Aquilini’s intentions with JB

[VanGnome]

To be honest, Benning is a builder. I think we have "rebuilt" but need time for that foundation to pour. I think having a savvy GM in place of Benning can make the necessary nuanced moves required to ensure that foundation doesn't crack.

Echoing everyone else's point about Judd Brackett, I think he's kind of rendered Benning useless. I have a feeling that Linden is going to push for a more veteran GM to step in, and chances are it's going to be Ken Holland.

AQ loves big names, radio talking heads said Holland won't want to come in as just a GM, but he actually turned down a promotion which would have given Jim Nil the GM role and Steve Yzerman the AGM role, instead now both Nil and Yzerman are gone.
 

I think Holland is happy in the role of GM, and likes being surrounded by competent people to delegate tasks to. Brackett can head up amateur and pro scouting, He'll probably want to bring in someone of his own choosing for AGM so I see Weisbrod moving on if Benning isn't re-upped.

[Alflives]

2 minutes ago, GiveEmTheCan said:

Re-sign Benning, Fire Linden.

 

Put someone with real experience running a successful hockey club in charge of the team. Half a decade in and Linden still doesn’t have any. 

You think that’s what Aqualini is going to do?  

[baumerman77]

When was the last time a Canadian GM got a contract extension after finishing bottom 5 for 3 seasons in a row (I am assuming a bottom 5 finish this year)?

[CanuckGAME]

He deserves to see this through.  Prospects take time to develop after being drafted.  He's drafted well,  and next year we should see a few more of his picks make the big club.  Its unfair to let him go when all his hard work will just start to pay off.  Say we win the lottery this year and add Dahlin.  You cant tell me with a young core of Dahlin,Juolevi,Pettersson,Boeser,Horvat that we arent on the fast track to being contenders.  Benning deserves more time. Rebuilds aren't completed over night.  Even without getting Dahlin,  were going to get another great young player. Benning has done a damn amazing job adding elite young talent to this franchise. 

 

In this franchises entire history we have never had a stronger prospect pool.  Never.

 

Me if Benning isn't resigned.  Do the right thing Francesco 

[JeremyCuddles]

If they don't extend Benning I will say very mean things about AquaLad on the Twitters. It'd be stupid to let him go. Absolutely stupid. Like, super ultra mega stupid. Like, trading Erat for Forsberg stupid. Like, naming Messier captain stupid.

[oldnews]

What is Aquilini's word worth - that he hired Linden to make this/these decisions?

[Canucklehead73]

I think he will resign benning.

 

But as a businessman if you feel you can improve your position going a different direction you make the adjustment.

 

Will be interesting what he does but truth be told I don't see anyone available who would make a tangible difference.

[GiveEmTheCan]

42 minutes ago, Alflives said:

You think that’s what Aqualini is going to do?  

If he’s as shrewd a businessman as his savings account would suggest, Linden’s done. He was brought in to insulate ownership and the franchise from the growing unrest amongst the fans. He was supposed to be the spoonful of sugar that would help the medicine of an unpopular “retool” go down. The move failed in spectacular fashion. In the years since Linden has been the spokesperson for the Canucks, support for the team has waned more than anyone could have anticipated. Linden inherited a sold out building and 16k STHs with a healthy waitlist and has seen that number dwindle to a little over 12. A 400 plus game sell out streak ended under his watch and it’s to the point that you can’t give Canucks tickets away anymore. The secondary market for Canucks games is nonexistent. If you think that doesn’t matter to the franchise you have to consider STHs take resale value into account when deciding whether or not to renew and Canucks games have become a bad investment. The team is worth nearly 100 million less than it was when Linden was hired and much of that is attributable to Linden’s inability to set a proper roadmap for the franchise. Nothing he has done in the past half decade has proven that Linden knows how to build a winner. In fact, I’d argue that he’s committed some egregious errors these past five years which indicate strongly a person in over his head and a franchise that will continue to spin its tires until a change is made. 

[appleboy]

57 minutes ago, VanGnome said:

To be honest, Benning is a builder. I think we have "rebuilt" but need time for that foundation to pour. I think having a savvy GM in place of Benning can make the necessary nuanced moves required to ensure that foundation doesn't crack.

Echoing everyone else's point about Judd Brackett, I think he's kind of rendered Benning useless. I have a feeling that Linden is going to push for a more veteran GM to step in, and chances are it's going to be Ken Holland.

AQ loves big names, radio talking heads said Holland won't want to come in as just a GM, but he actually turned down a promotion which would have given Jim Nil the GM role and Steve Yzerman the AGM role, instead now both Nil and Yzerman are gone.
 

I think Holland is happy in the role of GM, and likes being surrounded by competent people to delegate tasks to. Brackett can head up amateur and pro scouting, He'll probably want to bring in someone of his own choosing for AGM so I see Weisbrod moving on if Benning isn't re-upped.

We know Brackett is a rising star but how much influence has Benning had to do with making decisions. That we Don't know. All we have is rumor. Brackett said that things were done as a group effort. Are you willing to risk removing a potential key piece.  I would rather give it a few more years. If it ain't broke .......

[rekker]

1 minute ago, appleboy said:

We know Brackett is a rising star but how much influence has Benning had to do with making decisions. That we Don't know. All we have is rumor. Brackett said that things were done as a group effort. Are you willing to risk removing a potential key piece.  I would rather give it a few more years. If it ain't broke .......

I agree. JB still has final hammer. So success or failure at the draft is on him. So far more good than bad and improving. If some or a lot of credit goes to his employees so be it. That's what a good boss does. Hires good people and works with them. 

