Jim Benning Review?

[Rick Blight]

3 minutes ago, Deets said:

Playing the league average SV% on a losing team like ours is pretty damn good. He may be slightly overpayed as he has declined a bit over the years, but we're only talking a couple hundred grand in reality. That's ok though, cause how else do you get a goalie of Millers caliber to sign with a goalie graveyard like ours? Take a look at the Flames if you want to know what it's like to cheap out on mediocre goalies. We needed the stability Miller brings as Lack couldn't quite cut it. Do you think Carolina fans are happy with Lack who only has a .901 SV%? (Not to mention Ward being payed 6.8M for a .909 SV%. Yikes!!)

 

Besides, who's to say Millers influence on Markstrom isn't absolutely priceless? Remember when Markstrom cleared wavers the first year we got him? Other teams had already labelled him a bust. I'd bet a Veteran presence from the likes of Miller played a big part in turning his game around. (Along with Clouts and Rollie of course)

 

Face it, Miller was a good decision and the best goalie available to us at the time. Best part is, next year we can do what ever we want as his short contract expires

And there was that hockey nobody by the name of Wayne Gretzky that claimed Miller was the best UFA signing of that summer. He probably doesn't know anything though.

[CanadianRugby]

Just now, Deets said:

Playing the league average SV% on a losing team like ours is pretty damn good. He may be slightly overpayed as he has declined a bit over the years, but we're only talking a couple hundred grand in reality. That's ok though, cause how else do you get a goalie of Millers caliber to sign with a goalie graveyard like ours? Take a look at the Flames if you want to know what it's like to cheap out on mediocre goalies. We needed the stability Miller brings as Lack couldn't quite cut it. Do you think Carolina fans are happy with Lack who only has a .901 SV%? (Not to mention Ward being payed 6.8M for a .909 SV%. Yikes!!)

 

Face it, Miller was a good decision and the best goalie available to us at the time. Best part is, next year we can do what ever we want as his short contract expires

Luongo... Schneider... Lack...  What goalie graveyard are you talking about.  You're living about 10 years in the past.

 

Just because Carolina and Calgary had worse goalies than we did doesn't make Miller a good signing.  He lost more games than he won in Vancouver.  His signing was bad, but not awful.  Not a contract I was too upset about.  The bad part of his signing is he was part of a garbage group that made the playoffs.  That group should have been chopped up and sold off for draft picks. 

 

Brining in Vrbata and Miller set back the rebuild years.  We should have competed for McDavid.  What was accomplished by getting spanked by Ferlund in the 1st round? 

[Deets]

36 minutes ago, CanadianRugby said:

Luongo... Schneider... Lack...  What goalie graveyard are you talking about.  You're living about 10 years in the past.

 

Just because Carolina and Calgary had worse goalies than we did doesn't make Miller a good signing.  He lost more games than he won in Vancouver.  His signing was bad, but not awful.  Not a contract I was too upset about.  The bad part of his signing is he was part of a garbage group that made the playoffs.  That group should have been chopped up and sold off for draft picks. 

 

Brining in Vrbata and Miller set back the rebuild years.  We should have competed for McDavid.  What was accomplished by getting spanked by Ferlund in the 1st round? 

I bet most goalies wouldn't consider Vancouver the best place to sign on long term. Partly because of our reputation from previous trade catastrophes, but partly because we have such a good goalie program with kids looking to steal jobs. Players want stability and we can't really commit long term with Markstrom and Demko climbing the ranks.

 

Also, you stating that Miller lost the games is just silly. Our team lost. I won't even entertain your assumption that Miller cost us McDavid. lol Did you learn nothing from the draft lottery this year? Maybe you should just stick to Rugby.

[GreyHatnDart]

3 hours ago, CanadianRugby said:

True, if you don't count the old players.. the team looks young.  Wow, we shouldn't count losses either, then we'll be undefeated. 

 

What kind of stupid argument is this?  Just admit you're 100% wrong, the team is now older than the one Benning took over. 

Umm... Did you even look at the roster posted? It includes Vrbata, Higgins, Bartkowski, Prust, Ballard AND Luongo. Just thought I'd point that out. 

[WeneedLumme]

2 hours ago, The Lock said:

Well I just told you why your statistics are actually invalid and how it's not actually 28 (due to contracts of players we no longer have). I'm going to assume you hadn't read  my post yet when you posted this?

You realize that troll is not going to respond to your post pointing out the actual facts, right? His agenda, hating on JB and every other member of the organization, requires him to ignore any relevant facts. Apparently he wants to believe that Luongo, Ballard, Higgins, Prust and Vrbata are still part of this team.

