GDT: [GM50] Vancouver Canucks @ Nashville Predators | Wed, Jan. 29th | 6pm | SNP | Turmoil Even In Victory
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Mr. Canucklehead
Kitimat Canuck
He’s the one guy on the team that has a total free pass from me all season. He had cancer - don’t blame him at all if it takes a while to get back in a rhythm. Obviously we’d be better off if he was playing like he was last year, but he gets all the slack in the world from me.
Mr. Canucklehead
Kitimat Canuck
Also - D-Petey being scratched may have more to do with him heading back to the AHL for his participation in the AHL All Star Weekend this weekend than anything else.
Sign Harold Druken for that one game.
- Jul 8, 2022
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It would be a real tailwind for the team if he can get going. It seemed like the flashes were getting a bit brighter and more frequent before he got banged up...hopefully not too out of sync tonight.
...and we've won 3 of 12 with Demko in goal...we are 11-13-8 with juulsen
Flik
Canucks fan for life
Win it for Rutherford! Rally behind the old man!
Bleach Clean
Registered User
- Aug 9, 2006
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While true, not the same class of player (obv).
It's the right call to put Demko back in the net, imo. Even back ups spell the starter for the odd game and Lankinen didn't look sharp to me last game. He was moving too much. Reaching. Relying on athleticism. He's also 0 and 2 vs NSH.
Demko is more important to this team's fortunes than Pettersson or Miller. Their style requires high end goaltending, but it can get by with mediocre offense.
Aside: Miller was benched against NSH before the LOA. Time for some redemption.
Alright that's enough HF for me today I'll be back at game time
not shocking.
5-on-5 he has the worst xGF% of any regular player on the team. Absolutely owned in scoring chance and high danger chance share. Likely a big chunk of why Soucy has struggled.
He is above water on xGF% with Hronek (a whole 4 minutes) and Hughes (37 minutes). At 50% with Branstrom (55 minutes). Caved in any other time.
I realize they don't get a lot of offensive zone starts but most starts are on the fly for any player.
The love affair with him is bizarre. Even Forbort and Desharnais are holding their own as a pair.
Canucks seem to make poor decisions time and time again.
How easy was it to not just lose your good defenceman in Tanev and Zadorov. You already have them, they want to stay, they just want to get compensated fairly. Instead you let them go and sign guys like Myers to 30 million and Desharnais and Forbort to 3.5m.
You literally just have to do the bare minimum.
Tanev is playing like his best self at age 35.
How easy was it to not just lose your good defenceman in Tanev and Zadorov. You already have them, they want to stay, they just want to get compensated fairly. Instead you let them go and sign guys like Myers to 30 million and Desharnais and Forbort to 3.5m.
You literally just have to do the bare minimum.
Tanev is playing like his best self at age 35.
In fairness to Juulsen, while Hronek was out he was the RHD tasked with second pairing competition and (while I think the impact of zone starts is often overstated) he has been buried which is going to hurt his numbers a bit too.
He certainly hasn’t been good but he’s also been asked far more than should ever be asked of him.
Sure but that is really the point. He shouldn't even be in the lineup....
And yes zone starts affects things some but most starts are on the fly. He drags every partner down compared to other combinations. He just isn't a NHL defender.
Tanev should have been a lifetime Canuck, and the fact that he wasn't is one of most underappreciated crimes of the Benning regime.
platotld
Fly Canucks Fly
ChatGPT is sick
Jim Benning is a polarizing figure in the hockey world, especially among Vancouver Canucks fans. While his tenure as GM (2014-2021) was widely criticized for poor cap management, questionable free-agent signings, and lack of long-term vision, there’s an argument to be made that he was underrated in certain aspects. If you’re making the case for him as one of the greatest hockey minds of his time, here are some key points:
1. Drafting Talent
Benning was widely known as a strong talent evaluator, and his draft record supports that.- Elias Pettersson (5th overall, 2017) – Now a franchise player.
- Quinn Hughes (7th overall, 2018) – One of the best defensemen in the NHL today.
- Brock Boeser (23rd overall, 2015) – A consistent top-six forward.
- Thatcher Demko (36th overall, 2014) – Emerging as a top-tier NHL goalie.
- Vasili Podkolzin, Nils Höglander – Solid prospects with potential.
2. Building a Contender (At Least Briefly)
The 2019-20 Canucks were one of the most exciting young teams in the NHL, making it to Game 7 of the second round in the playoffs. Many of the key players from that run—Pettersson, Hughes, Boeser, Demko, J.T. Miller—were acquired by Benning.3. Key Trades
- J.T. Miller trade (2019) – Many criticized the move at the time, but Miller has been an elite player for Vancouver.
- Tanner Pearson for Erik Gudbranson (2019) – Huge upgrade.
- Tyler Toffoli rental (2020) – A great short-term move, though he wasn’t re-signed.
4. His Vision Wasn't Executed Well, But It Wasn't Wrong
Benning believed in a fast, skilled, and physical team built around young stars and veteran support. The idea itself wasn’t bad—he just mismanaged contracts (like giving big deals to bottom-six forwards and depth defensemen) that handcuffed the team.Why He Wasn’t Appreciated
- Cap Mismanagement – Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel, and Tyler Myers were overpaid.
- Poor Free-Agent Signings – Eriksson’s six-year, $36M contract was one of the worst of the era.
- Failure to Adjust – He didn’t manage the transition from rebuild to contender well, leading to stagnation.
Final Verdict
Benning had a great hockey mind when it came to drafting and identifying talent but struggled with asset and cap management. If he had been in a scouting or assistant GM role instead of running the whole operation, he might be remembered much more fondly.Are you a big Benning fan, or do you just think he gets too much hate?
Bleach Clean
Registered User
- Aug 9, 2006
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With another +18 goals at ES (more if all situations) in differential, they're top10 in GA/GP and likely 3rd in the west. That's the difference he made last year in xGA/GA.
This system is built to prevent problems, not outscore them.
He had cancer, obviously missed camp, took a while to get back into game shape, and then immediately got injured again.
What can people reasonably expect from the guy? How is anyone criticizing him?
The management methodically stripped this team of the drama buffer/sponge players, players that shielded or absorbed the drama (took the spotlight). All that's left now is the drama but no players that can deal with it.
The "Key Trades" section is... missing a few notable entries.
Tocc's infatuation with Juulsen is costing the team points.
I get Brannstrom isn't a cure-all, but Brannstrom-plug (Desharnais, etc.) on the third pair were actually holding their own. Sending him down to play all of Soucy, Juulsen, Forbort, Desharnais was just stupid.
If this doesn't prove AI is not "revolutionary", I don't know what will.
Yeah I would have kept Pedey in there but Juulsen getting back in was entirely predictable.
It'll be interesting to see what happens for next game if Juulsen doesn't play well and we lose tonight.
It'll be interesting to see what happens for next game if Juulsen doesn't play well and we lose tonight.
I was a huge advocate for keeping him, but there was a larger number of people in here who were tired of all of his injuries and wanted him gone. It was baffling to me, and we constantly reminded everyone it was going to be the next 10 years trying to find someone like him to replace him, just like all the other teams in the league were searching for ( a minute munching RHD who could matchup and play with anyone- in our case QH). But at that time, this was not a Benning regime issue (not like so many others), it was the predominant view on here that he was too injury prone and not valuable enough to resign. This was a huge mistake then and still is now. Very sad.
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