The rising NHL powerhouse that Jim Benning constructed

[Silky mitts]

5 hours ago, Monteeun said:

I believe at the time, we had to move on from Kassian. I think there were issues. ( i forgot on the specifics of the issues. If someone could correct me if i'm wrong)

In hindsight, yea, the Gud trade didn't work out, but we had to give it a shot. Our backend was very weak.

Loui, well, we gambled and failed. It is what it is.

Kassian had a drug problem 

[LowerMainLander18]

32 minutes ago, Gawdzukes said:

 

Lol. Pearson has the same number of points. Flourished indeed.

Lol. Pearson is our Top 6 right now. So sure, he's flourished especially compared to how much most people thought. 

[10pavelbure96]

Quinn Hughes is the difference maker. Hes better than Dahlin. I remember how happy JB was that we got him at 7.

 

He knows what hes doing. We won 2 hindsight lotteries with petey and Quinn.

 

Hindsight lottery>>> actual draft lottery

[Toyotasfan]

How many empty spaces do we have left in the Ring of Honour ? Something like 8 ? What if we win the cup ? Might have to downsize some of those 400 career point spaces so we can fit

a team full of legends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[HockeyHarry]

I’m on board the Jimbo train, this IS the best Canucks as an organization has Ever been. The team was better in MG days but with zero prospects. Jimbo is doing an amazing job considering pleasing the Aquaman non rebuild early days sign Loui E was Aquaowner fault imo.

 

go Jimbo goo...thx for future Canucks fortunates.

[aGENT]

On 12/4/2019 at 6:17 PM, Junkyard Dog said:

We're still a few pieces off.

 

Besides Quinn we don't really have any stand outs on D with Juolevi potential up in the air under his unfortunate circumstances. Maybe Rafferty? Maybe Tryamkin(if we are lucky). Only time will tell. IMO we need one more Hughes-level defenseman.

 

Need a couple more top 6 forwards unless the Canucks fully commit to Gaudette converting to wing. Pod could, we'll see but there's nobody but him currently that i'd expect in our prospect pool.

 

A lot of things need to go right for us to become a powerhouse but most of the core pieces are there. 

Rathbone? Tryamkin? Hoglander? Lind? Madden?

[Junkyard Dog]

8 minutes ago, aGENT said:

Rathbone? Tryamkin? Hoglander? Lind? Madden?

You'd be putting a lot of faith on those guys to pan out into top 6 forwards and top 4/Hughes level Defensman. As I said a lot would have to go right. I see all of our forwards we have as top 9 guys save Pod. Time will tell. As I said the only sure fire guy you could say is Pod, everyone else is a wait and see.

 

Ideally we should be trying to acquire more through the draft. Since we are giving up a 1st to TBL it'll make it harder the next couple years. We could trade for picks but we shouldn't be hindering our team with the TBL deal. Playoffs should be on our mind the next couple years. Probably not smart to sell anybody and risk having to give TBL a lotto pick.

 

JB is in a tough spot in regards to acquiring more talent next two years. He has acquired some talent late so you gotta have some faith. Acquiring top level talent late is hard though. If he is able to pull another Boeser level player then we're one more step closer to the powerhouse you're suggesting.

 

To summarize I want 1-2 more Pod level prospects on top of the players that could surprise.

[Russ]

On 12/2/2019 at 11:04 AM, Tortorella's Rant said:

Injury prone 21 year old. It's even more painful considering who came right after them. Either the scouting reports were way off on Juolevi or they took a prospect based on positional need which is hugely stupid. 

No one can predict he would end up with multiple injuries right after his draft though.  Thats the unfortunate part, and every team as you look through history has a bunch of these so whatever, crap happens.  Hell how many teams are looking and thinking "wait how did we pass up Petey and Quinn".  At the end of the day the draft is a crap shoot and you hope you end up with more wins than losses.

Edited December 6, 2019 by Russ

[iceman64]

12 hours ago, CupIsComing said:

The danger of drafting for position and not picking the best player available. Hopefully JB has learned that lesson.

