(Poll) Willie Watch

[Alflives]

1 hour ago, chilliwiggins said:

how many draft picks lower than canuck first rounders in those 3 years are currently playing in the nhl right now compared to bennings picks, that to me is what determines bennings so called eye for talent.   they needed players now and so far McCann , Virtanen, Boeser aren't what management was selling us.    Horvat, Hutton, and Tanev are from the Gillis regime and if your going to mention Stecher hes here because him and his agent saw the holes in the D as an excellent opportunity for ice time as well as he is from Van.

Excellent post.

NONE of JBs first round picks (four) are not in the NHL.  And to make matters even worse, guys picked AFTER he picked are contributing BIG TIME.  Those are MISTAKES we can't afford to make, because JB traded away 12 picks, so he had FEWER chances at getting lucky.  

 

[alfstonker]

3 hours ago, Alflives said:

Where are the YOUNG elite forwards like on so many of the teams?  

 

What do you mean by elite?  

Is this you spanking the same monkey you have been spanking since the season began? We have already covered that you don't necessarily have to draft top 3 to have success.

[Alflives]

55 minutes ago, alfstonker said:

 

What do you mean by elite?  

Is this you spanking the same monkey you have been spanking since the season began? We have already covered that you don't necessarily have to draft top 3 to have success.

And we haven't drafted top three, so where are these players ("don't necessarily have to draft top three - your words) drafted outside the top three?  Just heard the WinterPIG GM talking about how he made a decision to develop the young players on the Bog Club.  (Or BIG club) 

[Sbriggs]

18 hours ago, Alflives said:

Who will be still in our forwards fives years from now?

 

Bo and Errikson and Boeser and Virtanen.  We need to draft (or trade for - Tanev?) ELITE skill in our forwards NOW, so they are part of this new core.  

Now is not the best way to bring in talent via trade. You have to wait for the right deal like thew Guber deal. If you go hard after it its more likely you make a mistake, if you have patients and wait for the right player to be available to us that when you pounce on it. And the Sedins will not be here 5 years down the road that is a stupid comment. Like I said our goalie and defence are in good shape with alittle more time all we need is a few more top six guys and we have time to accomplish that.

[Alflives]

4 minutes ago, Sbriggs said:

Now is not the best way to bring in talent via trade. You have to wait for the right deal like thew Guber deal. If you go hard after it its more likely you make a mistake, if you have patients and wait for the right player to be available to us that when you pounce on it. And the Sedins will not be here 5 years down the road that is a stupid comment. Like I said our goalie and defence are in good shape with alittle more time all we need is a few more top six guys and we have time to accomplish that.

You think the 

Twins will still be playing for us in FIVE years?  

[Sbriggs]

Just now, Alflives said:

You think the 

Twins will still be playing for us in FIVE years?  

I said the Sedins will NOT be playing with us in 5 years

[Alflives]

1 minute ago, Sbriggs said:

I said the Sedins will NOT be playing with us in 5 years

So did I.  So we agree.  We need to draft ELITE forward talent NOW, so their ages fit with the next (young) core.

[aqua59]

57 minutes ago, Sbriggs said:

I said the Sedins will NOT be playing with us in 5 years

It's debatable that they're playing right now they're so slow. The beer guy in the stands is faster.

[bobbyg43]

One of the good things about Willie he has coached jr North Americans an can evaluate talent a lot closer than he does with Euros players.

I am actually hoping an praying Jim Benning gives him more North American players in the mix .

i am alright gambling on Russian players as we seem to luck out an get fair to good value so far

Willie quiet disposition is probably good for the Euros on the team.

When we stack more of the club with new core players I would like to see a Pat Burns type coach who tough on players an does not play these silly little games inside of the game.

 

A few posters have mentioned Gallant On boards I would be fine with him. Just don't expect many or more wins than Willie this year.

he definitely put players in their position of strength,an use them more appropriately in relation to their skill set an build as well as nurture that development in the younger players that need to continue to evolve

[VegasCanuck]

Willie will be here till the end of the season. His fate will not be in our record, but in whether the team is maintaining a compete level.

 

I believe that Willie will be terminated after this season and that Travis Green will take over to start next season and really work with the talent that we have coming up. I don't think Willie has done a bad job here, he's just the most likely fall guy for the fact that we are still developing the next group of guys (Boeser, Virtanen, Juolevi etc, and of course Nolan Patrick when we win the lottery and draft him #1  )

 

People expect this team to magically change and talent to appear and mature over night. This takes time.

 

[JamesB]

4 hours ago, Baggins said:

 

 

How often do picks outside the first round play in the NHL after just two years after being drafted? Most take 3 to 5 years before stepping on NHL ice. Most are two years away from even being eligible to play in the AHL. The reason trades for Vey, Baertschi, Granlund and Etem were made was because "they needed players now" and draft picks would take time. So what is it you think they were selling you?

