Why I’m excited to see what Benning can do for the Canucks going forward

[CaptKirk888]

1 hour ago, Rabbit said:

I wish Benning could do the followings in the coming season:

 

1.  Re-sign Toffoli, Motte, Sutter, Gaudette and Leivo.

2.  Let Marky walk away, keep Demko and sign a solid back-up goalie.

3.  Solve the cap issue with Baerchi, Eriksson.

4.  Keep Stretch, Beagle, Roussel and Pearson as bridge contracts.

5.  Trade Virtanen, Taner, if possible, for physical and good moving skill defence.

6.  Let Juolevi be in the line-up in the starting of next season, and give opportunities to Pod, Hog, MacEwen, Rathone and Rafferty if they seems ready.

7.   Work Tree back to the team after the KHL season completed.

Beagle and Roussel both have 2 years remaining on their contracts, Pearson 1 year left. They won’t renegotiate those contracts. Stretch is an RFA, the only one of those that may receive a ‘bridge’ contract. I suspect he may go to arbitration tho.

[DefCon1]

On 9/7/2020 at 7:59 AM, Canuckster86 said:

we need picks in the higher rounds to have a better shot at getting quality future nhl players. No pick till round 3 this year, so very unlikely we see that 3rd round pick be on the team for 3 years minimum.

 

GM needs to cut some salary this off season, get creative and IMPROVE this team. We can't afford to already be taking steps back, we need to get better each and every year

At this point, we need cap space not picks. We already have enough prospects for the next couple of years amd our window is open now. So the focus should be bringing NHL players like Toffoli to help our young players.Hoglander, Rathbone, Joulevi and Podkolzin will be on our team in the next couple of years so we have lots of young players already.

[IBatch]

On 9/7/2020 at 2:11 PM, Yung1 said:

The cap situation still isn't nearly as bad as people are making it out to be. We have the assets to afford to ship out Eriksson or some other dead money. I also don't think it will take as much as people think to move Eriksson or other dead money. We might lose a prospect doing it, but as long as their name isn't Podkolzin, Juolevi, Woo or Hoglander, I think the price is worth paying (Juolevi and woo mostly because were thin on d prospects, not necessarily because elite)

 

I've proposed before Eriksson + Virtanen and a 2nd probably gets it done if you deal em to a rebuilding squad. That's actually a really nice package for a rebuilding team that isn't concerned about cap for the next couple years. And we save $8m right there.

 

That isn’t enough.   Maybe if the 2nd is a first it could get it done. 

[canuktravella]

 

Hughes has played a lot of right D and has said he is comfortable either side.  It's Green who's uncomfortable with it.

perfect maybe rathbone will be ready helps out our teamif he is 

[Yung1]

9 hours ago, IBatch said:

That isn’t enough.   Maybe if the 2nd is a first it could get it done. 

i disagree. He has 2 seasons left on his contract at this point, and a total of just $5M left to be paid in real dollars. If I'm a rebuilding team looking to stockpile assets and JB comes to me with a young, fast, big, middle six winger, a 2nd round pick, and a veteran winger who can shut down opposing lines and be a good example to the kids  in exchange for a 7th and paying Loui about $4M more than he's worth for 2 years (when i probably dont care about cap anyway, cuz im rebuilding) then I take that deal and run. You're getting far more than you're giving up. 

It gets even more interesting when you consider he's a $6M/year cap hit but only a $2.5M/year salary expense until his contract runs out, and there's an increased chance a cap floor team needs some help reaching the cap floor due to the effects of covid.

Edited September 16, 2020 by Yung1

[iceman64]

Actually besides upgrading our D, we have players already about to help there so it's fairly easier to predict a better team next year in full confidence that the hard work is mostly done and now just tweaking where needed.. we're fine, right on schedule as most of us came to the realization JB had it in mind already..  I just hope when he goes for upgraded D, we pair a big stay at home player with an attitude paired with a guy like Hughes or Rafferty who are mostly offensive, pair that with our forward core with no shortage of firepower, things will look pretty good.. wtg JB!

