Former Canucks Thread 2023-24 Off-Season Edition

[rypper]

Looking good Jimbo! Jesus Christ.

I don't think that's actually him.

 

[Kryten]

I don't think that's actually him.

Hard to tell from that picture. Cant see the hooves and he couldve sanded down his horns

 

[Jyrki21]

I don't think that's actually him.

I wondered too, which is why I refrained from posting here last night when his was tweeted out. There isn't actually a player on Portland (or in the CHL) called Benning from what I can tell.

 

[Hit the post]

I wondered too, which is why I refrained from posting here last night when his was tweeted out. There isn't actually a player on Portland (or in the CHL) called Benning from what I can tell.

Seriously though, Jim Benning the NHLer player would be useful on the current Canucks roster. Nothing too flashy (eg., not expensive) & a reliable #4 D. Amazing how inept he was at acquiring such a defenseman in his umpteen years as GM though.

 

[Josepho]

I wondered too, which is why I refrained from posting here last night when his was tweeted out. There isn't actually a player on Portland (or in the CHL) called Benning from what I can tell.

I think the post is referring to the Junior Winterhawks, which would be some sort of program for very young players. I don't think their roster is publicly available.

 

[rypper]

For the record after some digging the is an Evan Benning who plays for the Winterhawks 18u team, that is like 14, and is related to ol Jimbo.

But I can't find any info about there being a tournament this past weekend involving his team in Burnaby.

 

[Vector]

For the record after some digging the is an Evan Benning who plays for the Winterhawks 18u team, that is like 14, and is related to ol Jimbo.

But I can't find any info about there being a tournament this past weekend involving his team in Burnaby.

Found it. Was part of the VANCOUVER MINOR HOCKEY 17TH ANNUAL CANUCKS PLACE CHARITY TOURNAMENT.

I copy & pasted the tourney name and will not be uncapitalizing it.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Alex Chiasson announced his retirement. Quality vet that earned himself a few contracts by showing up to camp. All the best on a nice career.

 

[Nuckles]

 

[I am toxic]

Found it. Was part of the VANCOUVER MINOR HOCKEY 17TH ANNUAL CANUCKS PLACE CHARITY TOURNAMENT.

I copy & pasted the tourney name and will not be uncapitalizing it.

Good for you

Suck it E. E. Cummings

 

[Nuckles]

Daniel Sprong, after scoring 2 goals and 1 assist in his Firebirds debut: "I want to prove that I don't belong here."

Said he was "too many steps ahead" early in the game and had to "slow it down mentally and get on that speed."



I imagine Sprong is headed overseas after this season. Not good enough for the NHL, too good (offensively) for the AHL.

 

[lawrence]

ok... turns out Brian Burke didn't like we got for the bure trade, stating its the best he could do.

 

[Vector]

 

[rypper]

At this point I kind of feel like both Mike Gillis and Brian Burke are pretty irrelevant. Mike's not coming back to the nhl and we've all heard all of Burke's stories.

Plus he has some pretty out dated hockey takes. "That's a small body, gentlemen..."

 

[StreetHawk]

ok... turns out Brian Burke didn't like we got for the bure trade, stating its the best he could do.

Not shocked. 2000 first rounder from FLA (Smith). Jovo and Gagner. Was never going to win that trade.

At this point I kind of feel like both Mike Gillis and Brian Burke are pretty irrelevant. Mike's not coming back to the nhl and we've all heard all of Burke's stories.

Plus he has some pretty out dated hockey takes. "That's a small body, gentlemen..."

Agree on both guys. Burke is now retired. Gillis, been a decade, so not returning to the NHL.

 

[MS]

Very interested to see how Gatcomb goes. He was a guy that both orcatown and I thought might have the speed/size/grit to stick as an NHL 4th liner and who always out-performed his minutes in Abbotsford but didn't ever seem to be viewed as more than a spare part.

Was annoyed we let him walk and he's scoring 0.5 points/game in the AHL and gets a callup.

 

[Vector]

Very interested to see how Gatcomb goes. He was a guy that both orcatown and I thought might have the speed/size/grit to stick as an NHL 4th liner and who always out-performed his minutes in Abbotsford but didn't ever seem to be viewed as more than a spare part.

Was annoyed we let him walk and he's scoring 0.5 points/game in the AHL and gets a callup.

My son has a signed puck from him so I'm cheering even harder for him than I normally would.

 

[Jyrki21]

Not shocked. 2000 first rounder from FLA (Smith). Jovo and Gagner. Was never going to win that trade.

