[DEBATE] Which player is the greatest disappointment in Vancouver Canucks history?

[canuck73_3]

1 hour ago, NewbieCanuckFan said:

I never boo'd #11 while he was in the Canuck uniform at games I attended.  I simply can't do that no matter who is wearing the jersey   I may dislike the player but it just seems to me wrong (just my opinion).  Watching the games on TV, well I might have yelled at the screen. 

Muck Fessier

[Timråfan]

42 minutes ago, canuck73_3 said:

Tell me you don't understand concussions and the CBA without telling me. 

Benning hired Ferland withouth insurance due to Ferlands earlier concussions.

Isn’t that kind of desperate? 

[Alflives]

2 minutes ago, Timråfan said:

Benning hired Ferland withouth insurance due to Ferlands earlier concussions.

Isn’t that kind of desperate? 

We have the winner! Well done 

[canuck73_3]

4 minutes ago, Timråfan said:

Benning hired Ferland withouth insurance due to Ferlands earlier concussions.

Isn’t that kind of desperate? 

Everyone knew the risks and LTIR exists, it was virtually meaningless in the scheme of things and it's not your money, who cares if it was insured or not besides Aquilini? 

[Alflives]

4 minutes ago, canuck73_3 said:

Everyone knew the risks and LTIR exists, it was virtually meaningless in the scheme of things and it's not your money, who cares if it was insured or not besides Aquilini? 

LTIR contracts can have trade value. Non insured ones, like Ferland’s are bad in every way. If a contract can’t be insured it shouldn’t be signed. Benning 

[canuck73_3]

11 minutes ago, Alflives said:

LTIR contracts can have trade value. Non insured ones, like Ferland’s are bad in every way. If a contract can’t be insured it shouldn’t be signed. Benning 

Disagree in this case as if he hadn't been injured he added an element we were severely lacking. 

[Alflives]

6 minutes ago, canuck73_3 said:

Disagree in this case as if he hadn't been injured he added an element we were severely lacking. 

Yes, that’s certainly true. But the fact no insurer would cover the contract is a red flag to not sign the player. Ultimately, as you pointed out earlier, it’s the owner’s money. 

[canuck73_3]

10 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Yes, that’s certainly true. But the fact no insurer would cover the contract is a red flag to not sign the player. Ultimately, as you pointed out earlier, it’s the owner’s money. 

It was a calculated risk that didn't work out or really affect the team at all. Players on the roster like Loui Eriksson did far more damage than Ferland ever did.

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

Of the listed players, it’s gotta be Juolevi for me.

 

That’s not to say he’s the worst player listed in this poll. Or even that he’s the most disappointing player, compared to the expectations of the Canucks fanbase.

 

Just for me, while Juolevi wasn’t my pick at #5 (he wasn’t even top-10 for me), I was still highly confident that he would pan out. I saw his floor as an everyday #4D, with upside to be a lot more than that. I really expected a surefire NHLer with a lengthy career. And while the window isn’t completely closed on him, at just 25 years old, there’s only a very narrow sliver of a crack remaining for him to develop into a useful NHL player, before it shuts entirely and he’s a compete bust.

 

Several of the others listed (especially some

of the trades and free agents) don’t even qualify as disappointments for me, because I had very low expectations to start, and thought they were just straight-up bad acquisitions. A lot of people expected more of them, and I can easily see how they’d be disappointed. But my gut already told me these were bad moves, so it wasn’t really upsetting to be proven right (although the initial acquisitions themselves did give me a bit of a sick feeling).

 

Also, I feel like a couple of the bigger draft busts were picks made through very poor amateur scouting and draft processes. So again, the way those careers played out was not really disappointing. But certainly the decisions and processes behind those draft picks made me disappointed in the organization.

 

But Juolevi, while a disappointing pick at #5 overall (considering the players available), was still, in my estimation, a very good first round pick quality prospect with tons of value and potential. I did not foresee him struggling so mightily. I really thought he’d prove to be a bluechip NHL quality defenceman who’d help this team for many years. Maybe not a star player, but I expected him to be solid.
 

So that’s why Juolevi gets my vote. Compared to my expectations, he’s been the biggest disappointment of the bunch.