[The Lock]

6 hours ago, WeneedLumme said:

You realize that troll is not going to respond to your post pointing out the actual facts, right? His agenda, hating on JB and every other member of the organization, requires him to ignore any relevant facts. Apparently he wants to believe that Luongo, Ballard, Higgins, Prust and Vrbata are still part of this team.

Pretty much realised that when I reread his post stating his list was "perfect" even after I pointed out how it wasn't. lol

 

Oh well. He's not really worth my time if he feels the need to hide in own hole covering his ears like a little kid.

[canuckpuckluck1]

i posted this in another thread, so I thought it would be easier to just repost rather than rehash my  thoughts

 

 

 

I have stated many times over that I will hold any judgement on Benning until the beginning of the 17/18 season.

If you look back at the roster assembled when Benning started , it was full of contracts that were highly restrictive, the prospect pool was pretty shallow, some of the core players were starting to get on the wrong side of thirty and he was hard up against the cap ceiling. Through some unpleasant trades and necessary signings he has managed to get younger and stock the prospect pool to a level you can actually swim in.

I reserve my judgement for another 15 months as by that time the team will be the one he wanted to assemble, and has worked bloody hard to do so.

The restrictive contracts will be gone, he will only be carrying the Sedins and Edlers "legacy" contracts (which i think are actually very good), should have plenty of cap to work with after Burrows, Miller and Higgins contracts have expired.

If the team set up for that year does not perform then its on Benning and I will express my thoughts, but until that time I am enjoying the ride. 

I am hoping for a team that makes hockey fun to watch again, this transition on ice has been disappointing, but I like the process to get to where the team needs to be.

 

 

 

 

[wren223]

Some parts of Benning's time I've really enjoyed. Other parts not so much.

 

Goods, I see as he's gotten us out of some contracts that hindered us. Garrison gone, Kesler moved when he gave us literally no one to trade him to but still able to get a decent return on him. Sent Higgins down and then bought him out. So he's slowly moved the team towards getting younger. He's also not handed out NTC like candy to anyone who signs with the team. Gillis was doing this far, far too much. He has given out some put they are more limited and doesn't seem as big a hindrance, yet. Moving Kassian for anything was worth it. Prust was a swing and a miss but that could have worked.

 

So-so, some of his trades have been odd. Shink for Granlund made little to no sense for me as a fan. I watch Shinkaruk play and he had speed, skill and drive. We didn't give him much of a shot and traded him to a division rival for a fourth liner who hasn't done much in the NHL either. I've heard the argument that Shink has done nothing and may be a nothing but he still had potential and was getting ready to display it. So not so happy there. Vey was a shot that missed, but Bear has been a nice surprise and I think getting Gudbranson is going to work out well for the team. Every trade can't be gold but he hasn't been great on this front and at times I scratch my head and worry he gets fleeced, but then edmonton trades Hall for Larson so it makes me think maybe Benning isn't so bad.

 

Not so good, his comments and how he seems a bit lost with things at times. He has seemed out of his depth at times and just makes the team look amateurish. He is very honest but at times he just seems lost, look at the tampering comments. No need to say anything like that. He's new but I'm not giving him a pass on that account, he's been around long enough. It's feeling that he's a little lost at times that makes me worried with trades and contracts but the last few have been decent. Markstrom was good, Tanev good, Bear's and Etem also good. It'll be interesting to see what he does with Horvat and the Sedins if he is still around.

 

Jury is still out on his drafting. We will start to see over the next few seasons how the players he took start to take shape. I think Demko is going to be a gem, Boeser is going to be good too as will Juolevi, who i was keen on at first but like now. Virtanen is going to take time and I'll be patient as he has size, gritty, anger and skill and you don't find that often. He also has gotten us some other decent prospects that we will just have to wait and see how they do. Also excited by the big Russian tree too.

 

Overall, 7/10

I don't cheer everything he does and I don't give him a pass, but he does have a vision and end goal and I'll just come along for the ride and see where it goes.

[Mattrek]

In his short time Benning has pulled off nothing short of a miracle.

 

Drafting:

 

The 21 years before him we drafted 8 NHL players in the first round. Right now we've got 3, one of which has been traded. We got absolute steals in Tryamkin, Boeser and Demko with our other draft picks showing strong potential to move up to the club after some seasoning. 2015 draft looks like an insane year with Brisebois, Zhukenov, Neill, Gaudette, Jasek and Olson all showing great potential this last season. Odds are most won't make it of course, but the fact that every draft pick we made showed great potential proves we've got a stud of a GM at the drafting wheel.

