JamesB Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 This story in the Province by Wyatt Arndt crystallized some of my concerns about Benning. The link is http://www.theprovince.com/life/longweekend/Draft+pick+predictions+anybody+guess/11157077/story.html Here is the story. (Miltt should like it, and maybe he wrote it.) It wouldn’t truly be Canada Day without some hockey talk. With the NHL season finally over, and the all-too-common horrifying sight of the Chicago Blackhawks winning yet another Stanley Cup, the next important date to mark down on your calendar is the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. And with the June 26-27 draft in Sunrise, Fla., comes a large boatload of sweet optimism (“This guy’s a steal!”) as well as bitter pessimism (“Why did they draft that guy? He’s a bum! I saw a YouTube video where he missed an empty net!”). How will the Canucks fare in the draft? In their case, you never know what you’re going to get. On the one hand, they are making deals for players such as Sven Baertschi; on the other hand, they’re handing out big contracts to Luca Sbisa. It’s hard to tell what direction the team is headed. Are they looking to build a smart, skilled team, one based around the idea of Corsi domination? Or will they follow the old-school mentality of meat and potatoes, and winning series with size and brute strength? Or will it be some weird hybrid of the two, with the missing spots filled in with frog DNA? (If the film Jurassic Park has taught us anything, hopefully it’s not the hybrid.) Therefore, to help figure things out, here are some signs that Canucks general manager Jim Benning plans on keeping things a little bit old school: ■ Benning drafts a slow, tough player, whose career highlight is that one time said player scored two goals in midget hockey. Both ended up being own goals but man, you should have seen the hit he dished out in the third period! ■ Benning glowingly talks about a drafted player’s ability in the scrums and how quickly he can take his helmet off. ■ The GM doesn’t have any advanced stats on hand about a drafted player, but he does know how many fists per second the player threw last year. He lovingly refers to them as “potato” stats. ■ He is constantly overheard talking about getting a “Happy Gilmore-type player” in the third round. ■ Don Cherry agrees with every single Benning pick, and can pronounce the name correctly of every player taken by Vancouver. ■ The guy the Canucks take in the fifth round is compared to a “slower version of Tom Sestito.” ■ Benning drafts an actual pylon in the fourth round. A bright, orange, immobile pylon. He is excited the pylon fell that far in the draft. “We were scared Toronto was going to snag him!” ■ He trades the second-round draft pick for some cigarettes and a six-pack of beer. “We wanted Kokanee, but had to settle for Molson. Molson is dependable, though, so we’re happy.” And please do not ruin my fun by telling me the above statements are not true, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felixthecat_potvin Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Am I supposed to laugh? No offense to you, btw. I mean the writer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frazzy Desjardins Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I moved into the interior so I guess I missed the gradual decline of the province.... This crap makes botchford look like a real journalist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crabcakes Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Wyatt Arndt thinks he's funny. Unfortunately, most of his jokes come at the expense of clarity and assume that you've seen Jurassic Park. Who hasn't right? As I read through his list of jokes I wonder, what slow tough player are you talking about? A player who is good in scrums? Sounds like Luca Sbisa but Benning didn't draft him. Zero for two and I'm checked out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordCanuck Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Im sure someone over at HFboards will take this literal and bash Benning farther into the ground. This isnt even an article its a pile of crap written by a 5 year old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-SN- Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I moved into the interior so I guess I missed the gradual decline of the province.... This crap makes botchford look like a real journalist. When did you move? It's been like this for quite some time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apple Juice Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Uh..... what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Provost Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I guess you neglected listening to any of his interviews where he says the team has to get faster and that they intend on trying to draft a pure goal scorer with their 1st pick this year. Those freaking goons Vey and Baertschi are nothing but pugilists though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fanaholic Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 There is only one move that Benning made that I actually think is pathetic. BUT, not as pathetic as the article I just wasted my time reading. That move was Ryan Miller. To be frank, I am not saying that Ryan is a bad goalie but the move was pathetic because this team was going nowhere last year and so why waste the money on a goalie that would never lead us anywhere and we could have gotten a higher draft pick by not wasting one ounce of energy getting into the Playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UFCanuck Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 If you turn your lights off and say "Benning" 3 times, then turn your lights back on you're dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apollo Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I think he's joking... He's a funny guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHL rocks Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 This was in the Province? Glad I stopped subscribing to that paper in the 90's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerrDrFunk Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Damn! I can get paid to write crap like that? Sign me up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoted Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Not really creative enough to be actually funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 That was terrible on every level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outsiders Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuxfanabroad Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 To me, there is some misfortune in all this. With the brutal 13/14 they had, paired with the overachieving rivals(likely to fall back), they themselves were destined to bounce back, to some degree. The kesler trade(& preceding Lu-deal) would open cap. JB stepped into a high draft pick. A lot of MG's cheaply-acquired depth(Lack, Tanev, Kenins, Rich, Matthias, Markstrom) performed well for the org, at both levels. That's a general observation, not a criticism of Benning-so more time is needed to definitively assess JB's handiwork. Essentially, he got to start the first hole from the Ladies' tees. Had he REALLY muffed up(missing PO's) we might have been better off, in the long run, anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBackup Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 To me, there is some misfortune in all this. With the brutal 13/14 they had, paired with the overachieving rivals(likely to fall back), they themselves were destined to bounce back, to some degree. The kesler trade(& preceding Lu-deal) would open cap. JB stepped into a high draft pick. A lot of MG's cheaply-acquired depth(Lack, Tanev, Kenins, Rich, Matthias, Markstrom) performed well for the org, at both levels. That's a general observation, not a criticism of Benning-so more time is needed to definitively assess JB's handiwork. Essentially, he got to start the first hole from the Ladies' tees. Had he REALLY muffed up(missing PO's) we might have been better off, in the long run, anyways. You really think cleaning up Gillis' mess is starting from the ladies tee? I don't agree with everything Benning has done but I swear some people just have their minds set a certain way on him and will twist anything they can into an opportunity to slag the guy. He's had one year at the helm people, let him at least run his first real draft/FA now that he's actually had some time in the organization. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honky Cat Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 The OP usually posts well thought out posts (I'm assuming he is an adult)....but this is dumbass... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harvey Specter Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Wow.. this has got to be one of Wyatt's most disappointing contributions. I am usually a fan of his jokes and sarcastic remarks but this is not what I expected... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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