Who said it didn't work? Most people had him as a shoe in as a top for D, forwards with good skill are almost a dime a dozen, d-men on the other hand who can play great D, move the puck up well and throw in goals too is a sought after commodity and that's not going to change anytime soon.. so he had caught the injury bug and he lost time but rest assured that he'll put Salo's teaching to the best use and with that snipe wrist shot, he'll do fine, we have to be patient with the whole team, 1 player at a time.. 

 And aren't we supposed to be dead last or close to it? As far as the media called it, like 25 and lower but we had a crazy hard November and playing the best teams in hockey and won half so that puts that to rest since we had our injuries yet again but coming out of November in the middle of the pack and we're getting guys back, we'll be fine and might even squeeze in a first round but otherwise, we will have a really really good team in 2-3 years but enjoy the ride, the climb is almost over and looking downhill from here.. 

 The most important thing we needed the most is here and on the way, size if Tree makes it back and Pods bringing his Burr-like game and Hogs, his petey-like game, as long as we don't rush anyone and screw up their development, then we're going to be pretty damn good.. 

OJ just slowed down, he did not stop developing and being taught by one of the best Dmen in Canuck history made sure of that..

Edited December 6, 2019 by iceman64

[J.I.A.H.N]

On 12/2/2019 at 11:04 AM, Tortorella's Rant said:

Injury prone 21 year old. It's even more painful considering who came right after them. Either the scouting reports were way off on Juolevi or they took a prospect based on positional need which is hugely stupid. 

Come Tort's

Look, everyone had a horse in the race (everyone had a favorite), but Juolevi was ranked pretty much right where we picked him...…….that is a bottom line point.

 

Further more, Gillis had not stocked our prospect shelves with any Dmen prospects. So we were in the position of having to pick one, if in our wheelhouse, and again Oli Juolevi was right there....

 

Sure, MT looks good, but what if he had failed, would you have just gone onto the next shiny penny and held it up? I think so!

 

I do not disagree, that Juolevi has not yet showed anything, but no GM is a 100% with their 1st picks, as there is pretty much always someone behind the player picked, that is as good, if not better.

 

Brock Boeser was picked 23rd.....so are 22 other GM's that picked before Benning all failures, or are those players picked before Brock that did not turn out as good, all 

failures? Of course not.

 

So, here we are in 2019 and Juolevi has either been in juniors, Finland, in the AHL or injured, and has been recovering......did anyone know he would be injured as much, before the draft? Has those injuries hampered his development? Well yeah!

 

So, the question is, if someone had not hurt his back or leg, would he be better than MT right now? I say, you have no clue, and neither do I, or anyone else.

 

Now, I am not saying he will ever turn out, or that he will ever be better than MT, but as of now, it has all been circumstantial as of now, and we will only be able to make an 

educated opinion, after the fact......maybe 2 or 3 years from now at best.

 

I just question anyone criticizing a prospect that was ranked high and has not had the honest chance to prove himself. Regardless of how long it takes,

 

Question to you...……...

 

If MT blows out his knee and never plays again, and then Juolevi gets it together and becomes a 10 year player, that gets some allstar nods, then would you say MT was a failure? No, you would say, he was a great player, and it was too bad he got hurt. Juolevi could be doing it in reverse, and all his injuries are behind him....who knows?

 

I say, we wait, before saying he was a bust...……………….Don't you think that is fair?

 

PS.....you could be right, but let's give the kid a chance to prove himself.

Edited December 6, 2019 by janisahockeynut

[Phil_314]

On 12/4/2019 at 6:17 PM, Junkyard Dog said:

We're still a few pieces off.

 

Besides Quinn we don't really have any stand outs on D with Juolevi potential up in the air under his unfortunate circumstances. Maybe Rafferty? Maybe Tryamkin(if we are lucky). Only time will tell. IMO we need one more Hughes-level defenseman.

 

Need a couple more top 6 forwards unless the Canucks fully commit to Gaudette converting to wing. Pod could, we'll see but there's nobody but him currently that i'd expect in our prospect pool.

 

A lot of things need to go right for us to become a powerhouse but most of the core pieces are there. 