[oldnews]

On 9/15/2020 at 11:44 AM, Googlie said:

Hughes has played a lot of right D and has said he is comfortable either side.  It's Green who's uncomfortable with it.

And Green is absolutely right to be.

 

The last thing the franchise needs is Hughes battling on his off side down low in the corners - on his backhand - facing the boards, attempting to move the puck with his back turned.

Horrible recipe = to be avoided.   Benn getting rocked in that position - fine - he's a bigger body - but Hughes - hard pass.

He's too valuable for mickey mouse oversights, or failing to pair him with an appropriate RHD who's on his own strong side.  No brainer.

Edited September 17, 2020 by oldnews

[iceman64]

On 9/15/2020 at 10:28 PM, DefCon1 said:

At this point, we need cap space not picks. We already have enough prospects for the next couple of years amd our window is open now. So the focus should be bringing NHL players like Toffoli to help our young players.Hoglander, Rathbone, Joulevi and Podkolzin will be on our team in the next couple of years so we have lots of young players already.

That's pretty much it, AND Tryamkin hopefully.. every pairing needs a offensive speedy PMD  and a big framed partner stay at home to cover and crease clearing, we can't ask a goalie to stop what he can't see, and deal with anyone taking runs at guys like hughes. 

JB had that almost perfectly aligned but it fell apart due to things not turning out in our favour but JB sees the need for it and if he ever nails it.. wow! 

[Angry Goose]

The Canucks finally have two key offensive producers in EP and QH.   On one hand JB should be trying to improve this team as quickly as possible and on the other these guys arn't even hitting their prime years yet.  Canucks have a lot of expiring contracts and some key young players developing at the same time.  If they can move the process along quicker than all the better but long term Im optimistic fingers crossed

[IBatch]

13 hours ago, Yung1 said:

i disagree. He has 2 seasons left on his contract at this point, and a total of just $5M left to be paid in real dollars. If I'm a rebuilding team looking to stockpile assets and JB comes to me with a young, fast, big, middle six winger, a 2nd round pick, and a veteran winger who can shut down opposing lines and be a good example to the kids  in exchange for a 7th and paying Loui about $4M more than he's worth for 2 years (when i probably dont care about cap anyway, cuz im rebuilding) then I take that deal and run. You're getting far more than you're giving up. 

It gets even more interesting when you consider he's a $6M/year cap hit but only a $2.5M/year salary expense until his contract runs out, and there's an increased chance a cap floor team needs some help reaching the cap floor due to the effects of covid.

Even without Covid and 10 or so teams up against the cap in a bad way this deal won’t get it done.  Marleau, a better player, one year cost a first.   Guess you could say JV is a first but probably not the first your hoping for.   Is he worth a first on his own?  Not sure, maybe a late one.    The other year a second?  Nope.   If it was that easy it would already be done.    With 10 teams competing for the space with 2 teams able to make it work and Covid... good luck with that.    8.5-9 million... is a lot of cap space.   

[UKNuck96]

4 hours ago, SILLY GOOSE said:

The Canucks finally have two key offensive producers in EP and QH.   On one hand JB should be trying to improve this team as quickly as possible and on the other these guys arn't even hitting their prime years yet.  Canucks have a lot of expiring contracts and some key young players developing at the same time.  If they can move the process along quicker than all the better but long term Im optimistic fingers crossed

I’m of the view that the real window for this team isn’t while EP and QH are on ELCs but when the next batch come through and replace the veterans 1-3 years from now. This means we have the elite players on their second contract money and supported with a cast of ELCs and a handful of others to fill the holes etc. 
 

