[Report] Canucks fire Jim Benning, name Stan Smyl as interim GM

[PositionOfPower]

1 minute ago, iinatcc said:

Don't think he'd want to leave his gig in Vegas. 

I am hoping for Dean Lombardi what he did for the Kings was a thing of wonders  

I want Lombardi aswell but do not want Mellanby who comes from another train wreck and losing culture.

[PositionOfPower]

9 hours ago, Snake Doctor said:

Benning could draft players but just could not make effective free agent signings or trades.

Benning lacked the ability to build a team with chemistry etc. He brought in many similar players and believed that this would make a winning team that was his problem. To build a winner chemistry is key and variety in strengths is key.

[ShawnAntoski]

9 minutes ago, iinatcc said:

Don't think he'd want to leave his gig in Vegas. 

I am hoping for Dean Lombardi what he did for the Kings was a thing of wonders  

My guess: it will be someone from Det, Vegas and Carolina ?   

[PositionOfPower]

Just look how even our AHL team was doing. Benning su*** at building a winning team. He should have no grudges he had 8 years but failed, 8 years is actually freak** long for a gm.

[wai_lai416]

i don't hate JB im just not a fan of JB he did some great some good some bad and some ugly through his tenure here. I'm sure he was handcuffed/pressured on some of the moves like drafting virtanen and quite possibly re-signing green coz of budgets and unwillingness to go into a full rebuild but it is what it is. hopefully the players respond to boudreau who theoretically should cater to our skilled players with his offensive style of hockey. if boeser and pettersson turns around on production i can care less if we lose every game the rest of the season.. at least it'll show we have the talent in the top 6 we just don't have the players on the bottom 6 and defense and build from there.

[DrJockitch]

When Benning took over the team they were a mess because they went all in in the Sedins.  They had a bunch of NTC on vets, zero on the farm and a team no longer competitive. There was a reason though, we had a cup contender and Gillis put everything he could to get over the line. Bad drafting and bad deals ultimately killed that team. 
What Benning leaves behind is better than what he was left.  The teams salary cap is a mess but not as big a mess and has more traceable assets and a couple of nice young pieces to build around. Prospects are surprisingly thin for a team run 8 years by a supposed draft guru but is better than when he got it. Problem is he never had any success on the ice and has been getting worse. 
He took a tough job, had no success but ultimately leaves us in a better place than we were. That being said, I think a average GM would have had either more success along the way or left us in a better situation. 

[Alflives]

14 minutes ago, PositionOfPower said:

Benning lacked the ability to build a team with chemistry etc. He brought in many similar players and believed that this would make a winning team that was his problem. To build a winner chemistry is key and variety in strengths is key.

I think the off season after the bubble set us back on team chemistry.  

[86Viking]

7 hours ago, Dazzle said:

Our prospect pool isn't weak - not when you had GIllis as a GM. Now THAT was a weak prospect pool.

Our prospect pool is weak...a team floundering like us usually would call up a prospect or 2 at this point, we have ZERO NHL ready prospects that fill an area of weakness on our current team.at 

 

Areas of need: Centermen who can win a damn faceoff, ideally a right shot C. Penalty killing: I think we have a couple F options we could call up in Di Gusieppe and Lockwood and waive Chiasson and Lammikko/Dowling, we could use a left shooting PK D man as well.

 

Woo should get a call up after the TDL for a handful of NHL games imo, think he will need waivers next season? Mikey D might be an NHL back up G next year, Rathbone might be a trade chip but could also be used under our new coach!?

 

8 years of drafting under the old GM, we hit on some of our high 1st rounders, a couple 2nd rounders and that is about it. Traded a ton of picks during that time as well, some brought back decent returns and will be interesting to see what a NEW GM will do with someone like JT Miller this TDL and the draft. Can the new GM move some cap off the books in a player like Pearson?

 

No GM is perfect nor is any Coach but I think with some tweaks and a good GM making a few shrewd and tough choices over the next 2 seasons we could turn things around, let's hope we find the right GM for the task!

[86Viking]

7 hours ago, Curmudgeon said:

Okay, and I'm going to say this: Trevor Linden hired Jim Benning.  Trevor Linden hired John Weisbrod. Trevor Linden hired Willie Desjardins. So what exactly was he right about?

TL was right about doing a proper rebuild not overpaying UFA's to try and fast track things.

[Alflives]

1 minute ago, Canuckster86 said:

TL was right about doing a proper rebuild not overpaying UFA's to try and fast track things.

Are you suggesting Trevor wasn’t involved in hockey ops?  Wouldn’t he have talked to Benning about the philosophy of the club?  

[Timråfan]

1 hour ago, FaninMex said:

Toronto fanboy trolls should go back to their forums.

Do you really call yourself a fan of this team? 
You might be a fan of Weisbroad and Benning but not this team. 