 

Trades:

 

Jason Garrison + Jeff Costello + 2015 7th round pick for 2014 2nd round pick used to acquire Linden Vey.

 

Not a great trade, but we did get an NHL player that probably would've had more success if his personal issues weren't happening off the ice. It was also mostly done for cap space.

 

Ryan Kesler + 2015 3rd round pick used to acquire Luca Sbisa, Nick Bonino, 2014 1st round pick, 2014 3rd round pick. The 1st round pick turned into Jake Virtanen, the 3rd round pick turned into Derek Dorsett and Nick Bonino + Adam Clendening + 2016 2nd round pick turned into Brent Sutter + William Lockwoood.

 

Absolute steal of a deal considering the circumstances. In essence we traded Kesler who forced us to trade him to only one team into Luca Sbisa, Brent Sutter, Derek Dorsett, Jake Virtanen and William Lockwood.

 

Alexandre Mallet + 2016 3rd round pick used to acquire Andrey Pedan.

 

No way to judge this trade yet, but Pedan shows some promise and Mallet was definitely not going to be an NHL'er. We shall see.

 

2015 2nd round pick used to acquire Sven Baertschi.

 

This is what Benning was hoping would happen with Vey. A steal of a deal. Bonafid even NHL'er who will be a core player for years to come in exchange for a 30% chance of making the NHL player. We fleeced Calgary.

 

Eddie Lack used to acquire 2015 3rd round pick + 2015 7th round pick, which turned into Guillaume Brisebois and Tate Olson respectively.

 

Verdict is out, but both prospects are showing great promise and considering the goalie market is always flooded and Lack has struggled so far I'm leaning towards us coming out on top in the end.

 

Kevin Bieksa used to acquire 2016 2nd round pick.

 

Steal of a deal. We cleared up cap space for a declining veteran and then used the pick to acquire a key piece.

 

Zack Kassian + 2016 5th round pick used to acquire Brandon Prust.

 

Terrible deal for all involved. Comes out as a wash for both sides.

 

2017 6th round pick + Nicklas Jensen used to acquire Emerson Etem.

 

Considering Jensen was declining down the depth scale and obviously had no chance of making this team this is a pretty great deal. We haven't seen Emerson's full potential yet either. Could turn into a steal.

 

Hunter Shinkaruk used to acquire Markus Granlund.

 

Too early to tell. I suspect a wash for both sides as I don't really see any big potential for Granlund as with Shinkaruk. We shall see how this ends up.

 

2017 5th round pick used to acquire Philip Larsen.

 

We don't know what we have in Larsen, but even if he only plays for 1 season he's an absolute steal for a 5th rounder and could become the spark our PP desperately needs. Great trade.

 

The previous 2016 2nd round pick acquired from Anaheim + 2016 4th round pick + McCann for Erik Gudbranson.

 

Even if McCann turns into a 50 point + player we still win this trade. Top 4 D are far far harder to come by and as we saw with the Hall deal young D are extremely expensive to acquire. We gave up Bieksa, McCann and a 4th round pick for a young top 4 D. Steal of a deal.

 

Free agency signings:

 

Ryan Miller 3yr 6m contract.

 

At the time we had no idea our goaltending situation, so it made sense, but in hindsight definitely too much money. An ok signing.

 

Radom Vrbata 2yr 5m contract.

 

First year was great, last year not so much. An ok overall signing.

 

Matt Bartkowski 1yr 1.75m contract.

 

Again we had a very uncertain defense, so it made sense at the time. Terrible signing overall though.

 

Adam Cracknell 1yr 575k contract

 

Great signing, a key player who added to our team in more ways then one.

 

Michael Zalewski 1yr 575k contract

 

No idea, haven't seen enough, but a cheap show me contract is smart.

 

Loui Eriksson 6yr 6m contract

 

Again no idea since we haven't seen him play with the twins yet. He will bring us some extra offence though and the term and price is fair for a 50-60 point per season guy. Decent signing.

 

Also signing guys like Stecher, Garteig, Laplante, Chaput, Megna, Billins and Rendulic at no cost is smart. They may or may not turn out, but good on Benning to gain potential assets for free.

 

Contract extensions:

 

Chris Tanev 4 yr 4.45 per.

 

Absolute steal for a defenseman of that quality. He is a rock on our backend and he was found outside the draft.