Kevin Weekes was legitimately an important part of that deal, though (Gagner wasn't, even though it became something of a meme that Burke swore he was). The main questionable part is that Burke gave up pieces in addition to Bure, particularly Hedican. I never liked Ference as a draft pick, but he was a recent first-rounder too. Given the situation, though, I always thought the deal was more than defensible.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Kevin Weekes was legitimately an important part of that deal, though (Gagner wasn't, even though it became something of a meme that Burke swore he was). The main questionable part is that Burke gave up pieces in addition to Bure, particularly Hedican. I never liked Ference as a draft pick, but he was a recent first-rounder too. Given the situation, though, I always thought the deal was more than defensible.

kevin weekes was the first in a series of former 2nd round pick goalies we got from florida. the next one, alex auld, was a little better but also ultimately disappointing. but we finally got it right with marky.

as a second piece in the deal, he wasn’t a good one, especially as he wasn’t even as useful as hedican going the other way.

but the deal hinged on burke’s bet that a young stagnant jovo could get back on track and he was right on that front.

Pack it in, play the kids and try again next year. Injuries and locker room drama f***ed it.

what kids? it’s just lekk right?

 

[Quinning]

kids? it’s just lekk right?

Lekk, Willander when he signs, EP2 and Kudtryatsev should all be getting minutes with the big club. Stop Juulsen, Desharnais and Forbort.

 

[rypper]

Sasson the assassin too.

 

[MS]

Kevin Weekes was legitimately an important part of that deal, though (Gagner wasn't, even though it became something of a meme that Burke swore he was). The main questionable part is that Burke gave up pieces in addition to Bure, particularly Hedican. I never liked Ference as a draft pick, but he was a recent first-rounder too. Given the situation, though, I always thought the deal was more than defensible.

Yeah, this is the problem with the Bure trade.

We inexplicably threw Bret Hedican into the trade, who was a 28 y/o top-pairing defender and was the 1D on a Cup winner 8 years after this trade was made. Hedican was nearly as good a player as Jovanovski, and honestly when you take into account Jovo's general braindead-ness was probably more of a player you could win with.

Then we lost the Ference-Brown prospect swap.

So that means that we essentially traded the best goal scorer in the NHL, at age 27, for Kevin Weekes, a Dave Gagner cap dump, and a 1st. And that's bloody awful.

If we didn't include Hedican it was defensible but that inclusion was colossally underrated and Hedican was hugely underrated as a player, then and now.

 

[Jyrki21]

Yeah, this is the problem with the Bure trade.

We inexplicably threw Bret Hedican into the trade, who was a 28 y/o top-pairing defender and was the 1D on a Cup winner 8 years after this trade was made. Hedican was nearly as good a player as Jovanovski, and honestly when you take into account Jovo's general braindead-ness was probably more of a player you could win with.

Then we lost the Ference-Brown prospect swap.

So that means that we essentially traded the best goal scorer in the NHL, at age 27, for Kevin Weekes, a Dave Gagner cap dump, and a 1st. And that's bloody awful.

If we didn't include Hedican it was defensible but that inclusion was colossally underrated and Hedican was hugely underrated as a player, then and now.

Agreed with all that (except Gagner was technically a salary dump rather than a cap dump in the pre-cap era, heh), but I say it was defensible because I assume this was the best Burke could get, and they were basically backed into a corner. I doubt it was a case of Benning's famous "so I guess you'll want more than McCann" playing out, particularly as Burke had the prize asset.

I do think Jovo was a big deal, though, and clearly carried the second-most market value in this deal by a fair margin, even if I agree Hedican was underrated. And even though "goalie of the future" became a running joke, Weekes was a well-regarded prospect and decent enough that, if not for his fabricated mugging story, he might have stuck around long enough to prevent a Cloutier era.

 

[RobertKron]

Agreed with all that (except Gagner was technically a salary dump rather than a cap dump in the pre-cap era, heh), but I say it was defensible because I assume this was the best Burke could get, and they were basically backed into a corner. I doubt it was a case of Benning's famous "so I guess you'll want more than McCann" playing out, particularly as Burke had the prize asset.

I do think Jovo was a big deal, though, and clearly carried the second-most market value in this deal by a fair margin, even if I agree Hedican was underrated. And even though "goalie of the future" became a running joke, Weekes was a well-regarded prospect and decent enough that, if not for his fabricated mugging story, he might have stuck around long enough to prevent a Cloutier era.

Yeah, IIRC, there was still a lot of thought that Jovanovski was going to build off of his rookie season, and being invited to the 96 World Cup as a spare part, and mature into an absolute stud. A 22yo former 1OA defenseman who hasn't absolutely busted is inevitably a pretty big ticket.

 

[pitseleh]

Yeah, IIRC, there was still a lot of thought that Jovanovski was going to build off of his rookie season, and being invited to the 96 World Cup as a spare part, and mature into an absolute stud. A 22yo former 1OA defenseman who hasn't absolutely busted is inevitably a pretty big ticket.

Jovanovski was a superstar if all you ever watched was Rock’em Sock’em tapes.