[Article] Is Jim Benning the best GM in the NHL at the season's halfway mark?

[-AJ-]

https://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/ed-willes-is-canucks-jim-benning-the-best-gm-in-the-nhl-at-the-seasons-halfway-mark?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1579902220

 

Some interesting info in here, including the fact that Jim finished 4th in mid-season Jim Gregory (GM of the year) voting. I wonder how "Dim Jim"ers are handling all this. 

 

Quote

The Professional Hockey Writers Association — a confederacy of filberts and misfits of which your agent has been a proud member for 30-odd years, emphasis on odd — announced its midseason awards this week.

 

Most of the results were predictable. Connor McDavid won the Hart; John Carlson the Norris; Cale Makar the Calder with Canucks’ rookie Quinn Hughes finishing second.

 

There was one category, however, in which the results weren’t quite as obvious, where voters had to stop and think about their ballot. The Jim Gregory Award goes to the general manager of the year — or half-year in this case — and it went to Colorado’s Joe Sakic over the Coyotes’ John Chayka and the Blues’ Doug Armstrong.

But it also raised a question in at least one member’s mind; namely, did any GM do more to improve his team over the first half of this season than Jim Benning?

 

Benning, as it happens, finished fourth, which at least means his work with the Canucks isn’t a complete mystery to the national media. But you wonder if the voters fully appreciate the transformation that has taken place in Vancouver and the turnaround Benning has helped create.

 

[Rob_Zepp]

1 minute ago, -AJ- said:

Is Jim Benning the best GM in the NHL at the season's halfway mark?

Seems way premature to judge any GM at anything 1/2 through a season.   IF the Canucks can show compete the rest of the schedule and be playing meaningful games (playoff implications - they don't necessarily have to be in) in games 75 to 82 then one could argue he had a major role in this turnaround but "best" would be a bit of a stretch.   Continue to this climb and win some hardware in next few seasons - then let's talk.    

 

For me, Benning is a competent GM but an outstanding scout.   I think he gets too much credit at time but also he gets shat upon far too often (though lessening).  He was a good choice for the franchise at the time and I am pleased his slow build was chosen over Linden's "support the Sedins at all costs".   However, not quite ready to put him even into the conversation as "best" until what he is building/has built really does some damage post beginning of April inclusive of winning a few rounds between now and a few years from now.

[HerrDrFunk]

8 minutes ago, Rob_Zepp said:

Seems way premature to judge any GM at anything 1/2 through a season.   IF the Canucks can show compete the rest of the schedule and be playing meaningful games (playoff implications - they don't necessarily have to be in) in games 75 to 82 then one could argue he had a major role in this turnaround but "best" would be a bit of a stretch.   Continue to this climb and win some hardware in next few seasons - then let's talk.    

 

For me, Benning is a competent GM but an outstanding scout.   I think he gets too much credit at time but also he gets shat upon far too often (though lessening).  He was a good choice for the franchise at the time and I am pleased his slow build was chosen over Linden's "support the Sedins at all costs".   However, not quite ready to put him even into the conversation as "best" until what he is building/has built really does some damage post beginning of April inclusive of winning a few rounds between now and a few years from now.

For sure but they do the mid-season writers association poll for all the trophies around this time. You can't put too much stock in some categories (though others are pretty apparent at this point) but it is fun to get a gauge of how people are feeling so far. The fact that Benning is viewed as 4th place is quite a development though considering it was only a couple of years ago he was ranked 31st.

Edited January 27, 2020 by HerrDrFunk

[Rick Blight]

6 minutes ago, HerrDrFunk said:

For sure but they do the mid-season writers association poll for all the trophies around this time. You can't put too much stock in it but it is fun to get a gauge of how people are feeling so far. The fact that Benning is viewed as 4th place is quite a development though considering it was only a couple of years ago he was ranked 31st.

And he was ranked 31st at the time before Vegas had ever played a game in the NHL!

