Jim Benning, An Excellent Evaluator of Talent, BUT NO GM!

[vannuck59]

6 hours ago, Provost said:

His best skill is drafting, so trading ways so many good picks seems like it was a bad idea.

Bingo

 

6 hours ago, spur1 said:

Canucks will be fine.

Okay When?

[vannuck59]

3 hours ago, janisahockeynut said:

In a year where Pettersson, Hughes, Gaudette, Juolevi and Demko all need new contracts

Well at the pace they are on Benning will be giving out cheap contracts Hughes is inline for a historic Plus / Minus and Pettersson looks to be on pace for 20 points, Demko LOL may never win a game. so yah good year for contracts.

[vannuck59]

Lot of Pun-dents say JB could not aford to keep Markstrom ,Tanev, Toffoli

Lets do the math .

 

Kept / Toffoli (4,250,000) x 4,  Tanev ( 4,500,000) x 4, Markstrom (6,000,000) x 6

OUT / Virtanen (traded for a 2nd round pic )  and dont sign Holtby, Schmidt, Hamonic

Sign / C Folin , ($850,000) x 1 ,J Hawryluk  $800,000 x 1

 

Miller    Pettersson    Boeser

Pearson  Horvat     Toffoli

Hoglander   Gaudette   MacEwen

Motte        Beagle      Sutter

 

Hughes    Tanev

Edler     Myers

Juolevi  Chatfield 

 

Markstrom   /  Demko

 

Press Box   Folin, Bailey

 

Taxi  / Brisebois , Rathbone , Benn , DiPietro , Michaelis , Roussel

LTIR  Ferland , Hawryluk

Utica  Bartschi ,Eriksson

 

Total Cap used $68,746,667. Cap Buried $10,066,666  Buyouts and penalties $4,068,545, LTIR  $4,300,000

Cap Remaining . $1,218,122

So cap fits now you say well what about signing Hughes and Pettersson next year  you need about $15 mil next year

Well thats next year,  

Trade Demko for picks so you dont lose him in the expansion draft for nothing

 

Pearson, Edler, Benn, Sutter, Hawryluk, Bartschi all coming off the books. So JB could have kept all three plus signed some depth D. also he then could have traded some assets for draft picks.  Instead of giving up draft picks

Resign Edler for a reasonable contract. Bring in a cheap back up goalie 

 

So yah bad decisions by JB thats why he is the worst GM

 

[canucklehead44]

The GM’s primary job is roster management and has little to do with scouting. The first round is usually where they have the influence especially with a top 10 pick.

 

I will give him credit on listening to his scouts on EP as he was off the board. Hughes was the BPA and would have been stupid to pass. Juolevi over Tkachuk (I thought we would trade down a few spots and pick one of Sergachev/Chychrun/Juolevi/McAvoy since they were all pretty similar and could maybe get an extra 2nd). Virtanen over Ehlers.

 

His trades have been a bit all over the place. Some good ones, but did not acquire enough picks during our rebuild.

 

For signings he gets an F. Terrible deals at the time that look even worse than we could have imagined. He really handcuffed the team. 
 

Overall I give Benning a C and the A+ goes to Judd Brackett.

[appleboy]

Jim is good at evaluating prospects. His drafting has been a substantial improvement over anything we have ever had before. As far as evaluating NHL players , I think he is mediocre. UFA's and trades that have been made look like a 50/50 hit miss ratio.

I think Jimbo's biggest weakness has been on the contract side. The willingness in his first few years as a GM to hand out larger salaries then the players were worth. It seems like he would give an extra year or so on the deals just to be sure he landed someone. Maybe it was because no one wanted to be here?

 

I think that he has shown improvement when it comes to contracts and he seems to be realizing the importance of managing the cap. He held back from over paying Marky and Tanev. Both of these players were important to the team last year and are currently missed but they are also older players who landed large salaries with more term then what is wise to give them. Now that would be fine if we were ready to challenge for the cup this year. But we aren't. Those would have been contracts that would just handcuff the team in a few years. We have enough of those right now.

 

I can't see the owners doing anything until this covid mess is done and the fans are back in the buildings. Until the revenue streams are back , what we see is what we get. Maybe they will they will look to accumulate some assets this year. If some of our vets stay healthy and play well they could try and move them at trade deadline. Sutter , Pearson , Benn, Hamonic and who knows maybe Edler would agree to accept a trade to a playoff team and then return next year.

Edited January 24, 2021 by appleboy

[Heretic]

Jim Benning, An Excellent Evaluator of Talent, BUT NO GM!

 

According to Wikipedia, " He serves as the general manager of the Vancouver Canucks".

 

[Provost]

5 hours ago, King Heffy said:

It means his peers think he's doing a pretty decent job.  I'll trust that before some random people on a hockey forum that collectively lost their **** when Benning picked Pettersson over Vilardi.

Any time there is a ranking of GMs, Benning sits at or near the bottom.

