GDT: 2018 Free Agency: Jay Beagle 4 x 3M, Antoine Roussel 4 x 3.25M, both w/ limited NTCs

[Siludin]

I wasn't expecting any marquee players this weekend. Longer terms than I wanted but whatever, at least the bottom 6 won't include Chaput or Megna or any of that business. I hope Beagle can be like a Malhotra here. Don't know about Roussel - at least he can be a bit of a distraction? I guess he is the "Dorsett replacement"

 

[timw33]

Just spent an hour getting caught up on everything and there's just one word to describe this:

Indefensible.

 

[cc]

I should have known giving Benning cap space was like giving a child a loaded weapon.

 

[Cupless44]

Utica will be filled with young talents. Gaudette, Lind, Gadjovich, Dahlen, and my hope is that Juolevi joins them as well.

As far as the Canucks go, I hope we see Pettersson and maybe even Hughes if he’s ready.

Late last year, we saw Leipsic show some flashes of brilliance and so who knows what he does this year.

Those kids in Utica are going to get a TON of ice time and will get plenty of chances to grow their offensive games. Between doing that and giving them limited 4th line minutes or “throwing them to the wolves” on top 6 nhl duty, I think building something in Utica is by far the better option. Let those kids mesh together and win down there.

Let guys like Sutter, Horvat, Boeser, Gudbranson, Beagle, Tanev, Edler, and Roussel set the “culture,” for this team so that guys like Pettersson, Leipsic, Virtanen, and Hughes can carry these values forward. This is what hockey is all about.

Can you explain why the team with the worst record in the NHL the past 3 years needs all this “culture” to finish in the bottom 5 every year while teams like NJ and Colorado and Toronto can go with youth, speed and skill and make the playoffs?

 

[RandV]

BEAGLE
I like the player, not sure I'd give 4 years, but he's a guy that is going to likely only play 8-10 minutes a night and take a lot of the tough defensive starts and allow Horvat much more of an opportunity to focus more on offense. We now have a great PK'ing and defensive zone centre that will take a lot of pressure of our young kids and allow them to excel at the other end of the ice.

When the Canucks signed Malholtra, there were lots of people that questioned that contract, but the effect he had with the team became obvious. Top PK in the league, far more offensive opportunities for the offensive players which paid dividends in the end.

If this also means the departure of Sutter, I will be even happier.

ROUSSEL
A younger Alex Burrows. Pest, can skate and also play the PK. Don't like the deal however, but then again by the time we're contending this deal will be coming off the books.

SCHALLER
Hard working player with some grit and size. Good depth signing I suppose. The deal itself is actually not that bad. Short term, not a lot of money.

That's kind of the thing here, while most still won't be happy with the contracts if Benning used these signings to ship out excess players like Sutter, Gagner, Granlund, Baerstchi, etc, for picks and prospects he'd redeem himself a lot.

But this management group has never shown that kind of foresight. I'll be happy to be proven wrong but you just know those guys will get their spots in the lineup while younger players like Gaunce, Goldobin, and Leipsic end up on waivers to make room.

 

[iceburg]

Fun fact: Boeser is the only player from Benning's 4 drafts that has a roster spot this coming season.

Pettersson probably, Gaudette, unlikely given the signings today.

 

[RandV]

Again how can they be so good at drafting but so absolutely terrible at asset management?!?! It is in explainable

I think I said this yesterday. They're 'good' at drafting in that we no longer seem to be in the complete basement at the drafting table, a spot we'd occupied for a very long time, but they haven't really shown anything to suggest they've improved beyond league average at it.

 

[passive voice]

everybody calm down the plan is to always have too many men on the ice. six, maybe even seven skaters. we're gonna need all 28 warm bodies.

 

[Nucker101]

Replace the Beagle signing with Grabner or Rieder and I bet Benning takes way less heat today.

He can sell Roussel as a Dorsett replacement

He can sell Schaller as another gritty decent 4th liner making 4th line money

Both guys add physicality without being slow or old

It’s the Beagle contract that’s the hardest to justify, especially with Sutter here and the term/age. Just a bad contract that doesn’t make sense. Better off moving Gagner back to C

 

[Nuckles]

Fun fact: Boeser is the only player from Benning's 4 drafts that has a roster spot this coming season.

Pettersson probably, Gaudette, unlikely given the signings today.

They may gift a spot to Juolevi this season, Stecher hasn't been signed yet.

 

[yvrtojfk]

 

[Jack Burton]

"That's the market value to get these players signed"

- Jim Benning

 

[yvrtojfk]

"Like, you know." - Jim Benning

 

[Fire Benning]

Something's got to give with the forward logjam right?

 

[iceburg]

They may gift a spot to Juolevi this season, Stecher hasn't been signed yet.

Possibly. I'm not saying that young guys don't have to earn it but it's not unreasonable to think they should have at least 3 or 4 players from the last 4 drafts already locking up spots.

 

[DonnyNucker]

Fun fact: Boeser is the only player from Benning's 4 drafts that has a roster spot this coming season.

Pettersson probably, Gaudette, unlikely given the signings today.

Did we trade virtanen?

 

[y2kcanucks]

So basically we have beagle, roussel , gudbranson, and eriksson costing us 16.25 million dollars for the next 4 years.....well

Beagle, Roussel, Gudbranson, Eriksson, Gagner, Sutter = $23.75M of wasted cap space.

 

[theoriginalBCF]

"That's the market value to get these players signed"

- Jim Benning

...because I set that value. I mean they wouldn’t come here without term so...

 

[Hansen]

Oh god they want to use Sutter as 2C, rip 2nd line production

 

[CanaFan]

I think people forget about the expansion draft in a couple years and if one of the two on the four year deals or both for that matter they can be exposed.
Would help securing our youth as well. The team needed some grit and they addressed that today so the kids don’t get rag dolled.
They are all bottom six depth as well so not taking spots from the kids that need to shine sooner rather then later.

Actually it forces the team to either play kids in top 6 roles or keep them in Utica. Playing a guy like Gaudette or Goldobin on the 3rd line would actually be the easiest way to work them into the line up. At least it was before we filled up on bread and pickles at the UFA buffet.

 

[PRNuck]

"That's the market value to get these players signed"

- Jim Benning

Did he refer to single players in the plural yet?

 

[RobsonStreet]

Again how can they be so good at drafting but so absolutely terrible at asset management?!?! It is in explainable

It’s almost as if teams that are uncompetitive are rewarded at the draft somehow...

 

[BROCK HUGHES]

I should have known giving Benning cap space was like giving a child a loaded weapon.

Hey its Canada day..he is having a weinie roast with a bag of pork chops.
The hoarding of garbage still is going on...thats the latest on the local news.

 

[Siludin]

I guess the Canucks still have like $10+ million cap space after RFAs are signed. W/E yolo

 

[Jack Burton]

Awe Jimmy if you think your team is too easy to play against then how about you stop building a Smurf village.

Try blending speed, size and skill you moron.