

Dorsett deserves what he got. He is much more than a 4th liner and he seems to be a good influence on the younger players. If we were talking of over paying I would look elsewhere.

I would put all the Okay list into good.

Matthias has been good in this team although he has shaded in the playoffs and I must admit to being a bit disappointed. So retaining him could only be considered bad by some people in hindsight as far as I'm concerned.

[Carl's Jn]

just speaks volumes to me that the gm isn't here for his team in the playoffs for his first year.. first tells me that he knows his team won't go far... second tells me that there will be moves in the summer... third thats why he is avoiding the media circus during the playoffs.

[Team Bagues]

just speaks volumes to me that the gm isn't here for his team in the playoffs for his first year.. first tells me that he knows his team won't go far... second tells me that there will be moves in the summer... third thats why he is avoiding the media circus during the playoffs.

He is probably scouting other playoff teams in the show and juniors for recruitment the next phase of the purge.

He is also probably as surprised as anyone as to how much the Canucks have rolled over for a belly scratch.

[Fred65]

JB ..... is scouting the IIHF U-18 world championships. As I understand his scouting ability was the prime reason he got the job in Vcr.

But here's the canundrum for Benning ...it's WD ...Willy is looking after Willy. Much like Alain Vigeault he prefers seasoned vets. So the purpose of scouting is to bring in some youth ...but the bump in the highway is WD. WD would not play a Sam Bennett, Sean Monahan, John Gaudreau, Markus Granlund, Michael Ferland .....need I go on. Calgary has and have benefitted from it.

[Rush17]

A little early to do a year in review lol Appreicate the thougtful post hough. I think Benning has done an admirable job. I wouldn't consider a year in review though til after the draft. Reason being theres likely going to be some major changes to our roster around that time. But your right it is almost year since his hiring. Look forward to seeing what happens. Hopefully Miller and the Sedins can steal the show.

[Gstank29]

A little early to do a year in review lol Appreicate the thougtful post hough. I think Benning has done an admirable job. I wouldn't consider a year in review though til after the draft. Reason being theres likely going to be some major changes to our roster around that time. But your right it is almost year since his hiring. Look forward to seeing what happens. Hopefully Miller and the Sedins can steal the show.

This is only part 1/3 I plan to do. Next one will be around the beginning of May talking about the whole season.