Francesco Aquilini says "I have no plans to make changes."

[DownUndaCanuck]

I wonder if this mentality changes at any point during the season, or Aquilini decided that whatever happens this season he won't make a big change?

 

Surely at least in the off-season some big changes have to happen when a team that is destined for the playoffs goes from a 7-game loss against a contender in the 2nd round of the playoffs to just about dead last in the NHL.

[GritGrinder]

Here's what Aqua has to ask himself in regards to Benning because when you look at the entire organization they only have 2 players (Myers and Schmidt) signed for 2023-24 which for all intents and purposes begins in a little over 2 years. That's 48 contracts they need to negotiate. Does Aqua trust Benning with this task or would he prefer to bring in someone this offseason to take this on?

 

By July 1st 2023 the following players will need to be re-signed or have decisions made about whether or not they stay with the organization. And bear in mind that its unknown if the cap will go up by much if at all in the next 2 years.

 

EP

Brock

Bo

Hughes

Miller

Virtanen

Gaudette

Juolevi

Demko

Hoglander

MacEwen

Motte

DiPietro

Sautner

Brisebois

Rafferty

Michaelis

Lind

Jasek

Lockwood

Palmu

Focht

Gadjovich

Rathbone

Woo

Eliot

Edited February 26, 2021 by GritGrinder

[Convincing John]

The most valuable asset a team can develop is a RHPMD. We don’t have that guy in our prospect pool today. Acquiring that guy would cost us dearly. Look at what it took to get Seth Jones. The equivalent to that would be Horvat, maybe more. It would probably cost us+$8x8 to acquire that guy via UFA. We went an entire draft year without taking a Dman. I don’t care who the BPA was, that’s really unacceptable. if we luck out this year in the draft and take a guy like Clarke, it’s still going to be a few years before he can play big minutes against top lines in the playoffs. Our lack of D in our pool alone will cost us another 5 years. Historically this teams contender cycle is roughly 10 years. 
1982 - SCF

1994 - SCF

2000 - West Coast Express 

2011 - SCF

2021 - ...........

 

This is probably going to turn out to be the longest dark period in franchise history. Full cap, with 1 guy in charge. Seriously, it’s time to start holding this man accountable for his mistakes. 

[aGENT]

 

 

[lmm]

I think this thread shoulod be renamed 

I have no plan

I Have No Plan

I HAve NO PLan

IHAVe NO PLAn

IHAVE NO PLAN

IHAVENOPLAN

[kanucks25]

Wonder how much rope Benning currently has to make moves.

 

The organization should be aggressively making moves to position themselves as best they can for this upcoming free agency and expansion draft.

 

I don't expect anything because why would I but, this team has a lot of expendable assets and roster space to do some interesting things if they wanted to.

[lmm]

wIAT, WIAT, i GOT IT

THECanucks play good in the first period

some hero runs the siren before the first period

its so simple

run the siren before every period

voila

you are welcome

[DSVII]

4 minutes ago, lmm said:

wIAT, WIAT, i GOT IT

THECanucks play good in the first period

some hero runs the siren before the first period

its so simple

run the siren before every period

voila

you are welcome

Stop the count!

[PhillipBlunt]

1 minute ago, kanucks25 said:

Wonder how much rope Benning currently has to make moves.

Enough to hang himself with? Honestly though, I don't know. He has drafted well, but a fair portion of his UFA signings and trades have been pretty bad. If the Canucks tank this season, it would be stupid to stay with Benning. 

1 minute ago, kanucks25 said:

The organization should be aggressively making moves to position themselves as best they can for this upcoming free agency and expansion draft.

I agree. Yet what do we hear? Benning is in the market for a young top six forward, as if that acquisition will make a lick of difference to a broken team. 

1 minute ago, kanucks25 said:

I don't expect anything because why would I but, this team has a lot of expendable assets and roster space to do some interesting things if they wanted to.

This upcoming offseason could be monumental to the team, yet with the people presently at the helm, I feel that it could very well be squandered.

[lmm]

1 minute ago, DSVII said:

Stop the count!

?que?

[Convincing John]

6 minutes ago, kanucks25 said:

Wonder how much rope Benning currently has to make moves.

 

The organization should be aggressively making moves to position themselves as best they can for this upcoming free agency and expansion draft.

 

I don't expect anything because why would I but, this team has a lot of expendable assets and roster space to do some interesting things if they wanted to.

Keep Benning as far from free agency as possible. If those UFA frenzies alone were erased we would be in a position to  acquire good players in that 21-25 range by exploiting teams that can’t afford to fit emerging RFA’s under their cap. 

[kanucks25]

14 minutes ago, Convincing John said:

Keep Benning as far from free agency as possible. If those UFA frenzies alone were erased we would be in a position to  acquire good players in that 21-25 range by exploiting teams that can’t afford to fit emerging RFA’s under their cap. 

Yeah I definitely don't want Benning at the helm for free agency but if we aren't going to be changing anything up in management during the regular season, the mandate should be to at least clear out as much cap and roster space as possible to set us up for the summer.