 

1 hour ago, chilliwiggins said:

have to agree, and to add no ones lighting it up in Utica either.        I love that konecny is equal in points to Baerstchi right now.     As for Willy he is Linden and Bennings easy out to be the fall guy, but in reality I think he has got the most out of the pool he has been handed.

 

1 hour ago, Alflives said:

So did I.  So we agree.  We need to draft ELITE forward talent NOW, so their ages fit with the next (young) core.

 

It is true, as Baggins says, that it takes longer for lower round picks (3rd round and lower) to make the NHL, if they make it all. Most never do. Any 3rd round player or lower who becomes an NHL regular has beaten the odds and was a good pick. But those are not that guys you build Cup contenders around.

 

Most -- not all but most -- high end scoring forwards are first or second rounders. And a disproportionate share come from the top half of the first round. When you get high picks, like #5 and #6 overall picks, you have to take advantage and get a good NHL player.

 

Benning has picked Virtanen at #6 and Juolevi at #5. Let's be honest and admit that, in retrospect, picking Virtanen ahead of Ehlers and Nylander was a mistake. It has not worked out well. Ehlers and Nylander are legitimate top 6 NHL forwards right now and look like future stars. Jake is not scoring at a top 6 level even in the AHL and it is far from obvious that will ever be a good NHL forward. With Juolevi it is much earlier in the process but I am sure that most GMs would take Tkachuk. Benning went slightly off the board to take Juolevi ahead of Tkachuk. Tkachuk is a legitimate top 6 forward right now. Juolevi may or may not become a good NHL player. 

 

Last year we traded away a high second round pick and Benning traded other second round picks (and third round picks) previously. And he has still not managed to bring in a legitimate top 6 forward, although maybe Baertschi qualifies.

 

There is no one in Utica who is a blue chip scoring prospect and not many guys in the amateur pipeline apart from Boeser.

 

Alf is right. We need more good young players in the pipeline and the only way we are likely to get them is from the draft. So Benning needs to keep the Canuck draft picks (for a change) and acquire more (also for a change).

 

But @chilliwiggins is right. Before Benning refocuses on the rebuild WD will be discarded as the fall guy. Maybe after a second coach does do better the Canucks will realize that they need a rebuild now. But maybe that won't happen until Benning is fired. 

[canuck73_3]

3 hours ago, Alflives said:

Excellent post.

NONE of JBs first round picks (four) are not in the NHL.  And to make matters even worse, guys picked AFTER he picked are contributing BIG TIME.  Those are MISTAKES we can't afford to make, because JB traded away 12 picks, so he had FEWER chances at getting lucky.  

 

 

I think you need a reality check regarding drafting... 

 

Also Benning acquired 8 draft picks so seriously cut that trading 12 draft picks bs. 

 

Also the players he traded those picks for are in the 21-25 year old range.

[Alflives]

8 minutes ago, canuck73_3 said:

 

I think you need a reality check regarding drafting... 

 

Also Benning acquired 8 draft picks so seriously cut that trading 12 draft picks bs. 

 

Also the players he traded those picks for are in the 21-25 year old range.

And?  Four first rounders - none playing on the Big club.  Players taken after lighting it up on other teams.  

[canuck73_3]

7 minutes ago, Alflives said:

And?  Four first rounders - none playing on the Big club.  Players taken after lighting it up on other teams.  

 

Not many, you have to think long term and have patience.

[JM_]

20 minutes ago, JamesB said:

 

 

Alf is right. We need more good young players in the pipeline and the only way we are likely to get them is from the draft. So Benning needs to keep the Canuck draft picks (for a change) and acquire more (also for a change).

 

But @chilliwiggins is right. Before Benning refocuses on the rebuild WD will be discarded as the fall guy. Maybe after a second coach does do better the Canucks will realize that they need a rebuild now. But maybe that won't happen until Benning is fired. 

 

One more injury to a key player like Stecher or Bo or Sutter and the decision will be made for them. 

[combover]

Hope willie stays with the club till the end of the season, (he's the best choice for a top pick) 

ownership aka the real gm will not allow this guy back, his team plays softer than the 2011 scf team on nightly basis something ownership HATED. Not to mention like it or not it's a results based world and the only way the result of the willie would be deemed a success is if the plan was to allinate young talent and fans mishandle vets make flat out weird line combos and bizzare deployment finishing 2 out of three years in the bottom of the standings  oh and have bored the remaining fans out of the arena.  then he's done a great job and frankly benning should have one foot out the door too. assembling such a garbage group while promoting catch phrases "win now" "playoff team" as stated many time he's either terribly out of touch with reality or just full of ---t. For gods sake the media (as so many on here called them hacks)  predicted this season better than benning did so what does that make him ...a joke and the rest of the league is laughing.

[Honky Cat]

25 minutes ago, JamesB said:

 

 

 

It is true, as Baggins says, that it takes longer for lower round picks (3rd round and lower) to make the NHL, if they make it all. Most never do. Any 3rd round player or lower who becomes an NHL regular has beaten the odds and was a good pick. But those are not that guys you build Cup contenders around.