I think QH and EP have been ahead of the curve expected of them massively which is why people are taking about a cap situation now, when in reality we could easily ride out the next couple of years and then make some bigger moves. I think that was the original plan, it’s just we are ahead of target which causes this, 

[CallAfterLife]

9 hours ago, UKNuck96 said:

I’m of the view that the real window for this team isn’t while EP and QH are on ELCs but when the next batch come through and replace the veterans 1-3 years from now. This means we have the elite players on their second contract money and supported with a cast of ELCs and a handful of others to fill the holes etc. 
 

I think QH and EP have been ahead of the curve expected of them massively which is why people are taking about a cap situation now, when in reality we could easily ride out the next couple of years and then make some bigger moves. I think that was the original plan, it’s just we are ahead of target which causes this, 

I feel the exact same way. A lot is riding on the next crop of prospects to support Pettersson and Hughes. Juolevi especially. The Canucks need someone to back up Hughes. Especially against Vegas. Whenever Hughes was on the bench the Canucks tended to get stuck in their own zone.

 

Even the players that are drafted going forward will be key to how competitive this team can remain in the long term. The team can now actually move assets around and retool around Pettersson and Hughes. 

Edited September 17, 2020 by CallAfterLife

[UKNuck96]

24 minutes ago, CallAfterLife said:

I feel the exact same way. A lot is riding on the next crop of prospects to support Pettersson and Hughes. Juolevi especially. The Canucks need someone to back up Hughes. Especially against Vegas. Whenever Hughes was on the bench the Canucks tended to get stuck in their own zone.

 

Even the players that are drafted going forward will be key to how competitive this team can remain in the long term. The team can now actual move assets around and retool around Pettersson and Hughes. 

Exactly. The next crop of ELCs should make some other players expendable which we can then trade to fill areas we actually need. 
 

 

[mll]

Friedman in his 31 thoughts:

 

2. Once eliminated, Canucks GM Jim Benning began making his due-diligence calls around the NHL. My sense is he’s trying to see if he can sign his UFAs and work backwards from there. There’s a desire for all of Jacob Markstrom, Christopher Tanevand Tyler Toffoli to return, but there are challenges (although there’s some positivity this week with Toffoli). The Canucks will want flexibility into the expansion draft with Markstrom and Thatcher Demko. My sense is Markstrom would consider movement protection after Seattle makes its picks, but could want contract concessions in return. Vancouver has a number it won’t go past. The challenging thing for everyone involved is that I’m hearing the market for Markstrom is strong.

 

3. As part of this, the Canucks want to begin an overhaul of their blue line. One coach said it was noticeable how differently Dallas could handle Vegas as opposed to Vancouver. The Stars have a big, strong, mobile defence that consistently broke down the Golden Knights’ offence. After he said this, I spent some time re-watching the games, and you can definitely see it. The Canucks clearly felt they had to pack in the middle and defend from there, while Dallas felt very comfortable aggressively challenging Vegas and were successful doing it. The contracts and free agency get the headlines, but this will be a critical part of Vancouver’s planning. (This coach, by the way, also said another difference between Dallas and Vancouver was the Stars sustained pressure in the offensive zone, which forced Vegas’s best forwards to change instead of rushing the puck up ice. Small thing, but a big thing.)

[PhillipBlunt]

12 hours ago, mll said:

Friedman in his 31 thoughts:

 

2. Once eliminated, Canucks GM Jim Benning began making his due-diligence calls around the NHL. My sense is he’s trying to see if he can sign his UFAs and work backwards from there. There’s a desire for all of Jacob Markstrom, Christopher Tanevand Tyler Toffoli to return, but there are challenges (although there’s some positivity this week with Toffoli). The Canucks will want flexibility into the expansion draft with Markstrom and Thatcher Demko. My sense is Markstrom would consider movement protection after Seattle makes its picks, but could want contract concessions in return. Vancouver has a number it won’t go past. The challenging thing for everyone involved is that I’m hearing the market for Markstrom is strong.