Edited February 26, 2021 by kanucks25

[JM_]

15 minutes ago, kanucks25 said:

Yeah I definitely don't want Benning at the helm for free agency but if we aren't going to be changing anything up in management during the regular season, the mandate should be to at least clear out as much cap and roster space as possible to set us up for the summer.

fortunately the majority of that is taking care of itself. Expansion takes care of a bit more one way or the other. So minimum 23 mil + whatever expansion takes + buyouts if need be, should be plenty coming out of covid to field a very solid team. 

 

I'm not sure stockpiling picks is going to be all that valuable this year to move someone like Roussel, e.g. because the owners will still be suffering from losses. It might have to be a salary retention + picks kind of deal and that's probably not worth it since he's expiring his deal anyway after next year.

 

We might be better off just using those picks to restock the prospect pool. 

 

I am concerned that Jim won't be the guy to spend that free agency money well, its objectively his worst area. 

Edited February 26, 2021 by Jimmy McGill

[DSVII]

1 hour ago, aGENT said:

 

 

[KyGuy123]

If ownership isn’t interviewing candidates to take over they are not the business men they claim to be. Terrible decisions made by these men to hire nothing but rookies and first time GM/Coach/Present etc. 

[aGENT]

1 minute ago, DSVII said:

Oh, things aren't 'fine'. The season sucks and the players are still executing poorly (though there has at least been improvement from earlier in the season). But what has really changed from two weeks ago?

 

It seems every loss brings another wave of knee jerk, overreaction on here as though people's lives depend on the Canucks winning in what is increasingly becoming a write off of a season (for a myriad of reasons).

 

I just don't see what all the screaming and hair pulling accomplishes. But carry on...

[DSVII]

7 minutes ago, aGENT said:

Oh, things aren't 'fine'. The season sucks and the players are still executing poorly (though there has at least been improvement from earlier in the season). But what has really changed from two weeks ago?

 

It seems every loss brings another wave of knee jerk, overreaction on here as though people's lives depend on the Canucks winning in what is increasingly becoming a write off of a season (for a myriad of reasons).

 

I just don't see what all the screaming and hair pulling accomplishes. But carry on...

I think everyone foresaw taking a step back when we let our #1 goalie and the entire right side of our defense walk for nothing. It's just no one foresaw a bottom 5 finish. So yes holy cow this is a cause for concern. 

 

It's also inaccurate to label legitimate concerns/criticisms as kneejerk 'screaming'. when the problems with the org have stretched back years and isn't new....posters have bought this up before even during the sunny days of the 'rebuild.'

 

Besides, a fan forum is precisely the place where fans can have an outlet to their concerns and worries. So I will carry on thank you sir. Good day! XD

 

Edited February 26, 2021 by DSVII

[JM_]

8 minutes ago, aGENT said:

Oh, things aren't 'fine'. The season sucks and the players are still executing poorly (though there has at least been improvement from earlier in the season). But what has really changed from two weeks ago?

 

I think thats at the heart of it.... Green and crew have no answers. I just don't believe that the team is this bad from a talent pov. 

 

8 minutes ago, aGENT said:

It seems every loss brings another wave of knee jerk, overreaction on here as though people's lives depend on the Canucks winning in what is increasingly becoming a write off of a season (for a myriad of reasons).

 

I just don't see what all the screaming and hair pulling accomplishes. But carry on...

there's nothing to be lost from a coaching change at this point, I mean really we're 2 losses from 0-15.

 

Of course there's no guarantees, but I don't see the downside from making a change, assuming one can be found that makes sense. 

[IBatch]

2 hours ago, DownUndaCanuck said:

I wonder if this mentality changes at any point during the season, or Aquilini decided that whatever happens this season he won't make a big change?

 

Surely at least in the off-season some big changes have to happen when a team that is destined for the playoffs goes from a 7-game loss against a contender in the 2nd round of the playoffs to just about dead last in the NHL.

Destined for the playoffs is a bit of false expectation if by that your mean - this team was destined for the playoffs at the start of the year.   A lot was said how poorly we played against these teams last year prior to the season - and at best we made a lateral transition player wise with the assumption Holtby/Demko is the same as Markstrom/Demko form last year.    Most experts had us 4-5th ... 6 isn't that far off (and yes i doubt we end up below OTT....that said if we did greasy great tank job!).     This division has one bottom team to start ... and they've amped it up too lately - no easy points.   Reminds a little of when Vancouver was somewhat propped up in points with the weakest division in the league during the Sedin hay days - but in a different way.  

 

Yes the cap era is even Steven to a degree once any team makes the show - but the cream so far has come to the top.   Our team wasn't cream - at best and underdog or dark horse.   Hasn't worked out.   We are also better then the standings suggest on paper - but in our division?  One or maybe two spots and that's it. 

[TheCustodian]

14 minutes ago, aGENT said:

Oh, things aren't 'fine'. The season sucks and the players are still executing poorly (though there has at least been improvement from earlier in the season). But what has really changed from two weeks ago?

 

It seems every loss brings another wave of knee jerk, overreaction on here as though people's lives depend on the Canucks winning in what is increasingly becoming a write off of a season (for a myriad of reasons).

 

I just don't see what all the screaming and hair pulling accomplishes. But carry on...

I think what has changed is we've gone from "possible slump" to the "team is bad" now. It has gone from maybe it's an issue with the shortened season etc., to "hey ... this might be a bad roster."

 

That's what's changed in February.