 

Most -- not all but most -- high end scoring forwards are first or second rounders. And a disproportionate share come from the top half of the first round. When you get high picks, like #5 and #6 overall picks, you have to take advantage and get a good NHL player.

 

Benning has picked Virtanen at #6 and Juolevi at #5. Let's be honest and admit that, in retrospect, picking Virtanen ahead of Ehlers and Nylander was a mistake. It has not worked out well. Ehlers and Nylander are legitimate top 6 NHL forwards right now and look like future stars. Jake is not scoring at a top 6 level even in the AHL and it is far from obvious that will ever be a good NHL forward. With Juolevi it is much earlier in the process but I am sure that most GMs would take Tkachuk. Benning went slightly off the board to take Juolevi ahead of Tkachuk. Tkachuk is a legitimate top 6 forward right now. Juolevi may or may not become a good NHL player. 

 

Last year we traded away a high second round pick and Benning traded other second round picks (and third round picks) previously. And he has still not managed to bring in a legitimate top 6 forward, although maybe Baertschi qualifies.

 

There is no one in Utica who is a blue chip scoring prospect and not many guys in the amateur pipeline apart from Boeser.

 

Alf is right. We need more good young players in the pipeline and the only way we are likely to get them is from the draft. So Benning needs to keep the Canuck draft picks (for a change) and acquire more (also for a change).

 

But @chilliwiggins is right. Before Benning refocuses on the rebuild WD will be discarded as the fall guy. Maybe after a second coach does do better the Canucks will realize that they need a rebuild now. But maybe that won't happen until Benning is fired. 

Virtanen went precisely where he should have been picked..If Virtanen was available to the Jets or Leafs,I'm sure they would have snapped him up (if you watch the 2014 draft,the Leaf table was pretty undecided before picking Nylander)...I still haven't written Jake off yet,even though the early returns point to the two Euro's...You have both 1st round picks as a swing and a miss..which is fairly 'glass empty'...IMO....,but its all good.

 

When you look at the 2014 draft as a whole,it looks like its the best draft the Canucks have had since 2004...Virtanen,McCann,Demko and Tryamkin will all have NHL careers

[Alflives]

6 minutes ago, combover said:

Hope willie stays with the club till the end of the season, (he's the best choice for a top pick) 

ownership aka the real gm will not allow this guy back, his team plays softer than the 2011 scf team on nightly basis something ownership HATED. Not to mention like it or not it's a results based world and the only way the result of the willie would be deemed a success is if the plan was to allinate young talent and fans mishandle vets make flat out weird line combos and bizzare deployment finishing 2 out of three years in the bottom of the standings  oh and have bored the remaining fans out of the arena.  then he's done a great job and frankly benning should have one foot out the door too. assembling such a garbage group while promoting catch phrases "win now" "playoff team" as stated many time he's either terribly out of touch with reality or just full of ---t. For gods sake the media (as so many on here called them hacks)  predicted this season better than benning did so what does that make him ...a joke and the rest of the league is laughing.

Wow!  I'd plus you 1000 if I could.  My feeling EXACTLY. 

[Westcoasting]

47 minutes ago, Alflives said:

And?  Four first rounders - none playing on the Big club.  Players taken after lighting it up on other teams.  

I feel your pain but you need to understand that drafting and scouting are not an exact science and that 3 years of drafting mean nothing overall. Just go look at draft selections from 2009 or 10' and notice how just now some of those players are really starting to do well in the NHL. Now i'm not saying if Benning is right or wrong but it is way too early to tell. Yes some players do extremely well and make the jump in the first or second year... but there are a lot who take quite a while to play in the big leagues. Have patience on draft picks!

[alfstonker]

2 hours ago, Alflives said:

And we haven't drafted top three, so where are these players ("don't necessarily have to draft top three - your words) drafted outside the top three?  Just heard the WinterPIG GM talking about how he made a decision to develop the young players on the Bog Club.  (Or BIG club) 

 

I said and you confirmed (with your term of 5 years) that Benning has 4 drafts to get the required quality we need. We have most of the D with a couple at least in pipe line at present.

That means he has 4 years of drafting forwards (mainly) to get what we need. We already have a possible 4 in Zhukenov, Lockwood, Gaudette, Boeser to go with Jake.

 

I don't understand why you continually bite your nails over this.

Personally I don't really give a xxxx what the Jets say and I doubt our management does either. They have been rebuilding for years.

 

Season-by-season record[edit]

For the full season-by-season history, see List of Winnipeg Jets seasons

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OT = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	GF	GA	Finish	Playoffs
2011–12	82	37	35	10	84	225	246	4th, Southeast	Did not qualify
2012–13	48	24	21	3	51	128	144	2nd, Southeast	Did not qualify
2013–14	82	37	35	10	84	227	237	7th, Central	Did not qualify
2014–15	82	43	26	13	99	230	210	5th, Central	Lost in First Round, 0–4 (Ducks)
2015–16	82	35	39	8	78	215	239	7th, Central	Did not qualify