Has your opinion of Jim Benning changed?

[Bertuzzzi44]

No. He tried desperately to make the playoffs every year since being here and signed veteran players to ridiculous contracts to make it happen (Sutter, Beagle, Roussel, Eriksson etc.). Luckily for the Canucks Benning sucks at his job and the Canucks were still terrible giving them great draft selections were the scouting staff were able to select Boeser, Pettersson & Hughes.

 

[Szechwan]

I'm a pretty anti-Benning fan, but I will say that he's improved significantly in the last couple years. Still prone to giving out dumb contracts during UFA though.

 

[EXTRAS]

signings sure ill give you that.

Trades tho recently,

Miller for 1st and 3rd
Pearson for Gudbranson
Leivo for Carconne


how can you argue with those?

A few lucky ones. Just because miller has turned out well doesn't mean tampa could have gotten anywhere close to that offer from anywhere else. Tampa was stuck due to cap and JT Miller was 26 coming off a down year. Most people were expecting a 2nd rounder to get it done, but this was 1st+3rd. Overpaying and getting lucky doesn't mean he isn't shit at trading.

 

[Bgav]

I don’t know how much credit to give him for the Miller trade because I’ve always thought you should be able to judge a trade right when it happens. Did he think he was getting a 47-point forward?

Lol what? I’m not a benning fan, but he clearly saw Miller with more upside then that

 

[Szechwan]

Because you put this on the main boards as though most fans have an opinion about the Canucks GM....

I clicked the thread because I had no idea who he was... which I suspect is pretty common if you aren't Canadian...

"I am oblivious, so everyone else must be too"

Jim Benning during his Vancouver tenure has been discussed extensively on HF, and usually he's listed as one of the worst GMs in the league. He's actually been a pretty polarizing figure, and often the (deserved) butt of jokes from opposing fans.

 

[GOilers88]

People don't seem to understand that you can "rebuild" your team without trading everyone and everything of value for picks and prospects. Keeping a team competitive by bringing in some decent vets to help shelter your kids is the right way.

Getting rid of everyone a la Edmonton and Buffalo and having your kids feasted on by grown men is not the way to make them winners. But it's like a good chunk of folks have this mentality that if a team isnt considered a cup contender then they might as well keep trading everything for more picks and prospects.

Making the playoffs most years even if you don't win is not a bad thing, and doesn't mean your franchise is bad. Look at Nashville. I'd trade McDavid in a heartbeat if it meant the team was competitive year in and year out like they've been for God knows how long.

 

[Szechwan]

I don’t know how much credit to give him for the Miller trade because I’ve always thought you should be able to judge a trade right when it happens. Did he think he was getting a 47-point forward?

What?!

So every trade involving futures you're upset the team acquired a junior player at the expense of an NHLer? How could anyone possibly think that trades don't take into account projected player value??

 

[aufheben]

What?!

So every trade involving futures you're upset the team acquired a junior player at the expense of an NHLer? How could anyone possibly think that trades don't take into account projected player value??

I find it hard to believe that he knew JT Miller was all of the sudden going to score 76 points.

 

[GOilers88]

What?!

So every trade involving futures you're upset the team acquired a junior player at the expense of an NHLer? How could anyone possibly think that trades don't take into account projected player value??

If you're judging trades right when they happen your opinion probably isn't going to mean much, either.

 

[Pip]

People don't seem to understand that you can "rebuild" your team without trading everyone and everything of value for picks and prospects. Keeping a team competitive by bringing in some decent vets to help shelter your kids is the right way.

Getting rid of everyone a la Edmonton and Buffalo and having your kids feasted on by grown men is not the way to make them winners. But it's like a good chunk of folks have this mentality that if a team isnt considered a cup contender then they might as well keep trading everything for more picks and prospects.

Making the playoffs most years even if you don't win is not a bad thing, and doesn't mean your franchise is bad. Look at Nashville. I'd trade McDavid in a heartbeat if it meant the team was competitive year in and year out like they've been for God knows how long.

-The Canucks have not brought in good veterans. - The Canucks have made the playoffs once in Benning’s tenure. Other than that year they’ve been arguably the worst team in the league over that stretch.

 

[GOilers88]

-The Canucks have not brought in good veterans. - The Canucks have made the playoffs once in Benning’s tenure. Other than that year they’ve been arguably the worst team in the league over that stretch.

Myers, Rousell and Miller are looking pretty good so far.

 

[WiLBoY]

Canucks missed the playoffs the past few years because they were rebuilding...

 

[WetcoastOrca]

I find it hard to believe that he knew JT Miller was all of the sudden going to score 76 points.

Yes. But it works both ways. It was also hard to know Loui Eriksson was going to regress so quickly even if most of us knew the last couple of years were going to be bad.
Having said that, he saw some upside in JT Miller and Tanner Pearson who were both not being used to the potential they had shown in the past and those two pickups have had a real ripple effect throughout the whole lineup. Then add in Leivo who has also been a solid pick up.
All in all I think he’s at best middle of the pack and probably in the bottom half but he does at least appear to be learning with his recent signings and more recent drafts as well where he is targeting skill instead of just size.

 

[pomx]

We all know the flack ( and rightfully deserved) that Jim Benning has received on HF. It was the cool thing to do. Benning is a very polarizing figure in Vancouver, he has his supporters but there is also a large contingency of "haters" that want him fired.

Side Track : Vancouver board has a "tank thread" specifically created for posters to cheer on losing for Canucks to get Benning fired and to get draft picks, do other boards have this?

My question is, has your previous opinion of Jim Benning changed recently.

Here are some factors.

