[Report] Kuzma, Benning Stance on NTC waivering

[goblix]

Reference:

http://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/ben-kuzma-time-for-canucks-to-flex-muscles-on-six-pack-trip

 

It's closer to the middle where he references Benning quotes and the NTC topic.

 

Article:

Quote

Alex Burrows was dissecting the Super Bowl with the precision of a veteran analyst Monday.

The self-proclaimed sports junkie rightfully questioned that fateful Atlanta Falcons’ late-game drive — going away from the run to take themselves out of field-goal range to clinch a National Football League title — but he also marvelled at the resolve of the New England Patriots.

And with the Vancouver Canucks looking for a rallying point for a daunting six-game road trip that opens Tuesday night in Nashville, the Patriots’ plan and second-half execution to erase a 25-point deficit Sunday, and then claim a 34-28 overtime victory, should resonate with the National Hockey League club.

“They (Patriots) just found a way again and kept battling,” said Burrows. “They never quit and that’s one thing we’d like to do as a team — have a never-quit attitude — and always believe it (victory) is possible and play until the end.The Patriots’ credo of do your job, play hard and be unselfish is exactly what the Canucks must adhere to if they expect to excel despite the league’s worst road record of 6-15-3.

“And I really believe if we play the way we can and limit scoring chances, we’ll have a chance and can have a good road trip if we give it our best.”

Even Willie Desjardins got caught up in the stunning Patriots’ victory because it’s the perfect reference point for what the Canucks coach is trying to drive home with odds stacked against his club. The Canucks have opened scoring just nine times in 24 road games.

“The thing you like is that New England didn’t take itself out of it and stayed around long enough to find a way to win and we talked about that,” said Desjardins. “That’s a little how we play. We can’t panic or worry about the situation.”

That’s commendable because this not just another trip.

The Canucks face two of the league’s top four teams in Columbus and Pittsburgh and must face the reality that if this critical test of mettle goes off the rails, management must take a harder look at its trade-deadline strategy.

Showing loyalty and not asking marketable veterans like Burrows and Jannik Hansen to waive their no-trade clauses is admirable, but it would be a strange strategy if the Canucks return from this trip eight to 10 points shy of the final wild-card spot with three or four teams to leapfrog.

Burrows and Hansen would command serious trade-deadline attention from Stanley Cup contenders. Burrows has a flair for the dramatic with 19 career playoff goals in 70 games. Hansen can play a variety of roles and both wingers are well-schooled defensively, which is crucial for post-season effectiveness.“We’re going to see where we’re at,” said Canucks general manager Jim Benning, who’s on a European scouting trip. “I’ll have individual conversations with those players and their agents, but we’re hoping we can stay in the (playoff) fight. But it’s a tough trip.”

The Canucks will also conduct their pro-scouting meetings next week in Pittsburgh and asset management should be the focus.

If the New Jersey Devils got a 2017 fourth-round pick Saturday for shipping 36-year-old one-goal grinder Vern Fiddler to the Predators, what could the Canucks get for the 35-year-old Burrows? A second-rounder? A third-rounder?

The Montreal Canadiens are leading the Atlantic Division and want to add a centre and bottom-six help. They had a scout at Rogers Arena on Saturday and if the bottom falls out on this trip, the prospect of roster change becomes more of a possibility.

“I haven’t thought about that at all — I’m more thinking that we’re going to have a successful trip and be right in the playoff mix until the end,” said Burrows. “That’s all I can control.”

When Benning took a stance and said he wouldn’t approach players to waive NTCs, it was the ultimate show of faith and protection. But if the club is serious about adding picks and getting younger — and not losing the unrestricted Burrows for nothing — then there could be an ideological shift.

“I haven’t heard anything,” added Burrows. “I want to make the playoffs with this team, but things can change really quickly in this business. I’ve learned that. I think with the Canadian media, it (no-waive NTCs) was just to take you guys off his (Benning’s) back a bit to calm the storm down instead of being asked about it every day or every week.”

As for Hansen, he has strongly stated a preference to stay put with a year remaining on his contract amid the possibly he could be exposed in the expansion draft. Hansen has a modified no-trade clause and submits an eight-team list of preferred destinations, if it ever came to that.

OF NOTE: Ben Hutton, who has missed 11 games with a hairline finger fracture after blocking a shot Jan. 6 against Calgary, was paired with Nikita Tryamkin at practice Monday and was also on the second unit power-play point with Alex Edler. He’ll play Tuesday. Brendan Gaunce, who has only five assists in 47 games, has been sent to the AHL Utica Comets to log more minutes and find his offensive game.

 

[stuman491]

Here is the specific quote I assume you are referring to.

