Confirmed with Link: Canucks sign F Jason Dickinson to 3-Year, $7.95M Deal ($2.65M AAV)

[likash]

From an analytical perspective, Sam Gagner was (and frankly is still) a very good 3rd/4th line PP/shootout specialist player. He was a good value signing at the time, but was not used effectively at all. His story is a failure of in-organization player development and deployment rather than pro-scouting. Just look at his play for Detroit this year.

Part of the Canucks' problem is that their poor player management and coaching at a pro-level has both undone triumphs and compounded mistakes in player acquisition.

In this regard we can see how ownership should shoulder most of the blame for these failures. If the directive from on high keeps being to sign good players to try win now, then I cannot blame the pro scouts for identifying the likes of Gagner and even Loui as strong analytical performers at the times of their signings. This done, the follow-up has then to be: put these signings in the best possible situations to play well, allow them to accrue value, and trade them when the value is high. Because ownership has so steadfastly refused to accept the notion that the Canucks should then be sellers at any deadline in which they are not a top 10 team, they have completely hamstrung their management team.

Unfortunately I don't think firing Benning will make the difference many think it will. The bad results of his moves are largely a result of ownership's complete misreading of the Canucks' situation, and I fear that they will still meddle far too much even with a more competent GM. My point is that it is completely backwards to criticize the GM for signing good players to good contracts. Focus on the process, not the results. Too much focus on results (making the playoffs) by ownership is the very devil that has gotten the Canucks into this mess in the first place.

Jim Benning lacks the intellect to be a good GM. He can't understand certain things and that's why he keeps doing the same mistakes over and over again. He has no vision and can't plan ahead. Did you think Aqua did not meddle when Gillis was here? Of course he did but Mike knew how to handle him and winning also helped. The tension rose when they argued over the rebuild.

 

[Lonny Bohonos]

IIRC, Benning also said that, offensively, Dickinson had another level or more to give or something like that.

Benning: polishing turds into, well, turds.

 

[tantalum]

Still a few Benning family members defending him it seems. I mean good on ya for sticking with him but I’m guessing those family get togethers are getting more and more awkward.

There is no defense of this regime. 7+ years of nothing. Bottom of the division(s). No player development. Just a horrendous job done. If you had an exercise of what the worst GM could do over this time you wouldn’t reach the depth of damage this one has actually done. It is absolutely not a stretch to suggest it is the worst management group in NHL history. The only ones that rival it are the ones headed by other brutal owners like Ballard and Wirtz.

They have done immense damage to the franchise that will take a good amount of wizardry to undo.

 

[Dab]

What exactly does this guy do?

 

[Huggy43]

What exactly does this guy do?

Replace Loui Eriksson at a lower price, minus the PK ability

 

[4Twenty]

A 3 year deal for $3.5m for a 3rd/4th line/2nd unit Pp specialist being sold as a good value deal is batshit.

 

[Dab]

Replace Loui Eriksson at a lower price, minus the PK ability

So he’s essentially a warm body?

 

[Huggy43]

So he’s essentially a warm body?

A handsomely paid warm body

 

[ghostingtaro]

is dickinson supposed to be bennings manny malholtra?

 

[dman34]

Reaction to this signing was mostly positive. Dickinson was supposed to be our 3rd line Center, a defensively responsible player who would take some of the pressure off Bo and handle some of the tougher matchups. Dallas fans telling us we snagged a good one. WTH happened?

 

[VanJack]

Reaction to this signing was mostly positive. Dickinson was supposed to be our 3rd line Center, a defensively responsible player who would take some of the pressure off Bo and handle some of the tougher matchups. Dallas fans telling us we snagged a good one. WTH happened?

I read the same things.....that somehow Dickinson was the third line, defensive center we've always lacked. And this would free up Horvat for a more offensive role.

The only problem it isn't even remotely connected to reality. Not only is the guy an offensive black hole; but he's terrible in the faceoff circle and on the PK? Well you can see the results early on.

This happens too often in Canuck trades for it just to be 'an accident' or 'bad luck'. Not 25-games into the season, and Dickinson isn't close to being the player they thought they were getting. Put it down to awful pro scouting again, I guess.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Reaction to this signing was mostly positive. Dickinson was supposed to be our 3rd line Center, a defensively responsible player who would take some of the pressure off Bo and handle some of the tougher matchups. Dallas fans telling us we snagged a good one. WTH happened?

I was quite happy when the Nucks acquired Dick. He always looked decent when I saw Dallas.

I also don’t think it’s a coincidence that players look like shit in Van and go back to look good after they leave Van.

 

[likash]

I was quite happy when the Nucks acquired Dick. He always looked decent when I saw Dallas.

I also don’t think it’s a coincidence that players look like shit in Van and go back to look good after they leave Van.

He looked decent(20pts) playing on the first 2 lines. He was a known black hole on offence. He can't win FO to be reliable def centre. He is worth around 1,5m. Like Poolman he is overpaid by 1mil.

 

[krutovsdonut]

From an analytical perspective, Sam Gagner was (and frankly is still) a very good 3rd/4th line PP/shootout specialist player. He was a good value signing at the time, but was not used effectively at all. His story is a failure of in-organization player development and deployment rather than pro-scouting. Just look at his play for Detroit this year.