[ynwa]

1 hour ago, R.Dahlin26 said:

The Loui Eriksson contract is really bad but it would be the 4th worst move for me. The Virtanen over Nylander/Ehlers and Juolevi over Tkachuk/Keller blunders impact this franchise the most. We're talking about two 60 point U21 players that would've been future core players that Benning indefensibly passed on. Then you have the Kesler Trade which we came out with absolutely nothing that helps the franchise going forward.

 

Imo Benning will be let go. If he wasn't he would have an extension already.

 

I expect Aquilini just wants the season to end and make the announcements at the end of the year like past GM's let go.

What you're saying may be true, who knows, the draft is a bit of a crapshoot. The Ericsson deal, however, cost big money, and that is very important to Mr. A.

 

[THERETOOL]

4 hours ago, samurai said:

It is Linden's call.   He will or has already presented the owners with a report on what should be done, and the owners will leave it up to him.  That is how it works people.  Trevor is getting paid to make the decisions.

said it before , ill say it again ..  I think Linden " IS " making the decisions ..   wont be surprised if he just expands his role 

[The Great Canucks]

16 minutes ago, GiveEmTheCan said:

If he’s as shrewd a businessman as his savings account would suggest, Linden’s done. He was brought in to insulate ownership and the franchise from the growing unrest amongst the fans. He was supposed to be the spoonful of sugar that would help the medicine of an unpopular “retool” go down. The move failed in spectacular fashion. In the years since Linden has been the spokesperson for the Canucks, support for the team has waned more than anyone could have anticipated. Linden inherited a sold out building and 16k STHs with a healthy waitlist and has seen that number dwindle to a little over 12. A 400 plus game sell out streak ended under his watch and it’s to the point that you can’t give Canucks tickets away anymore. The secondary market for Canucks games is nonexistent. If you think that doesn’t matter to the franchise you have to consider STHs take resale value into account when deciding whether or not to renew and Canucks games have become a bad investment. The team is worth nearly 100 million less than it was when Linden was hired and much of that is attributable to Linden’s inability to set a proper roadmap for the franchise. Nothing he has done in the past half decade has proven that Linden knows how to build a winner. In fact, I’d argue that he’s committed some egregious errors these past five years which indicate strongly a person in over his head and a franchise that will continue to spin its tires until a change is made. 

Umm, no, he didn't. He inherited a stale core that everyone could see needed a rebuild. It doesn't matter if someone else was hired in Linden's spot, the same thing with attendance would still happen because it was pretty damn clear it was Aquilini who wanted the quick fix and prevented the rebuild.

[hammertime]

1 hour ago, CanuckGAME said:

He deserves to see this through.  Prospects take time to develop after being drafted.  He's drafted well,  and next year we should see a few more of his picks make the big club.  Its unfair to let him go when all his hard work will just start to pay off.  Say we win the lottery this year and add Dahlin.  You cant tell me with a young core of Dahlin,Juolevi,Pettersson,Boeser,Horvat that we arent on the fast track to being contenders.  Benning deserves more time. Rebuilds aren't completed over night.  Even without getting Dahlin,  were going to get another great young player. Benning has done a damn amazing job adding elite young talent to this franchise. 

 

In this franchises entire history we have never had a stronger prospect pool.  Never.

 

Me if Benning isn't resigned.  Do the right thing Francesco 

I was right with you there up until that last part.

[Gaudette Celly]

3 hours ago, ynwa said:

If they do let Jim go, I think it will primarily be because of the Loui signing. Of all the stuff he's done since coming here, that was the standout screwup.

Any deals like that would have been signed off by ownership.  If GMs got canned because of one bad signing there'd be a whole lot more out of work. 

[CanuckGAME]

21 minutes ago, hammertime said:

I was right with you there up until that last part.

Was clearly a joke LOL.

[NewbieCanuckFan]

 

2 hours ago, CanuckGAME said:

 

In this franchises entire history we have never had a stronger prospect pool.  Never.

 

78/79.......Bill Derlago, Curt Fraser, Stan Smyl, Rick Vaive, Brent Ashton, Dirk Graham (Selke winner), Thomas Gradin (wasn't drafted but a prospect who's rights were acquired by giving the Black Hawks a draft pick

[DeNiro]

Holland and Maloney? Seriously? If those are our best options for replacing Benning then no thanks.

 

Look at Maloney's drafting in Phoenix, it was horrible. And Holland has done nothing but show that Nill was the brains of the operation in Detroit.

 

This would simply be change for the sake of it and it would not make us better.

[Quantum]

My worry honestly isn't about Ken Holland becoming the potential GM if Jim Benning isnt extended but rather that Trevor Linden will somehow talk his way into becoming the GM instead much like Sakic in Colorado. As much as I like Linden as a President (and as a player), he'd be pretty terrible at the job of GM and I'd worry our scouting would plummet under him. I doubt that scenario plays out but I'm surprised that isnt being talked about much at all.

 

With that said, I'm in the boat of keep Jim Benning. He deserves to see the rebuild through. We're a lot closer then I expected thanks to the emergence of Brock Boeser as a *probable* elite difference maker for this team. Give time to Juolevi, Pettersson, Gaudette, Lind, Gadjovich, Demko, Palmu, etc and I think we're in a lot better of a position then some experts would lead you to believe.

 

[Sean Monahan]

People talking about Judd Brackett’s emergence making Benning expendable or redundant- is it not entirely possible that a new GM could come in wanting his own guys and let Brackett go? Benning let Gilman go, a man many people considered to be good at his job.