 

“We’re going to see where we’re at,” said Canucks general manager Jim Benning, who’s on a European scouting trip. “I’ll have individual conversations with those players and their agents, but we’re hoping we can stay in the (playoff) fight. But it’s a tough trip.”

 

Would be nice if he is able to get something for these guys.  

[goblix]

Just now, stuman491 said:

Here is the specific quote I assume you are referring to.

 

“We’re going to see where we’re at,” said Canucks general manager Jim Benning, who’s on a European scouting trip. “I’ll have individual conversations with those players and their agents, but we’re hoping we can stay in the (playoff) fight. But it’s a tough trip.”

 

Would be nice if he is able to get something for these guys.  

Yup,

Pretty cements what we already knew in that the business side of things is always a fluid situation. If this all shakes out to which we sell most of our NTC UFA guys then Benning really learned something from last year and treated the whole situation quite neatly.

[Ossi Vaananen]

Some interesting stuff there. A lot depends on this next road trip, and of the scouting meetings in Pittsburgh. 

[Sygvard]

Yeah, it is encouraging to see them apparently softening on the hard line of "Absolutely not asking them to waive". 

 

Also interesting is that there seems to be acknowledgement in that direction from both sides. The Burrows quote adds context:

" I think with the Canadian media, it (no-waive NTCs) was just to take you guys off his (Benning’s) back a bit ..."

It sounds like he is saying that he always knew that being asked to waive NTCs would eventually become a reality. And that they were all aware of the original denial being a brush off to the media.

[Wilbur]

1 minute ago, Sygvard said:

Yeah, it is encouraging to see them apparently softening on the hard line of "Absolutely not asking them to waive". 

 

Also interesting is that there seems to be acknowledgement in that direction from both sides. The Burrows quote adds context:

" I think with the Canadian media, it (no-waive NTCs) was just to take you guys off his (Benning’s) back a bit ..."

It sounds like he is saying that he always knew that being asked to waive NTCs would eventually become a reality. And that they were all aware of the original denial being a brush off to the media.

I would also add that it is consistent with the dialogue that Canucks management has had with the remaining vets.  That being, the trade clauses they have will be respected but if they aren't central to the teams plans and other teams are calling, they'll be made aware.  Really, would you want management to deal with it any other way?

[JM_]

4 minutes ago, Ossi Vaananen said:

Some interesting stuff there. A lot depends on this next road trip, and of the scouting meetings in Pittsburgh. 

Man that would be interesting to be at that meeting, its all going to come to a head there. By then, we'll know if we're out of a spot and they'll settle on a protection strategy for Vegas. If we're 8 or 9 pts back by the 14th that gives Jim a couple of weeks to talk to players and get them ready for a move, so there's lots of time for those discussions to take place. The timing is kind of ideal actually.

 

One of the more interesting things to me is what they are going to do with Edler. If the decision is to expose him to Vegas, he may want to be traded, but I just can't see Jim doing that to a veteran player, and Edler really doesn't want to go, but they may have to if they can't find a trade partner for Sbisa.

 

 

[Alflives]

Can we (now) accept that JB doesn't always speak truthfully, when it's in his team's best interest?

 

Maybe he will actually rebuild by dumping some of the older guys?

 

i also heard Bob Mackenzie this morning say that if the Canucks trade a dman, it would likely be Hutton.  I sure hope that's not the case.  

[JM_]

1 minute ago, Alflives said:

Can we (now) accept that JB doesn't always speak truthfully, when it's in his team's best interest?

 

Maybe he will actually rebuild by dumping some of the older guys?

 

i also heard Bob Mackenzie this morning say that if the Canucks trade a dman, it would likely be Hutton.  I sure hope that's not the case.  

Thats a bit harsh Alf. Jim has been a straight shooter, and all he said was he'd talk to the players and agents. What he said here isn't a big departure from what he's said before, he's actually being very respectful to them imo and working with them on a solution.

 

On Hutton.... it does make a lot of sense though depending on the return. Picks are going to actually be at a premium due to Vegas being able to trade for prospects and picks right after the TDL closes, so any team wanting to protect a key player is going to offer Vegas picks, which is what Vegas wants to accumulate more than anything else. So Hutton provides a young D man that doesn't require protection from Vegas, and that is very valuable this year.

 

 

[cbdoubleu]

For me, it's not even about the return. Bottom line: I'd love to see Burrows lift the cup.

 

If he doesn't get moved, I'll be hoping Bieksa and Kesler win it like last season.

 

3 minutes ago, Alflives said:

i also heard Bob Mackenzie this morning say that if the Canucks trade a dman, it would likely be Hutton.  I sure hope that's not the case.  

 

I'm not sold on Hutton being a great D man, and I think Stetcher (who is also showing as time wears on that he's not being a true number top pairing guy) has a better offensive ceiling than Hutton.

