Confirmed with Link: Canucks sign RW Loui Eriksson to 6-year, $36m deal ($6m AAV w/ NMC)

[Jimson Hogarth*]

I'm happy the nucks signed a top 6 forward.

 

[arttk]

we were a cap team ....

To be fair, we are also a cap team now, it's not that apparent because we also happen to be one of the worst teams in the league. When was the last time you see a cap team that bad?

 

[Hit the post]

Eriksson is a legit top six forward.

Sutter? eh.........

At least the former, we didn't have to give up any assets for.

Yea. He was on the 3rd and 4th lines subbing only for injuries and not only that, did it when we had our cup run. What a plumber!

His 40+ points one season for us beats the "foundational center" best season to date lol....

 

[opendoor]

In 2011 when it mattered gillis wing acquisitions were nowhere to be found.

I wish he had been able to secure an actual top notch FA and real top 6 forward for the 2011 run. He unfortunate targeted Ballard in that embarrassing and now infamous 2010 draft.

Yeah, the 10-11 Canucks were really lacking in the scoring from the wings. 123 goals out of their 6 wingers on the top 3 lines; that's almost as many goals as the entire forward group got on the abortion that was Benning's team last season.

What's even funnier, those 6 wingers combined cost less than what Benning blew on Dorsett, Sbisa, Prust, and Miller last season.

 

[Disappointed EP40]

If Benning had traded Hamhuis at the deadline (and maybe Vrbata last offseason), and not included #33 in the Gudbranson trade.. I would be a lot more happy with this off-season.

I don't agree with the direction he's gone, but that's immaterial IMO. If he is going to go in this direction he could do a much better job of asset management.

This team is still not a playoff contender, IMO, but I think not adding a FA after the season we just had would have been awful for team morale.

The signing was okay, a bit expensive and a bit long, but that's the price of doing business on July 1st.

DING ! This is exactly how most fans feel, and they're not EMEGARB I HATE BENNING, I LURV GILLIS. It's just how they fairly feel.

This signing though is a good addition, but I feel it's for a team that's competing, which while we have players like Sbisa instead of Hamhuis, feel we are not. Just kind of a waste of a long term deal at the wrong time.

 

[CanaFan]

To be fair, we are also a cap team now, it's not that apparent because we also happen to be one of the worst teams in the league. When was the last time you see a cap team that bad?

Personally I'd like to see Benning leave the current $3-4M in cap room we have (whatever the actual number is) and let Aquillini pretend that savings is his 2 games of playoff revenue for next spring. Then he can go focus on his property developments instead of meddling in the day-to-day operations of the hockey team and be happy that he got his obligatory playoff revenue.

 

[opendoor]

Blaming Gillis is what happens when people have no answer for the plethora of examples of how bad Benning is managing the team and won't own up to it.

Yeah, peoples' desperate attempts to dredge up stuff from 6-7 years ago to take attention away from current management tells you everything you need to know about the job Benning is doing. His work has become indefensible.

 

[opendoor]

Personally I'd like to see Benning leave the current $3-4M in cap room we have (whatever the actual number is) and let Aquillini pretend that savings is his 2 games of playoff revenue for next spring. Then he can go focus on his property developments instead of meddling in the day-to-day operations of the hockey team and be happy that he got his obligatory playoff revenue.

On the bright side, I can't imagine Benning will survive another playoff miss with the money ownership is paying in salary for next season.

 

[Disappointed EP40]

Yeah, the 10-11 Canucks were really lacking in the scoring from the wings. 123 goals out of their 6 wingers on the top 3 lines; that's almost as many goals as the entire forward group got on the abortion that was Benning's team last season.

What's even funnier, those 6 wingers combined cost less than what Benning blew on Dorsett, Sbisa, Prust, and Miller last season.

This is a hilarious point. I feel like we haven't even come close to feeling the pinch that the Canucks will be in financially in a couple years.

Ideal scenario -- our young players start producing. That ideal scenario means raises and I don't see all these big contracts going anywhere, so off go our vets on decent deals.

 

[Scurr]

This is a hilarious point. I feel like we haven't even come close to feeling the pinch that the Canucks will be in financially in a couple years.

Ideal scenario -- our young players start producing. That ideal scenario means raises and I don't see all these big contracts going anywhere, so off go our vets on decent deals.

https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/canucks

The Canucks are only committed to 5 players in 18/19 and 3 in 19/20.

 

[CanaFan]

https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/canucks

The Canucks are only committed to 5 players in 18/19 and 3 in 19/20.

And 2 of those 5 are grossly overpaid. Plus it's not likely that Benning will suddenly discover restraint and adept negotiating skills between now and whenever he is fired. As soon as contracts expire they'll likely be replaced by more of the same.

 

[Trelane]

Say what you want about Burke at least Donutz and him drafted/traded for (Sedins, Kesler, Schneider, Edler, Bieska, May Ray, Luongo, Burrows).

Sedins - 3rd liners in to their draft+5 season
Kesler - (see above)
Schneider - didn't make the big club in draft +6 as backup
Edler - called up in his draft+4
Raymond - first saw action in draft+3
Burrows - made the club within 3 years of signing, took another three to move into top 6

Might be going on a limb here but it seems Benning, like any GM put in a rebuilding situation, needs 5 years before drafting can even begin to be properly judged.

 

[Scurr]

And 2 of those 5 are grossly overpaid. Plus it's not likely that Benning will suddenly discover restraint and adept negotiating skills between now and whenever he is fired. As soon as contracts expire they'll likely be replaced by more of the same.

Benning is either going to make a couple good moves to get the team into the playoffs or he's going to get fired imo. You think he's got a couple good moves in him?

