In an attempt to participate in some actual discussion regarding management's performance, I think one aspect of their performance here that isn't discussed enough is the impact their pro scouting and acquisitions have had on this rebuild. Sure, Benning's pro-scouting has been rightfully criticized on here, but I don't think the effect of that pro-scouting has been discussed enough in terms of its effect on this rebuild.
Contracts, the cap and the trade deadline essentially result in a sellers market every year at the deadline. While prices will change from deadline to deadline, there will
always be competitive teams that are willing to trade draft picks and prospects for players that will help them compete for the playoffs, but also in the playoffs. So if you are a perennially poor team like the Canucks have been over the past four years, you will naturally be in a position of strength to acquire picks and prospects at the deadline, unless, of course, your pro-player acquisitions are terrible.
Essentially, if you are able to acquire
average pro-players, on
average contract terms, you will be able to trade these players at the deadline for picks and prospects. We see this every year. For example, look at the transactions of the Maple Leafs at the 2016 trade deadline:
- Leafs acquire Morin (prospect) for Panik;
- Leafs acquire a 4th round pick and Smith (prospect) for Matthias;
- Leafs acquire two 2nd Round Picks and a cap dump in Torres for Polak and Spaling
- Leafs acquire Ben Smith, Stalock and a 4th round pick for Morin and Reimer and Morin
- Leafs acquire a 2nd round pick, Carrick (prospect) and Laich (a cap dump) for Winnik
Compare this to Jim Benning and the contrast is incredible. Basically all the decent picks and prospect acquired by Jim Benning were acquired for players that were signed or acquired by previous management (e.g., Kesler, Bieksa, Hansen and Garrison). Jim Benning has almost entirely failed to acquire anything of any value for players he has acquired. It's unbelievable.
After each trade deadline he essentially whines to the media that "picks are hard to acquire". Which isn't true. Picks are quite easy to acquire at the deadline if you don't sign bad players, or decent players to bad terms. Its why pro-scouting is so important even when rebuilding, and also why signing players to
reasonable contracts is also important. The notion that contract terms are not important to a rebuilding team (see Beagle and Roussel) is absolutely not true. And the above proves that so easily. Cap space is important so that you can take on cap dumps, and having players sign to reasonable contracts is also important because it makes them more attractive to competitive teams at the deadline.