 

https://nhl.nbcsports.com/2020/11/30/nhl-power-rankings-ranking-the-nhl-general-managers/

 

The most important metric is wins and Benning is sub 500 over his career and we are again currently dead last (when you equalize for game played)  in the league in his 7th season.  No active GM with his record has kept their job as long as he has.

 

There was optimism around the team having made a step in the right direction last season, but the offseason wasn’t good.  All the players we lost were outperforming their contracts and the opportunity cost of not exiting bad money meant we couldn’t sign other players.

 

The only reason we have any hope at all is because we have been one of the worst teams in the league for many years and keep drafting high.  If we are in that position again a little farther into this season he should lose his job, he is extremely lucky to still have it right now.

 

Linden is no great shakes as an executive, but we would certainly be in better shape if we hadn’t signed all those veterans that all reports say he was against.  I take Linden/Brackett over Benning/Weisbrod... and apparently those were the two main camps in the front office.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[vannuck59]

1 hour ago, appleboy said:

I think that he has shown improvement when it comes to contracts and he seems to be realizing the importance of managing the cap. He held back from over paying Marky and Tanev. Both of these players were important to the team last year and are currently missed but they are also older players who landed large salaries with more term then what is wise to give them. Now that would be fine if we were ready to challenge for the cup this year. But we aren't. Those would have been contracts that would just handcuff the team in a few years. We have enough of those right now.

I disagree how would those contracts effect us going forward .Allot of goalies play well into there 30 s same as defensemen. Markstrom  was our MVP now he is going to be Calgary's.  Toffoli could be traded anytime so there is that . I think you are wrong it would have been better for development of our core to keep them. Ask any Calgary fan out Markstrom and Tanev and they are laughing at us. Toffoli will be Habs highest point man . again ask them what they think of Toffoli  !

[YEGCanuck]

If it was my decision to make I would be willing to see how Jimbo manages the expansion draft, however the importance of that event may also be a reason to send him packing in advance.

[Sbriggs]

13 hours ago, Slegr said:

I’m actually quite pleased with Joulevi. Injuries delayed his career, but right now he’s got the best +\- on the Canucks.

I agree and no GM bat 100%

[Chris12345]

4 hours ago, vannuck59 said:

Lot of Pun-dents say JB could not aford to keep Markstrom ,Tanev, Toffoli

Lets do the math .

 

Kept / Toffoli (4,250,000) x 4,  Tanev ( 4,500,000) x 4, Markstrom (6,000,000) x 6

OUT / Virtanen (traded for a 2nd round pic )  and dont sign Holtby, Schmidt, Hamonic

Sign / C Folin , ($850,000) x 1 ,J Hawryluk  $800,000 x 1

 

Miller    Pettersson    Boeser

Pearson  Horvat     Toffoli

Hoglander   Gaudette   MacEwen

Motte        Beagle      Sutter

 

Hughes    Tanev

Edler     Myers

Juolevi  Chatfield 

 

Markstrom   /  Demko

 

Press Box   Folin, Bailey

 

Taxi  / Brisebois , Rathbone , Benn , DiPietro , Michaelis , Roussel

LTIR  Ferland , Hawryluk

Utica  Bartschi ,Eriksson

 

Total Cap used $68,746,667. Cap Buried $10,066,666  Buyouts and penalties $4,068,545, LTIR  $4,300,000

Cap Remaining . $1,218,122

So cap fits now you say well what about signing Hughes and Pettersson next year  you need about $15 mil next year

Well thats next year,  

Trade Demko for picks so you dont lose him in the expansion draft for nothing

 

Pearson, Edler, Benn, Sutter, Hawryluk, Bartschi all coming off the books. So JB could have kept all three plus signed some depth D. also he then could have traded some assets for draft picks.  Instead of giving up draft picks

Resign Edler for a reasonable contract. Bring in a cheap back up goalie 

 

So yah bad decisions by JB thats why he is the worst GM

 

Does Aqua approve of your plan? I sense there is more to hockey ops than mathematics.

[vannuck59]

12 minutes ago, Chris12345 said:

Does Aqua approve of your plan? I sense there is more to hockey ops than mathematics.

Yah I bet he would have looking at the mess we are in now.

[Crabcakes]

I think that the problem with the OP's thinking is the assumption that Benning has been making all of the high level decisions wrt the direction that the team has taken from the moment he was hired.

 

We know that ownership wants to win a championship badly and they came so very close in 2011.  They won a Presidents trophy in 2012 and got bounced in the first round of the playoffs but in either case, you would have easily been able to argue that they were the best team in the league.  

 

In 2013, the Canucks finished 8th overall and were swept in the first round by the Sharks.  Gillis could see that the team had peaked and were falling off.  The core of the team, the Sedin brothers were over 30.  You could argue that when Gillis traded Schneider to draft Horvat in 2013, that he was beginning a rebuild and it may well have been the smart thing to do.  From the perspective of ownership, how could they accept a rebuild when they were so close to the ultimate prize?  Other teams have been a threat to win the cup for 5 or more years running.  I think that one of the big reasons why Gillis was let go was this difference of opinion with ownership.  I know there were other reasons but I'm not writing a book.