Thinking this too.  Couple things I hope they try later in the season is 1) Ferland/ Roussel as physical net-front guys to impose their will in playoff series with Pete and Brock (I feel like the Lotto line could be thoroughly scouted and teams with defensive system could stifle them so they need a bigger guy to break through esp. when things slow down), and 2) figure out where Gaudette best fits (play-making winger with Bo?  3rd line winger for Sutter?  Centering the 3rd line despite face-off problems?).  The trickle down effect of resolving these questions would be pretty significant as we can have the time to see who gels with whom.  

 

On the back end we need to find ways to kick-start Myers' offense without tasking him with too much (that or shelter him on a shutdown pairing with Benn or have him with Hughes and have Quinn skate the puck to safety up ice), and hopefully be able to finally give Juolevi a look.     

[Law of Goalies]

On 12/3/2019 at 3:40 AM, ItTakesAnArmy said:

Both Pettersson and Hughes and for that matter all the 1rst round picks so far except McCann and Boeser have been lottery picks so there was no plan to get these guys.

If you look at several scouting reports and draft lists these players are pretty much BPA with the exception of Virtanen and Juolevi, with those two he went a little off the lists, not much, but a little. Both players were listed at their draft spots on a few lists but not the majority.

Boeser was listed at 25 or 26 on 9 lists so he WAS BPA.

 

They need  Podkolzin and this years 1rst to work out along with resigning Tryamkin.

From what I read during those respective drafts, Petterson wasn't even top 10 according to most reports. Juolevi and Virtanen I agree was slightly off the list but not much as I think both were top 10. As we only wanted D, sergachev was an offensive D with bad D skills. Charlie McAvoy was the only one we missed I think. But a lot of people did.

[iinatcc]

I think the core so far is quite good

Petterson

Horvat

Boeser

Hughes 

I think Vancouver is probably 2 or 3 core players missing from being a very good team. 

They still need another D-Man, and a utility player, and a true #1 goalie.

 

The of course the question is the other pieces to fill the line up. 

[IBatch]

1 hour ago, iinatcc said:

I think the core so far is quite good

Petterson

Horvat

Boeser

Hughes 

I think Vancouver is probably 2 or 3 core players missing from being a very good team. 

They still need another D-Man, and a utility player, and a true #1 goalie.

 

The of course the question is the other pieces to fill the line up. 

The teams cap structure can only afford one or two more core players as it stands now and in the future, and that includes doesnt include Podz.   BB, Horvat, QH, Miller and EP is a pretty great start plus  Demko who so far is playing like an average or slightly above average number one goalie (which makes him a true number #1 goalie does it not?? We've got two given  JM has finally also joined the ranks of the top 31 netminders in the NHL - both right around the middle of the pack as far as starters go) 

 

Take CHI for instance - and only when Kane and Toews were on their second contracts (after they got paid their core shrunk even further).   Add Hossa, Sharp, Keith, Seabrook and Crawford.  7 guys.   We've already got six including Demko.  Once these guys are all on their second contacts - AND - assuming they don't get too much because they certainly can nowadays (see TO) we will be extremely hard pressed to be able to afford anymore players of the same caliber.  One or two at best.   Thems the brakes - IF OJ becomes one or was one already our lineup would be set for the next seven years or so.  He'd be the final piece.

[cuporbust]

This has been one of , if not the best rebuild through the draft in Vancouver history.  The guys Benning got without a single top 3 pick is truely unbelievable.  

[Putgolzin]

5 hours ago, iinatcc said:

I think the core so far is quite good

Petterson

Horvat

Boeser

Hughes 

I think Vancouver is probably 2 or 3 core players missing from being a very good team. 

They still need another D-Man, and a utility player, and a true #1 goalie.

 

The of course the question is the other pieces to fill the line up. 

I’m foreseeing Gaudette smashing his way into that core over the remainder of the season.

I think we’re flush with utility players and potential in goal.

I guess I’m optimistic, but maybe we’re only one super-legit D-man away from being mostly set.