Part of the Canucks' problem is that their poor player management and coaching at a pro-level has both undone triumphs and compounded mistakes in player acquisition.

In this regard we can see how ownership should shoulder most of the blame for these failures. If the directive from on high keeps being to sign good players to try win now, then I cannot blame the pro scouts for identifying the likes of Gagner and even Loui as strong analytical performers at the times of their signings. This done, the follow-up has then to be: put these signings in the best possible situations to play well, allow them to accrue value, and trade them when the value is high. Because ownership has so steadfastly refused to accept the notion that the Canucks should then be sellers at any deadline in which they are not a top 10 team, they have completely hamstrung their management team.

Unfortunately I don't think firing Benning will make the difference many think it will. The bad results of his moves are largely a result of ownership's complete misreading of the Canucks' situation, and I fear that they will still meddle far too much even with a more competent GM. My point is that it is completely backwards to criticize the GM for signing good players to good contracts. Focus on the process, not the results. Too much focus on results (making the playoffs) by ownership is the very devil that has gotten the Canucks into this mess in the first place.

outstanding post. i am sure loui and gagner would agree with it.

 

[1440]

Jim Benning lacks the intellect to be a good GM. He can't understand certain things and that's why he keeps doing the same mistakes over and over again. He has no vision and can't plan ahead. Did you think Aqua did not meddle when Gillis was here? Of course he did but Mike knew how to handle him and winning also helped. The tension rose when they argued over the rebuild.

I hope you are right in that a more competent GM or even better a president of hockey operations will be able to keep Aquilini from sticking his fingers in the proverbial cookie jar. Benning has been far too lenient with letting Francesco dictate what should be done from a perspective of making the team good, but he has kept his job way longer than he has had any right to, so maybe he was just gaming the system? Seems highly unlikely he has the wherewithal to pull something like that off, but secret devious plan Jim would be a genuinely funny redemption story.

Call me cynical, but I just don't see the team making any major progress under current ownership. Francesco didn't let Gillis rebuild in 2012-13 like he wanted to (which would have been the correct move), and GM MG is much less of a push-over than Benning.

Maybe a Brian Burke or a Lou Lamoriello type to deal with Aquilini while overseeing a younger, more progressive GM would work with the same owners, but I just don't see Francesco hiring someone who would be willing to butt heads with him in the first place.

 

[Javaman]

is dickinson supposed to be bennings manny malholtra?

He's more like Benning's fantasy of Benning's Beagle.

Despite all the flak Dickinson gets, he's still on pace to achieve the "Jay Beagle" hat trick for less cap hit and term than Beagle.

So there's that.

 

[1440]

What a difference a new coach has made for this player. He has been really good under Boudreau and has seen his icetime shoot up as a result.

 

[Diamonddog01]

What a difference a new coach has made for this player. He has been really good under Boudreau and has seen his icetime shoot up as a result.

Yup, played over 17 minutes today which I was surprised by. Doubtful his offensive production will ever justify his contract (and he’s unfortunately miscast as a 3 C, which I was wrong about) but he's a good player and adds an extra dimension to our forward group.

 

[maroon 6]

This guy at 2.65 million means we probably lose Motte this off season

such a disappointment

 

[Gstank]

This guy at 2.65 million means we probably lose Motte this off season

such a disappointment

? we have 9 mill in cap space before a potential Miller trade

 

[maroon 6]

? we have 9 mill in cap space before a potential Miller trade

we’re up against the cap already and cap is not increasing

 

[VanJack]

Just another in a long line of $3m a season 'depth fourth liners' signed by Benning, joining the likes of Roussel, Beagle, Eriksson (x2) and Schaller, etc. etc.

Good fourth liners are earning somewhere around league minimum to no more than $1m a season. But at $3m a season for this kind of player, it's one of the reasons the Canucks landed in 'cap hell'.

About the only consolation is that Dickinson is younger than the normal guys that Benning signed. But the contract will be just as big an albatross.

 

[F A N]

Just another in a long line of $3m a season 'depth fourth liners' signed by Benning, joining the likes of Roussel, Beagle, Eriksson (x2) and Schaller, etc. etc.

Good fourth liners are earning somewhere around league minimum to no more than $1m a season. But at $3m a season for this kind of player, it's one of the reasons the Canucks landed in 'cap hell'.

About the only consolation is that Dickinson is younger than the normal guys that Benning signed. But the contract will be just as big an albatross.

I don't know why you feel the need to exaggerate his salary. Like can't you take like 30 seconds to look up his salary so you don't post something factually inaccurate? Getting his cap hit right is like one of the easiest things to do.

 

[lawrence]

What exactly does this guy do?

so someone tweeted his advanced stats in terms of shot suppression happens to be the highest in the NHL.

all that said, that was when he was with Dallas Stars. At that point his one weakness that needs improvement is face offs. So at the time he was a very good pick up by Benning. I think its still a solid pick up by the Canucks.

 

[JAK]

Good fourth liners are earning somewhere around league minimum to no more than $1m a season.

Question, if bad fourth liners are making league minimum, then why should good fourth liners make the same?