[FaninMex]

12 minutes ago, Timråfan said:

Do you really call yourself a fan of this team? 
You might be a fan of Weisbroad and Benning but not this team. 

You are the biggest troll and have added nothing to any conversation. 

[86Viking]

5 hours ago, BigTramFan said:

I wonder if a new GM might be able to convince Tryamkin to give VAN another chance... 

If we brought Igor Larionov into the fold in some capacity maybe? I would have liked to see the Big Russian this year paired with OEL or QH, the guy can skate quite well for someone so big...Homegrown draft pick D too, we will likely never know the true story about him and if he just played the NHL option to get a better deal in the KHL or if we did offer him an NHL deal but only a 2way or low salary 1 way...meanwhile we gave Poolman 2.5m x 4 years, as much as I would like to see us try and bring him back I won't hold my breath on it happening he can choose any team he wants soon and could see a cheapish contract to go to Tampa/Florida/Washington or any contending team with a couple Russians already on the roster

[shiznak]

5 hours ago, BigTramFan said:

I wonder if a new GM might be able to convince Tryamkin to give VAN another chance... 

Canucks no longer has his rights anymore.

[tas]

5 hours ago, BigTramFan said:

I wonder if a new GM might be able to convince Tryamkin to give VAN another chance... 

 

9 minutes ago, Canuckster86 said:

If we brought Igor Larionov into the fold in some capacity maybe? I would have liked to see the Big Russian this year paired with OEL or QH, the guy can skate quite well for someone so big...Homegrown draft pick D too, we will likely never know the true story about him and if he just played the NHL option to get a better deal in the KHL or if we did offer him an NHL deal but only a 2way or low salary 1 way...meanwhile we gave Poolman 2.5m x 4 years, as much as I would like to see us try and bring him back I won't hold my breath on it happening he can choose any team he wants soon and could see a cheapish contract to go to Tampa/Florida/Washington or any contending team with a couple Russians already on the roster

my god, let it go. it's never going to happen .

[86Viking]

26 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Are you suggesting Trevor wasn’t involved in hockey ops?  Wouldn’t he have talked to Benning about the philosophy of the club?  

He was and he voiced his opinion on the direction he thought we should go after being here and realizing we just weren't good enough. But the owner went with the guy who said he could turn it around quickly...yet here we sit a few years later finally canning that GM who did NOT succeed with his plan he pitched the owner, it is that simple for me anyway

[Alflives]

Just now, tas said:

 

my god, let it go. it's never going to happen .

True, but Larionov would be an excellent choice as club President.  

[WHL rocks]

11 hours ago, Devron44 said:

I just wanted to congratulate all the JB haters out there! I ain’t mad or disappointed and I think this team will have JB hand print on it for  years to come, the Good and Bad. Biggest mistake this summer was resigning Green. There gonna be some players on this team that help us win from the JB era. I think of it as part of the process and hope we move forward with this team in a positive direction.

Tallon drafted the core in Chicago. He got fired, Bowmans came in and finished the job rebuilding the team and winning 3 Cups.

 

Previous GM always has a hand in what happens for the team with future GM. It's part of the process.

 

JB had a long run. Left us some good pieces to work with. Time to move on. 

[Alflives]

1 minute ago, WHL rocks said:

Tallon drafted the core in Chicago. He got fired, Bowmans came in and finished the job rebuilding the team and winning 3 Cups.

 

Previous GM always has a hand in what happens for the team with future GM. It's part of the process.

 

JB had a long run. Left us some good pieces to work with. Time to move on. 

Wasn't Talon let go because of screwing up qualifying his RFAs?  

[IBatch]

Big day for the franchise.   I wish nothing  but good fortunes to both Travis Green, and Jim Benning, and thanks for wearing our colours and working tirelessly to improve the team, and it's future.

 

On that Smyl and the next GM have a lot of very tough decisions to make.    We've improved our possession and reduced our shots against drastically this year, one bright spot (and aren't a shot blocking team anymore with Edler and Tanev gone).    Some of our best players just are totally off this year by their standards, and our PK is a complete mess.   Parting gifts from Benning include no more LE,  Garland who is an absolute joy to watch, OEL a solid vet who's replaced Eagle, and by the looks of it so far, an very team friendly QHs deal.   Now the bad.   Horvat and Miller will be UFAs soon, and the team still has sucked despite all this. 

 

We will find out over the next 25 or so games what a coaching change can manage.   If all stays the same but both EP and BB are on, Motte stays healthy and we get Sutter back the PK should settle down a little and we will know what both Green and Benning expected from this roster this season.   I truly hope it happens for all of our sakes.   If it doesn't .... then we need to be sellers at the TDL.   Possibly anyways.   Team needs a re-boot, and an excellent draft or two.   We need a guru at the helm to figure out how to push us over the top, and into a team that makes the playoffs every year while the core matures.