 

Brandon Sutter 5yr 4.375 per.

 

Had injuries last season, but was on pace for 20 goals last year and 40-50 points. Good term and cap for that production.

 

Jacob Markstrom 3yr 3.67 per.

 

Great bridge deal signing allowing us to see if Demko or Markstrom will be our number 1. He kept us in games we had no business being in last year and will be a stud for us.

 

Luca Sbisa 3 yr 3.6m per.

 

A bit overpaid, but a young D-man who has improved every season with us.

 

Derek Dorsett 4 yr 2.65m per

 

Definitely overpaid. A guy who works hard but doesn't have much to show for it.

 

Sven Baertschi 2 yr 1.85 per.

 

Absolute steal bridge contract for what he brings. Poised for a breakout season.

 

Nikita Tryamkin, Markus Granlund, Alex Biega, Emerson Etem, Ben Hutton all on cheap contracts to show what they can do, great signings.

 

So there you have it folks, Benning has been a stud in drafting, a great trader, needs to work on his free agent signings and has been improving with his contract extensions lately.

 

He has done an incredible job turning this team around in two short years. He's made mistakes along the way, but it seems like he's learning from the past as he goes and that's all we can ask for. I am super excited to see what he can do in another 2 years. The Canucks are in good hands. In Benning We Trust.

[bloodycanuckleheads]

Quote

This team is night and day compared to the one he inherited.

Yes, the team he inherited was a perennial division-champion over the previous decade - and the team we have today is arguably the worst team in the entire league...  Definitely night and day.

[Rush17]

On 07/07/2016 at 11:54 PM, internationalCanuck said:

 

Least favorite: Not sure yet, but possibly shink for granlund (although this goes along with my previous comments about taking less risks, granlund is a 4th liner, shink remains to be seen if sticks in the nhl)

 

 

I believe the Granlund Shink deal is a potentially risky one but clearly JB believes it was the best deal he could get.  So instead of pulling a Gills he pulled the trigger.

 

I see Granlund in his prime as likely a very good 3rd liner with skill with potential limited 2nd line potentially possibly during his peak.  Having a good affordable Centre with creativity is important for us since we lack quality top 6 scoring wingers.  

 

Because our skill is so spread in our lineup having a Granlund who can be dynamic but responsible is a huge asset.

 

I think he will be a great fit for our 4th line though and I hope him and virt are reunited to start next year. Virtanen elevated his consistency a great deal when playing with Granlund.  

 

We're going to have 4 very solid lines. If we Land another top 6 winger were gonna be sitting pretty. :D

 

Shink I think will only be better in the nhl with the new goalie equipment.  Should be fun too watch!

[Rush17]

I agree with the OP. I would put him in the 8-8.5/10 range.  (Personally I'd say 8/10).

 

You could say that's a low score but to be honest 8 out of 10 is very high praise for a first time Gm.  Perhaps my score is even a little too high; but the excitement and confidence JB and TL have given me is treamdeous.

 

This is the first time as a fan of the Vancouver Canucks that I feel we have  management group that can do it all.  Draft quality prospects, make decisive decisions and follow a vision this organization has.

 

Maybe my score is tainted because I believe that this management group is one of the best In the league.  The fact we have Bo, Boeser, and Demko only further add to my confidence in this group.

 

If I take all of that out of it.  I would probably give him a 7/10.  But I believe this group will help us create a contender that will challenge for many years to come.  I expect a cup and I feel we can achieve it and many more to come!

 

Jb / TL / Ss great team!

[Rush17]

Just now, Rush17 said:

I agree with the OP. I would put him in the 8-8.5/10 range.  (Personally I'd say 8/10).

 

You could say that's a low score but to be honest 8 out of 10 is very high praise for a first time Gm.  Perhaps my score is even a little too high; but the excitement and confidence JB and TL have given me is treamdeous.

 

This is the first time as a fan of the Vancouver Canucks that I feel we have  management group that can do it all.  Draft quality prospects, make decisive decisions and follow a vision this organization has.

 

Maybe my score is tainted because I believe that this management group is one of the best In the league.  The fact we have Bo, Boeser, and Demko only further add to my confidence in this group.

 

If I take all of that out of it.  I would probably give him a 7/10.  But I believe this group will help us create a contender that will challenge for many years to come.  I expect a cup and I feel we can achieve it and many more to come!

 

Jb / TL / Ss great team!

I kinda changed my rating part way through lol. Call it 7/10 or 7.5/10.  8 might be too much. But I think he will polish off into a 8 to 8.5 down the line.