 

3. As part of this, the Canucks want to begin an overhaul of their blue line. One coach said it was noticeable how differently Dallas could handle Vegas as opposed to Vancouver. The Stars have a big, strong, mobile defence that consistently broke down the Golden Knights’ offence. After he said this, I spent some time re-watching the games, and you can definitely see it. The Canucks clearly felt they had to pack in the middle and defend from there, while Dallas felt very comfortable aggressively challenging Vegas and were successful doing it. The contracts and free agency get the headlines, but this will be a critical part of Vancouver’s planning. (This coach, by the way, also said another difference between Dallas and Vancouver was the Stars sustained pressure in the offensive zone, which forced Vegas’s best forwards to change instead of rushing the puck up ice. Small thing, but a big thing.)

Makes sense. I think Jim realizes that the biggest issue affecting the defense is size. 
 

Having Myers is great, and Edler is a horse, but the team could use at least one more larger, and more aggressive player. While Benning has stated that he’s not dipping into the FA market, if a player like Brenden Dillon is available, I can see Benning making a play for him. I do see Stecher playing for another team as well, possibly Toronto. He’s got a ton of heart and plays with edge, but he’s been physically overwhelmed by the forwards in the west far too often. 

[Nucker 67]

12 hours ago, mll said:

the Canucks want to begin an overhaul of their blue line

Stecher probably won't be back. Tanev will be re-signed. I'm assuming Juolevi makes the team next season. I'm hoping they can keep Fantenberg, I thought he was good in the playoffs. Played physical. 

 

Edler - ??? (please be Pietrangelo)

Hughes - Tanev

Juolevi - Myers

Fantenberg/Benn

[Nucker 67]

There's a good chance that Jake gets traded, but it's kind of a scary thought, trading away the Canucks fastest player when speed plays such a huge part in today's NHL. Yet, they're going to re-sign Toffoli, and both he and Boeser are fairly slow, compared to Jake. 

[-DLC-]

17 minutes ago, NUCKER67 said:

Stecher probably won't be back. Tanev will be re-signed. I'm assuming Juolevi makes the team next season. I'm hoping they can keep Fantenberg, I thought he was good in the playoffs. Played physical. 

 

Edler - ??? (please be Pietrangelo)

Hughes - Tanev

Juolevi - Myers

Fantenberg/Benn

 

12 minutes ago, NUCKER67 said:

There's a good chance that Jake gets traded, but it's kind of a scary thought, trading away the Canucks fastest player when speed plays such a huge part in today's NHL. Yet, they're going to re-sign Toffoli, and both he and Boeser are fairly slow, compared to Jake. 

"Probably won't be" and "there's a good chance" are simply your projections.

 

I feel like Stech WILL be back...we'll see.

 

Slow can be offset by hockey smarts, positioning, etc.  Size too for that matter.  I do love Jake and his speed....I'm just not convinced that's enough to keep him over other guys if he's not using it very often.  And he's not.  He needs to bring it EVERY shift and highlight those amazing attributes he does have.  Not just flashes of them.

 

I'm (not) ok whatever happens but there is more to this than speed...if you're using it to play catch up, it's not as effective as using it as a weapon on the attack.

[Nucker 67]

1 minute ago, debluvscanucks said:

Slow can be offset by hockey smarts, positioning, etc. 

Good point Deb

 

Jake is fast on his skates, but yet he's kind of slow in other areas 

[Nucker 67]

Things sound like they're heating up, the rumours have started. Only a few days ago, I was pretty sure Markstrom, Tanev and Toffoli would all be re-signed, but now I'm not so sure. Apparently there's a great deal of interest in Markstrom and Tanev. Will Toffoli be the only 1 of the 3 re-signed?

 

If Markstrom goes, then Benning is going to have to dip into free agency or make a trade. Will Holtby and Demko be the new duo down the road?  

 

If Tanev leaves, and possibly Stecher, that creates a big hole on the right side. They have Rafferty and Benn, but this is a downgrade. Will Benning also try to get a right shot Dman?   

Edited September 23, 2020 by NUCKER67