[aGENT]

9 hours ago, Junkyard Dog said:

You'd be putting a lot of faith on those guys to pan out into top 6 forwards and top 4/Hughes level Defensman. As I said a lot would have to go right. I see all of our forwards we have as top 9 guys save Pod. Time will tell. As I said the only sure fire guy you could say is Pod, everyone else is a wait and see.

 

Ideally we should be trying to acquire more through the draft. Since we are giving up a 1st to TBL it'll make it harder the next couple years. We could trade for picks but we shouldn't be hindering our team with the TBL deal. Playoffs should be on our mind the next couple years. Probably not smart to sell anybody and risk having to give TBL a lotto pick.

 

JB is in a tough spot in regards to acquiring more talent next two years. He has acquired some talent late so you gotta have some faith. Acquiring top level talent late is hard though. If he is able to pull another Boeser level player then we're one more step closer to the powerhouse you're suggesting.

 

To summarize I want 1-2 more Pod level prospects on top of the players that could surprise.

I've got a fair amount of faith in Rathbone to pan out for what that's worth. Kid has 'it' IMO. (Along with Juolevi, if he can get/stay healthy), that's a solid chunk of 'top 4'. Add them to Hughes, Myers a likely returning Tryamkin and sprinkle in some Woo, Rafferty, Brisebois, Utunen etc and in think we've got enough pieces to pull something together. Even more so if supplemented by trade/a UFA.

 

Hoglander is certainly trending well. Perhaps even as well as Pokolzin (who I'm also a fan of).  Between those two, Gaudette, Madden, Virtanen and Lind (the latter I will agree are likely more 'middle 6'), we have plenty of bodies to fill out our top 6 past Pettersson, Boeser, Miller and Horvat. I mean that's only 2 holes in the top 6... You don't think 2 of those 6 guys end up capable top 6 players (with the others likely ending up really good 3rd liners)?

 

A couple years ago guys like you were saying 'I don't see the future core here' too  Pettersson was a skinny 'maybe', there was no Hughes, Boeser was still in college etc.

 

Perhaps it's time to have a little faith 

[stawns]

1 hour ago, aGENT said:

I've got a fair amount of faith in Rathbone to pan out for what that's worth. Kid has 'it' IMO. (Along with Juolevi, if he can get/stay healthy), that's a solid chunk of 'top 4'. Add them to Hughes, Myers a likely returning Tryamkin and sprinkle in some Woo, Rafferty, Brisebois, Utunen etc and in think we've got enough pieces to pull something together. Even more so if supplemented by trade/a UFA.

 

Hoglander is certainly trending well. Perhaps even as well as Pokolzin (who I'm also a fan of).  Between those two, Gaudette, Madden, Virtanen and Lind (the latter I will agree are likely more 'middle 6'), we have plenty of bodies to fill out our top 6 past Pettersson, Boeser, Miller and Horvat. I mean that's only 2 holes in the top 6... You don't think 2 of those 6 guys end up capable top 6 players (with the others likely ending up really good 3rd liners)?

 

A couple years ago guys like you were saying 'I don't see the future core here' too  Pettersson was a skinny 'maybe', there was no Hughes, Boeser was still in college etc.

 

Perhaps it's time to have a little faith 

I expect JB to move Marky for a 1st or a high end prospect at some point before the ED draft too.  That will add some high end depth as well.

[aGENT]

10 minutes ago, stawns said:

I expect JB to move Marky for a 1st or a high end prospect at some point before the ED draft too.  That will add some high end depth as well.

Well yes, Marky or otherwise, Benning's likely to move out guys as we're starting to run out of roster spots for all these players. That could also include guys like Stecher, Tanev, Virtanen etc over the next couple years as well.

 

This team is not going to sit here static over the next few years. As more young guys make the club, it will push other guys out. Guy's we can move for picks and prospects as you noted or to fill other holes on the roster. People best get used to the idea of change now. It's coming.

[HockeyHarry]

It’s early but I’m throwing Gaudette into the young core category. He turning into one of my favorites on the the team as well as the other 4 core guys. 
 

The magnificent five with their guns a blazing.

Petty

Bo

Brock

Quinn

Gaud