 

[Siludin]

The cap will be about 10m higher in 6 years, and the Canucks still have space. The Sedins' contract will be up by then, and a 6m cap hit is already 2nd-tier money on the best teams anyway. In 6 years, Loui Eriksson will have endeared us enough that his 6m will be as easy to swallow as Burrows' 4.5m

 

[Trelane]

Personally I'd like to see Benning leave the current $3-4M in cap room we have (whatever the actual number is) and let Aquillini pretend that savings is his 2 games of playoff revenue for next spring. Then he can go focus on his property developments instead of meddling in the day-to-day operations of the hockey team and be happy that he got his obligatory playoff revenue.

I agree we shouldn't go after any more FA. They've given themselves a chance to make the playoffs. Not great but decent and they are getting younger overall. This is the first long term deal that can really hurt the club if Eriksson sucks early. Don't care for any more. Already surprised the Nucks are getting the value they are out of Sedin and Miller deals.

 

[y2kcanucks]

Sedins - 3rd liners in to their draft+5 season
Kesler - (see above)
Schneider - didn't make the big club in draft +6 as backup
Edler - called up in his draft+4
Raymond - first saw action in draft+3
Burrows - made the club within 3 years of signing, took another three to move into top 6

Might be going on a limb here but it seems Benning, like any GM put in a rebuilding situation, needs 5 years before drafting can even begin to be properly judged.

Give Benning 5 years and he'll set this organization back 15.

 

[ChilliBilly]

Do what you like. In isolation it's a fine signing. But it's a bandaid on a sinking ship. I'm more in favour of rebuilding the hull going forward.

Its clear the direction is bandaid bandaid bandaid. We seem to be in the Leafs plan of spend as much as we can to give the fans hope.

 

[stexx]

Really? I mostly saw rookies sitting on the bench in the 3rd period, lining up with crappy 4th line wingers, or scratched so "character" vets could play more minutes.

The only rookie who was put in a significant role was Hutton and he was probably our second best D for much of the season.

Throwing our rookies into the deep end was certainly not what this team did not was it even close to a major reason this team sucked it's way to 28th. That falls largely on overplaying guys like Bartowski, Weber, Vey, Dorsett, and messing around with the Sedins former 31 goal winger.

i guess i didnt word my post very well in hindsight but that is kind of exactly what i meant. When our rooks/young players were playing they were paired with complete garbage vets who dont even belong in the league let alone who could hold up a rookie or be a driver of play.

Even hutty was paired with a "vet" that most nights he had to carry until he played with tanev but even then he had to play 1st pairing minutes trial by fire. That is not a good situation for young players to be in when they have to drive play night in and night to have any success while their veteran linemates rarely contribute.

Out of our vets outside of the twins/hansen who among them would be a driver of play that can actually contribute to scoring chances & possession on a regular basis? That is why i like this signing (outside of term but it is what it is) because it means that either eriksson or hansen will be paired with sutter/rookie or horvat/rookie and be a driver for that line on a consistent basis.

now watch willie roll out a burrows-sutter-hansen line and i will have to eat my words while silently hitting a pillow repeatably.

 

[CanaFan]

Benning is either going to make a couple good moves to get the team into the playoffs or he's going to get fired imo. You think he's got a couple good moves in him?

Lol not at all. I do think Aquillini will need to be careful how he handles the optics of the eventual Bennin firing however. Word seems to have gotten out that the Aquillini's keep their GM's on a tight leash and frequently intercede in GM decisions. Going forward I think they will have more difficulty finding a GM who is willing to put himself in such a compromised position.

 

[Rotting Corpse*]

Sedins - 3rd liners in to their draft+5 season
Kesler - (see above)
Schneider - didn't make the big club in draft +6 as backup
Edler - called up in his draft+4
Raymond - first saw action in draft+3
Burrows - made the club within 3 years of signing, took another three to move into top 6

Might be going on a limb here but it seems Benning, like any GM put in a rebuilding situation, needs 5 years before drafting can even begin to be properly judged.

Indeed, but it goes both ways. We can't be declaring Benning a great drafter prior to five years either.

 

[CanaFan]

i guess i didnt word my post very well in hindsight but that is kind of exactly what i meant. When our rooks/young players were playing they were paired with complete garbage vets who dont even belong in the league let alone who could hold up a rookie or be a driver of play.

Even hutty was paired with a "vet" that most nights he had to carry until he played with tanev but even then he had to play 1st pairing minutes trial by fire. That is not a good situation for young players to be in when they have to drive play night in and night to have any success while their veteran linemates rarely contribute.

Out of our vets outside of the twins/hansen who among them would be a driver of play that can actually contribute to scoring chances & possession on a regular basis? That is why i like this signing (outside of term but it is what it is) because it means that either eriksson or hansen will be paired with sutter/rookie or horvat/rookie and be a driver for that line on a consistent basis.

now watch willie roll out a burrows-sutter-hansen line and i will have to eat my words while silently hitting a pillow repeatably.

Gotcha. Ya that's fair I guess. As long as the kids are playing with these vets and not being scratched and benched to give them more ice time then I am ok with it. I just find Willie such a risk averse coach that I am naturally skeptical that he will do that. But in theory it makes sense.

 

[Icebreakers]

What number is he going to wear?

 

[kanucks25]

What number is he going to wear?

21, I assume.

 

[Icebreakers]

21, I assume.

Then what is Brandon Sutter going to wear?

 

[Fat Tony]

Indeed, but it goes both ways. We can't be declaring Benning a great drafter prior to five years either.

If we're judging 5 years' worth of draft picks, we'll need to give Benning 6 or 7 years. I don't know if the team can handle that.