[HerrDrFunk]

4 minutes ago, Rick Blight said:

And he was ranked 31st at the time before Vegas had ever played a game in the NHL!

Yeah, that one was an onion in the ointment. 

[Rob_Zepp]

12 minutes ago, HerrDrFunk said:

The fact that Benning is viewed as 4th place is quite a development though considering it was only a couple of years ago he was ranked 31st.

Grain of salt - large one - at no time was Benning remotely close to the worst GM in the NHL....he has been a solid middle of the page GM from the start given he inherited an absolutely empty tank.    I think there is no question he has improved in the job but both rankings are seemingly tied to something other than actual GM performance.

[Noble 6]

Cap management (and Free Agency by extension) is the main thing holding him back. He's been below average at best in those two areas. 

[HerrDrFunk]

2 minutes ago, Rob_Zepp said:

Grain of salt - large one - at no time was Benning remotely close to the worst GM in the NHL....he has been a solid middle of the page GM from the start given he inherited an absolutely empty tank.    I think there is no question he has improved in the job but both rankings are seemingly tied to something other than actual GM performance.

Oh, it was a crock to be sure. Especially considering this was, I believe, right in the middle of Chiarelli doing whatever the &^@# you call what he did in Edmonton. 

[Rob_Zepp]

Just now, HerrDrFunk said:

Oh, it was a crock to be sure. Especially considering this was, I believe, right in the middle of Chiarelli doing whatever the &^@# you call what he did in Edmonton. 

[lmm]

20 minutes ago, HerrDrFunk said:

For sure but they do the mid-season writers association poll for all the trophies around this time. You can't put too much stock in some categories (though others are pretty apparent at this point) but it is fun to get a gauge of how people are feeling so far. The fact that Benning is viewed as 4th place is quite a development though considering it was only a couple of years ago he was ranked 31st.

sure but this is soooo standings based

what if the Canucks had 1 less win?

they would be in 5th in the division and not in the conversation what so ever

 

does 2 points at the mid point really change a GM form 23rd to 4th or better?

I am not siuggesting I want Jim gone, but Steve Yzerman might still be the best GM in the league

[HerrDrFunk]

3 minutes ago, lmm said:

sure but this is soooo standings based

what if the Canucks had 1 less win?

they would be in 5th in the division and not in the conversation what so ever

 

does 2 points at the mid point really change a GM form 23rd to 4th or better?

I am not siuggesting I want Jim gone, but Steve Yzerman might still be the best GM in the league

Unless I'm mistaken, the writers were polled before the Canucks were in 1st. So no, it's not just standings based. 

[Phat Fingers]

12 minutes ago, Rob_Zepp said:

Grain of salt - large one - at no time was Benning remotely close to the worst GM in the NHL....he has been a solid middle of the page GM from the start given he inherited an absolutely empty tank.    I think there is no question he has improved in the job but both rankings are seemingly tied to something other than actual GM performance.

The media dole out the awards and spin the tale.  They are binary with Vancouver.  Nice to see him getting some recognition, but I doubt he would even notice if he won.  He is an exception from a lot GM's, he is pretty humble.  

[Rob_Zepp]

16 minutes ago, Phat Fingers said:

I doubt he would even notice if he won.

[JM_]

28 minutes ago, Horvat is a Boss said:

Cap management (and Free Agency by extension) is the main thing holding him back. He's been below average at best in those two areas. 

has it tho? who did he target to date that he couldn't get? we have yet to see if the current cap situation will have any bearing on locking up the young core. 

[BCNate]

I'll say this: No GM made his team improved their team more this past year than JB did.  Miller, Meyers, Fantenberg, Benn at the NHL level, Rafferty, Podkolzin, Hoglander as prospects.  

[xereau]

He's done well.

None are perfect.

Most UFA's and a few smart trades have given us depth.

Even Loui has been a part of this team's success, there's no denying it.

 

The hatred displayed towards Benning is not much more than self loathing turned outwards.

Which is kind of sad, but not at all uncommon.