 

Certainly the way Tryamkin, Stetcher, and Sbisa have played have put Hutton's status as a top 4 guy in question.

[Provost]

9 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

I would also add that it is consistent with the dialogue that Canucks management has had with the remaining vets.  That being, the trade clauses they have will be respected but if they aren't central to the teams plans and other teams are calling, they'll be made aware.  Really, would you want management to deal with it any other way?

Yep... I think some of the folks who, in their heads, decided that the quote from Benning a couple of months ago about not asking players to waive were overestimating what that meant.

 

Talking to players about available deals is different than demanding they waive.  If we are out of the mix, I can really see Burrows going and making a run... then even re-signing here next season.  I don't really see Hansen moving, I have three year old twins born at pretty much the same time as his were... he would be hard pressed to leave for a few months and not have them relocate with him.  Relocating a family like that would also be a big deal.  He wouldn't be keen on moving at the deadline, and we would be less keen on sending him out because he has term left at a great price for his contribution.

[Alflives]

18 minutes ago, S'all Good Man said:

Thats a bit harsh Alf. Jim has been a straight shooter, and all he said was he'd talk to the players and agents. What he said here isn't a big departure from what he's said before, he's actually being very respectful to them imo and working with them on a solution.

 

On Hutton.... it does make a lot of sense though depending on the return. Picks are going to actually be at a premium due to Vegas being able to trade for prospects and picks right after the TDL closes, so any team wanting to protect a key player is going to offer Vegas picks, which is what Vegas wants to accumulate more than anything else. So Hutton provides a young D man that doesn't require protection from Vegas, and that is very valuable this year.

 

 

I heard Ben Kuzma pretty much say JB told him this morning that the "not ask guys to waive" was made to keep the press off his players.  I think, when it comes to what's best for his team, JB will use "alternate facts".  

[Boudrias]

I can understand why teams might be interested in Hutton but Van moving him does not make sense. Their issue is the 4 d-men who are Vegas eligble. Edler-Tanev-Guddy and Sbisa. One of these d-men have to go not Hutton.  That said I suspect it will be Tanev.

[combover]

So a repeat of last year wait till the last second ask the players then watch the deal slip away and then watch the player walk for nothing. 

Way to learn from your blunders. Incompetence is an understatement for JB. 

Next season at this time Nucks will be looking for a NHL gm that knows what he's doing. Nonis oppps I mean benning can go back to riding coat tails. 

[Alflives]

1 minute ago, combover said:

So a repeat of last year wait till the last second ask the players then watch the deal slip away and then watch the player walk for nothing. 

Way to learn from your blunders. Incompetence is an understatement for JB. 

Next season at this time Nucks will be looking for a NHL gm that knows what he's doing. Nonis oppps I mean benning can go back to riding coat tails. 

Hopefully, JB will trade away aging vets for young prospects/ draft picks.  I'll give him one more TDL to accomplish that end.  I think as our team falls further from the playoffs, JB will actually make moves this year.

[oldnews]

Nothing there whatsoever to indicate he's "waivering".

 

I'm going to talk to those players and their agents = simple due process.   He's going to find out where each of them stand with respect to their limiting clauses.

Not exactly breaking news.   Of course he's going to find out who is open to being dealt.  

This is not the equivalent of asking them to waive - but it's also an opportunity to let both sides know the team's plans - and expansion certainly complicates it even more than normal, so there's nothing really there to indicate a shift in Benning's position.

[JM_]

33 minutes ago, Alflives said:

I heard Ben Kuzma pretty much say JB told him this morning that the "not ask guys to waive" was made to keep the press off his players.  I think, when it comes to what's best for his team, JB will use "alternate facts".  

Good one. I stand corrected. 

 

Its a fun time of year with all the things in play. I'm not a tankist, but I am a "speculationist". 

[JM_]

5 minutes ago, combover said:

So a repeat of last year wait till the last second ask the players then watch the deal slip away and then watch the player walk for nothing. 

Way to learn from your blunders. Incompetence is an understatement for JB. 

Next season at this time Nucks will be looking for a NHL gm that knows what he's doing. Nonis oppps I mean benning can go back to riding coat tails. 

How can you have a repeat of something that never happened? 

[stuman491]

1 hour ago, Alflives said:

I heard Ben Kuzma pretty much say JB told him this morning that the "not ask guys to waive" was made to keep the press off his players.  I think, when it comes to what's best for his team, JB will use "alternate facts".  

You've been listening to too much Trump talk lol.

[b3.]

It sure would be easier to move them for a decent return, since Burr has played fairly decent this year, as well as Hansen when he has been healthy.

 

Unlike that useless bag of air Radim Vrbata did last year.