 

So when they hired the new President and GM in 2014 they needed a management team who would follow their vision.  I have argued that Benning did exactly that as late as 2016 when he signed Loui Eriksson.  That signing was clearly designed to support the Sedins and take another run at the playoffs.  Did Benning really think that that was the most effective strategy to be taking or was he just being a good soldier and following the wishes of ownership.

 

 

[Pears]

14 hours ago, NUCKER67 said:

Excellent evaluator of talent?

 

Two words:  Virtanen Juolevi 

Seven words: Pettersson Boeser Hughes Demko Gaudette Höglander Podkolzin

[Crabcakes]

48 minutes ago, YEGCanuck said:

If it was my decision to make I would be willing to see how Jimbo manages the expansion draft, however the importance of that event may also be a reason to send him packing in advance.

Many of the pundits are predicting that Holtby gets picked by Seattle.

 

If that was Benning's thought when he was signed, ie that he would only be needed for 1 year, Benning would be more of a mastermind than he has shown to date.

[alucard]

it`s funny how Benning goes from hero to zero and other way in a very short time.

[DSVII]

5 hours ago, vannuck59 said:

Lot of Pun-dents say JB could not aford to keep Markstrom ,Tanev, Toffoli

Lets do the math .

 

Kept / Toffoli (4,250,000) x 4,  Tanev ( 4,500,000) x 4, Markstrom (6,000,000) x 6

OUT / Virtanen (traded for a 2nd round pic )  and dont sign Holtby, Schmidt, Hamonic

Sign / C Folin , ($850,000) x 1 ,J Hawryluk  $800,000 x 1

 

Miller    Pettersson    Boeser

Pearson  Horvat     Toffoli

Hoglander   Gaudette   MacEwen

Motte        Beagle      Sutter

 

Hughes    Tanev

Edler     Myers

Juolevi  Chatfield 

 

Markstrom   /  Demko

 

Press Box   Folin, Bailey

 

Taxi  / Brisebois , Rathbone , Benn , DiPietro , Michaelis , Roussel

LTIR  Ferland , Hawryluk

Utica  Bartschi ,Eriksson

 

Total Cap used $68,746,667. Cap Buried $10,066,666  Buyouts and penalties $4,068,545, LTIR  $4,300,000

Cap Remaining . $1,218,122

So cap fits now you say well what about signing Hughes and Pettersson next year  you need about $15 mil next year

Well thats next year,  

Trade Demko for picks so you dont lose him in the expansion draft for nothing

 

Pearson, Edler, Benn, Sutter, Hawryluk, Bartschi all coming off the books. So JB could have kept all three plus signed some depth D. also he then could have traded some assets for draft picks.  Instead of giving up draft picks

Resign Edler for a reasonable contract. Bring in a cheap back up goalie 

 

So yah bad decisions by JB thats why he is the worst GM

 

I actually like Schmidt but damn this hurts.

 

Jake really screwed us over taking us to arbitration but it was Benning who decided to qualify him. 

[vannuck59]

1 minute ago, BENN said:

it`s funny how Benning goes from hero to zero and other way in a very short time.

He was never a Hero and the other on his ability to build a cup contender well we shall see.

[Glug Datt]

15 hours ago, Seeker1 said:

JIM BENNING HAS HAD AMPLE TIME TO demonstrate that he is a good GM.Unfortunately, all he has shown that he is an above average, perhaps, a very good HEAD SCOUT. His decision making, and his asset management  has been very, very POOR.(giving away Draft choices and receiving little or nothing in return) It is long past due for the Canucks to replace this MANAGEMENT TEAM, and replace it with a younger more savvy, competent GM, not just a Head Scout, with management aspirations.

 

 For all of Benning's "good drafting," the Vancouver Canucks have made little progress to become a top five team, and in fact, are still a stagnant, mediocre team, despite having talents like Hughes, and Petterson.

 

Ownership, you need to find, and put into place, a talented, new management team, NOT PREVIOUSLY FIRED RE-TREADS.

 

The Canucks have been  in the NHL for over 50 years, and have yet to WIN ONE STANLEY CUP.The Fan Base is tired, and angry, over the continued MEDIOCRITY OF THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS. Will it take another 25 years, or 50 more years for this Canuck team to bungle, and fumble their way to more future INCOMPETENCE?

 

The Vancouver Canucks seemingly have a good scouting staff, but GM, and Assistant GM, who have had a good run as executives with the Canucks, are the KEYSTONE COPS, OF THE NHL.

 

I submit, GM, AND ASSISTANT GM NEED TO BE REMOVED AS SOON AS THE 2021 SEASON IS OVER!

do you have a list of savvy competent gm's that are unemployed and looking to work in Vancouver? 

[bree2]

3 minutes ago, BENN said:

it`s funny how Benning goes from hero to zero and other way in a very short time.

yes, when the Canucks turn it around and start winning everyone will be sing their praises, happens everytime the Canucks are in a slump.