Edited August 12, 2023 by SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME

[NewbieCanuckFan]

34 minutes ago, canuck73_3 said:

It was a calculated risk that didn't work out or really affect the team at all. Players on the roster like Loui Eriksson did far more damage than Ferland ever did.

All Benning had to do was wait it out one more season with LE & his contract would be off the books (as well as Rousell) & we would've kept our 1st round pick.  Just send LE to our AHL affiliate (but tell him he didn't have to report) for that final year.

[Timråfan]

1 hour ago, canuck73_3 said:

It was a calculated risk that didn't work out or really affect the team at all. Players on the roster like Loui Eriksson did far more damage than Ferland ever did.

Loui isn’t even close to Ferland. 
But since Benning didn’t defend Loui after Loui spoke to the swedish journalist Loui was screwed here since you canadians have a soft spot for the chief in command.

[Westcoasting]

Barry Pederson, mainly because of what could have been. This man was a star in Boston, on sports page  you would see his highlights every game, i met him as a junior in Victoria… everyone in bc knew he was a future star, everyone was so happy and excited for the trade until the words of an injury would come to haunt us forever. And of course Neely turned into a legend instead… ugh!

[Kevin Biestra]

3 hours ago, Westcoasting said:

Barry Pederson, mainly because of what could have been. This man was a star in Boston, on sports page  you would see his highlights every game, i met him as a junior in Victoria… everyone in bc knew he was a future star, everyone was so happy and excited for the trade until the words of an injury would come to haunt us forever. And of course Neely turned into a legend instead… ugh!

 

Pederson was at least still a very good player for the Canucks...more or less a race between him, Skriko, Tanti and Smyl for scoring during the years he was a Canuck, 75 points a season or so.

[Westcoasting]

10 hours ago, Kevin Biestra said:

 

Pederson was at least still a very good player for the Canucks...more or less a race between him, Skriko, Tanti and Smyl for scoring during the years he was a Canuck, 75 points a season or so.

Yes he was, I guess I was meaning the long  term star where he was a top five point producer kind of player. Being young then my expectations were higher.

[Gurn]

14 hours ago, Westcoasting said:

Barry Pederson, mainly because of what could have been. This man was a star in Boston, on sports page  you would see his highlights every game, i met him as a junior in Victoria… everyone in bc knew he was a future star, everyone was so happy and excited for the trade until the words of an injury would come to haunt us forever. And of course Neely turned into a legend instead… ugh!

And the pick ended up being Glenn Wesley, a fine  d man.

[Westcoasting]

2 minutes ago, Gurn said:

And the pick ended up being Glenn Wesley, a fine  d man.

Yes! Most don’t remember that part!!

[Gurn]

5 minutes ago, Westcoasting said:

Yes! Most don’t remember that part!!

He had two goals in a Stanley Cup finals game- but it was the game that never was, because the Boston Owner was too cheap to have a proper lighting system for the rink.

 

[NewbieCanuckFan]

52 minutes ago, Gurn said:

And the pick ended up being Glenn Wesley, a fine  d man.

I've said this before, but take a good look at who was drafted further down that draft year in the 1st round:

 

https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl1987e.html

 

(hint:  15th overall)

 

There's no doubt our ace Western Canada amateur scout Ron Delorme would've spoken out and drafted Burnaby Joe playing in the WHL at the time...that is, if he wasn't in Sweden at the time.

 

 

[MeanSeanBean]

Jake Virtanen. 

 

I was only about 10 during the Messier debacle, so I'm going off the player I felt the most disappointment over.

 

Jake had all the talent, natural ability, and size to be a elite force in the NHL. He was drafted by his hometown team and could have been a very special player for us. Unfortunately he was lazy, entitled, and unmotivated to do anything with his career. Not to mentioned he was bought out by the team for being accused of sexual assault.

 

F that lazy bum, biggest disappointment in franchise history.

[canuck73_3]

18 hours ago, Timråfan said:

Loui isn’t even close to Ferland. 
But since Benning didn’t defend Loui after Loui spoke to the swedish journalist Loui was screwed here since you canadians have a soft spot for the chief in command.

Loui set the franchise back a literal decade plus now with the OEL buyout.