Edited January 28, 2020 by xereau

[xereau]

55 minutes ago, Phat Fingers said:

The media dole out the awards and spin the tale.  They are binary with Vancouver.  Nice to see him getting some recognition, but I doubt he would even notice if he won.  He is an exception from a lot GM's, he is pretty humble.  

[butters]

weird to pretend that this year is a result of recent changes rather than a result of a few years of rebuilding

[xereau]

1 hour ago, HerrDrFunk said:

Oh, it was a crock to be sure. Especially considering this was, I believe, right in the middle of Chiarelli doing whatever the &^@# you call what he did in Edmonton. 

If you want to go deep into the weeds, he fracked his friend's (Benning's) direct competition over, is what he did.

 

 

[Warhippy]

I kinda want to be objective about this.

 

First off, I want to take The Blues right out of the equation.  They won the cup, they had that core well in place before they had to worry about it.

 

The Yotes.  Interesting really.  Having not made the playoffs in almost a decade, their draft history also reflects this.  Since 2004, they've drafted outside of the top 13 only 4 times.  Top 10 8 times.  Top 5 4 times.  They've consistently been one of the youngest teams in the league over the last decade.  Taken some questionable trades for picks and so on.  I believe Chayka does deserve to have his name in the running, but that's a level of depth/prospects that he took over that Benning never had.  Added there was no significant crippling contracts to deal with when he took over either.

 

Sakic.  Love me some Burnaby Joe.  Like LOVE the guy.  But, again.  He took over a team on the downswing.  Since then his biggest coup was trading Duchene to Ottawa and reaping himself Byram out of it.  As GM he took over officially in 2012/2013 having been part of their BOG team since 2011.  Going back to 2009 or effectively a year or so prior to Sakic joining head office.  The Avs have drafted top 10 7 times.  With One of those picks being a 1st overall and 4 being top 5 picks as well (two top 3 and two top 4) The Avs have done damned well in recouping assets from the players they had on the team without question, but arguably Sakic had a FAR better foundation with almost no handcuffing contracts than Benning did with Vancouver

 

Now on to Benning himself.

 

Benning took over the Canucks in 2013/2014.  The teams only prospects at that time were Shinkaruk, and Bo Horvat.  Honourable mention to Jensen, Gaunce and Subban of course.  But really....the cupboards were absolutely bare.  Since then the Canucks have drafted top ten 5 times, attention to that first year as Benning took over post season. So top ten 4 times with their highest pick being back to back 5th overall.  Arguably Benning has drafted far better with his post 1st round picks with a number of players from outside the 1st round trending to or already being NHL players.  Benning as well was handcuffed with the oldest team out of the three front runners.  Also holding the most NTCs and the highest average salary over his tenure of the three teams.

 

Now, since Chayka was hired at the end of the 2015/2016 season.  Let's see the win/loss records over that span of time to start THIS particular season as it would not be fair to count Benning and Sakic's previous seasons before Chayka's hiring

 

Vancouver:  96-119-31

Colorado:  103-116-27

Arizona:  98-118-30

 

Over the last 3 years, the Canucks have won less and lost more games out of the 3.  They've also fielded the oldest team of the three until the start of this year while still having the highest salary of the three.

 

I was staunchly anti Benning.  All through his 2nd year.  Hell I had angry reports about him, his history of drafting and his teams records while he was part of the management and scouting groups in Anaheim, Buffalo and Boston.  But this guy, honestly I would put him in the front running for GM of the year at this point based on a number of criteria.  From quality of draft picks, to moving on from bad picks/trades to managing the cap as it was moving forward.  

 

I like Sakic, I will not discount what Chayka has done.  But I will say both teams had far more to work with, more assets and far more cap room.  Benning took over the oldest team with the heaviest anchors.  The guy deserves a nomination at the very least.

 

TLDR;  Benning had the oldest slowest most cap heavy team of the three with zero assets and turned it around in the 4 years this team has missed the playoffs.  He deserves a nomination

Edited January 28, 2020 by Warhippy