 

In contrast I would give Gillis a 4/10 in his tenure.  That's a sizable difference. The 2011 add ons boost him beyond 3 imo.

[asian player]

Jim Benning has shown that he is willing to pay a premium for the players he targets to build the team he wants, yet somehow he has been able to "win" many of his trades in terms of value and he has even gotten a couple steals. I can't imagine why anybody would be upset about his trading. 

 

His drafting has be stellar and this has allowed us to stockpile assets and replenish our prospects cupboard. This is something our organization has not had for a long time. 

 

All in all, I'm satisfied with everything he has done. 9/10

[internationalCanuck]

58 minutes ago, Rush17 said:

I believe the Granlund Shink deal is a potentially risky one but clearly JB believes it was the best deal he could get.  So instead of pulling a Gills he pulled the trigger.

 

I see Granlund in his prime as likely a very good 3rd liner with skill with potential limited 2nd line potentially possibly during his peak.  Having a good affordable Centre with creativity is important for us since we lack quality top 6 scoring wingers.  

 

Because our skill is so spread in our lineup having a Granlund who can be dynamic but responsible is a huge asset.

 

I think he will be a great fit for our 4th line though and I hope him and virt are reunited to start next year. Virtanen elevated his consistency a great deal when playing with Granlund.  

 

We're going to have 4 very solid lines. If we Land another top 6 winger were gonna be sitting pretty. :D

 

Shink I think will only be better in the nhl with the new goalie equipment.  Should be fun too watch!

Exactly why i said I was not sure, but possibly my least favorite. This is one that we can only see in time.  Even at the time of the trade I thought it was an ok deal and was never upset about it. I like Granlund and think he is a good fit for our team.  OP just wanted favorite and least fav, so i had to choose one. (obviously i am having a hard time finding faults in JB's trades as so many others seem to find so easily)

 

I can't think of any that clearly stick out as a bad trade, and overall i think this was a good trade for us. I never was sold on Shinks skill level being able to translate to the NHL, but if he was able to put it all together, he has the skills to be a great goal scorer. But that's just it too, he could either be a top six goal scorer, or nothing at all, doesn't fit a bottom 6 role. My odds have him at nothing.

 

I just would have liked to see his progession for at least another year I suppose. 

 

I completely agree with you that Granlund will probably become a good 3rd line guy, 2nd line is a bit of a stretch but hey, we can all hope for that! 

[aqua59]

I think Mike Gillis' moves will be fully flushed out within the next 2 years. From bad contracts and not stocking the the farm with young players...

 

That said in all fairness to any GM taking on a job, you get the last guys good moves too, not just the crap. 

 

That said I know JB has made mistakes but he's building a nice little team that can survive the wild west. 

 

This team isn't so stale any more. I just watched a pile of Gudbranson clips. If this kid is as good as he looks at present people will soon be forgetting the optics of JB seemingly poor moves. 

JB has been patient but hopped con that Gudbranson move faster than his divisional rivals.

 

JB is the fresh breath of air this franchise needed.

[Stelar]

4 hours ago, bloodycanuckleheads said:

Yes, the team he inherited was a perennial division-champion over the previous decade - and the team we have today is arguably the worst team in the entire league...  Definitely night and day.

This has to be the stupidest post ever on CDC. No offence. 

[Mr.53]

I have been a big fan of Benning so far. This Franchise is night and day from where it was when he and Linden arrived, and seems to be on the up and up. Now after a couple of seasons we are finally starting to see Benning's vision come together. As it looks into next season (lines are subject to change. Just how I would make them)

 

-Daniel - Henrik - Eriksson: The highly anticipated line finally comes together. Swedish magic.

-Rodin - Sutter - Hansen: 2A matches up against top lines. Rodin provides a scoring touch. 

-Baertschi - Horvat - Virtanen: 2B. Horvat and Baertschi work magic, with Virtanen forechecking and backchecking relentlessly.

-Burrows - Granlund - Dorsett: Experienced defensively responsible players to surround Granlund.

(Gaunce - Etem): Both players show a lot of university and will push for spots as soon as injuries take hold.

 

-Edler - Tanev: Our proven number 1 pairing. They lead the way.

-Hutton - Gudbranson: Highly anticipated pairing. Gudbranson covers the net and Hutton utilizes skill.

-Tryamkin - Larsen: Highly anticipated bottom pairing. Tryamkin covers net, while Larsen utilizes skill.

(Sbisa): (Sbisa has a solid chance at gettting traded so I put him here, but if not, the bottom 3 will jostle.)

(Pedan and Biega are depth defensmen. 7th and 8th man or 8th and 9th, if Sbisa stays)

 

Miller

Markstrom

 

Now, that is a playoff team if you ask me. That is a strong, young team, with strong leadership, that will contend and fight every night for a playoff spot, which is exactly what we need for our guys like Horvat to develop. Every player has a role on the team and is supported by others in a well structured team. We can roll four lines and actually have success. And notice how in his time here, Benning completely revitalized the bottom 2 pairings of defence into something that actually looks exciting.

[Mr.53]

Top 5 prospects

1. Juolevi (D): Potential top pairing number 1 defensman. Add Muscle to 6'2 frame, and we have a star. Won the memorial cup with 21 points in his last 22 games with the Knights. Shown poise beyond his years, and skills everyone covets. Although young, not that many years away from making the squad.
2. Boeser (RW): Potential high calibre scoring top 6 winger. Dominated the NCAA and his already showing greatness. Won the NCAA title, and was the main driving force. Arguably had the greatest freshman season in North Dakota history. (A list that includes Travis Zajac, TJ Oshie, Zach Parise, Johnny Toews, and more. That's some good company to be with.
3. Demko (G): Potential All-Star starting goaltender. Has a long way to go as goalies take time. But incredibly skilled. Outperformed Cory Schneider at BC. That's a good sign. Markstrom will hold it down until then. Clear all-star potential to be an impact presence for years.
4. Subban (RD): Potential skilled PMD to add scoring from the backend. Next year he will get 1 full season as a top defensman in Utica. He has already proven to be one of Utica's most valuable players. With top minutes, as well as PP time, Travid Green will groom him for the NHL. Expect him to get a couple games before season's end when injuries occur.
5. Stecher (RD): Potential two-way PMD. Won the NCAA title with Brock Boeser as North Dakota's number 1 defensman. Highly coveted before signing, and already impressing Linden and management, he could also pull a Hutton and impress come training camp. Probably won't make the team, but he has an NHL future. (Sleeper pick to make an impact, and hometown kid)

And that is a solid top 5 list of prospects. That top 5 can go toe to toe with pretty much any team in the league as far as prospects go. All of them, other than Demko, are close to arriving to the scene as well, rather than raw prospects. The only thing this group needs now is strong center who can potentially take a top 6 role, but I have confidence that Benning will be able to find that guy next year in the draft regardless of where we pick. This team's future is set and looking quite good.

 

Also on a side note. Look to Granlund to surprise a lot of people here. A lot of peopel are writing him off because we grew accustomed to Shinkaruk. But think about this. Weisbrod, along with Benning, have shown they know how to evaluate talent. They have seriously overhauled our future, even taking smart gambles on guys like Sutter and Gudbranson to lead us into the future. I don't think many of us will question their talent evaluation when they look at the guys they brought in like Sutter, Gudbranson, Baertschi, Boeser, Juolevi, Stecher, Tryamkin, Demko, and Etem, as well as endorsing and believing in guys like Horvat, Virtanen, and Hutton who were already here. My point is that is a good list of names, and none of them were exactly gimme picks or decisions, but rather them evaluating talent, and bringing them into the franchise. These two men, also took a gamble on Granlund over Shinkaruk. Weisbrod in particular worked with them both and saw their talents, and work ethic on a daily basis. They chose Granlund over Shinkaruk. Now I don't think they all of a sudden lost their marbles on this one but rather like most of these moves, saw something in these players that other's did not. And if you look at Granlund's record, boy he is a stud. It can stand toe to toe with Shinkaruks honestly, and with more proven NHL experience. I think he is also a sleeper pick to impress a lot of people. I think he has just about as much chance at becoming top 6 as Shinkaruk, but time will tell.

 

Other than that, the point is, we have a solid all around team that can play 2 way hockey, with a coach that the players connect too. At this point I think it's almost inevitable that Horvat will likely get the C some day and lead this team on the front end, and Olli Juolevi will leade this team on the backend. The Canucks are looking good for next season and the future. The youth movement if you ask me is pretty much complete. Benning will get us another star forward in the draft next year, or trade for him, but the rest is already built and here. Instead of tanking, this team needs to push to make the playoffs and make a splash. I'm excited for next season.

[Rush17]

6 hours ago, aqua59 said:

I think Mike Gillis' moves will be fully flushed out within the next 2 years. From bad contracts and not stocking the the farm with young players...

 

GMMG out GM'd again :D