1. The Canucks have a chance to have 3 consecutive Calder Finalists on their Team. All of which are drafted by Jim Benning and despite not having a top 3 overall pick. (Boeser, Pettersson, Hughes) when has the last time that has happened?

2. Makar is definitely the current front runner for The Calder this season but Quinn Hughes is right on his tail. Should Hughes win the Calder then the Canucks will go back to back Calder Winners, a feat that hasnt been achieved since 1966-1968 when Boston's Bobby Orr and Derek Sanderson achieved it. ( someone fact check me on this please)

3. JT Miller- The Canucks targeted JT Miller and gave up 1st rnd pick and a 3rd rnd pick to Tampa. Artemi Panarin is the only player in the NHL this year that has been more productive than Miller in terms of players on new teams. Miller has 46 pts in 49 games and is a top 3 leader in Faceoffs in the NHL. Ridiculous cost controlled salary of 5.25 mil for 3 more years after this year. If the Canucks make the playoffs then that 1st round pick is pick 17th or worse. Who wouldn't give that up for a top line player producing the way he is.

4. Tanner Pearson- 100% Benning goofed up in his early tenure when he trade JAred Mccann for Eric Gudbranson. However Benning then flipped Gudbranson (one of if not the worst Dman in the NHL) and was able to obtain Tanner Pearson from the Pens.

Fun fact, did you know Tanner Pearson has been the leading scorer for the Canucks from November 2019 (30 games or so) to now. Yes more than Pettersson, Boeser, Horvat, Hughes. Pearson has been a staple in the 2nd line and 2nd unit pp and has been relied upon in the closing minutes of the game to steer home victories.

5. Jake Virtanen- You wont find any educated Canuck fan that will argue that Virtanen is the better player to Ehlers or Nylander. However Virtanen has taken a major major step this year. Considered one of Benning's biggest mistake ( though there are lots of rumors indicating that the owner forced his hand in drafting the local boy) Virtanen has shown what his game could eventually become. The 23 year old is having a breakout year. Despite not playing on the Top PP or top 6 role for most of the season, Virtanen is on pace for 24 goals and is playing a very hard, mature, 2 way game to go with it.

6. Canucks are currently 1st place in the division a the All- Star Break

7. Utica Comets are currently 1st place in their division in the AHL. Young guns on the farm are excelling. Guys like AHL rookie Brogan Rafferty who leads the AHL in Dman scoring. 2nd Round draft pick Kole Lind 37 pts in 42 games, and even a major improvement from pronounced bust Olli Juolevi who has turned it on recently and now has 20 pts in 32 games while playing top pairing role. Justin Bailey 24 years old who is a Benning signing also has 3 hat-tricks in the last 4 games. Goalie Mikey Dipietro is 13-5 as an AHL rookie.

8. Prospect Pool- Once considered one of the best in the league, some of the recent graduates has left the prospect pool in the top 10-15 range. However, Benning has still managed to find some interesting gems.

* Podkolzin
*Hoglander
*Rafferty
* Tyler Madden ( top 5 in NCAA goals)
* Kole Lind
* Juolevi
* Rathbone
*Dipietro
* Woo

Recent Graduates: Hughes, Gaudette, Demko

Big picture, yes Benning has his blemishes on his resume, and so does all the other GMs but its tough to argue with those results. Im curious to see the current perception of Jim Benning is.

OP no matter how you slice it and write facts, people on HF just flat out refuse to acknowledge facts and will never like Benning. The vocal minority on HF may seem he’s a bad GM but on the actual Canuck forums he’s a very popular GM.

 

[Didalee Hed]

I think every GM has some bad contracts and trades if they've been around long enough.

I think the Canucks are a lot closer to contending than most of HF will give them credit for, and I think it's really sad and pathetic that anyone could actively root for their team to lose games and trades so that people get fired while also referring to themselves as fans. Pathetic.

Your fanbase invented the draft lottery order party.

 

[StreetHawk]

Canucks are kind of where they should be when he took over in 2014. Had an older team that was on the decline. Those guys are basically all gone now. Only Edler and Tanev remain from the NHL squad he took over from, as Markstrom was in the A.

He gave the roster another shot in 2015 and they made the playoffs but fell to a young Calgary team without Giordano and blew a 3-0 game 6 lead.

Missed the playoffs badly the next 2 seasons and didn't see his best tradable assets. Gave up young pieces for guys in their early to mid 20's, who likely won't be on the roster much longer as they are aging out of their best years and will need cheaper options moving forward.

They were a team that needed to be rebuilt. Only issue is that he doesn't have a couple of additional younger pieces on the roster that was expected.

Team still has issues with D depth moving forward.

 

[John Johnson]

Id say thats accurate.

How would you weigh those 3 factors though?

would you rather have a GM thats great at Signings but awful at Drafting and Trades?

Perfect world, your GM is outstanding in all 3 of those facets but its not a perfect world.

Personally, I think good drafting is the most important thing a GM of a franchise can do. Its the best way to build a team and you're likely to find your future best players from it. After that I'd have to say trading is the next most important. If you can get good value while giving up lesser or equal value it makes a huge difference. We saw how trading McCann for Gudbranson changed the team for the worse, then conversely trading Gudbranson for Pearson ultimately helping the team greatly. Signings are least important of the 3 things I listed, but they are still a major part of forming a cap compliant team, and I think JB has gotten worked over when it comes to signing UFAs. On the other hand though his RFA signings have been alright so far.

 

[John Johnson]

I find it hard to believe that he knew JT Miller was all of the sudden going to score 76 points.

Miller was coming off of a 47 point season playing mostly 3rd line minutes on the top team in the league. Of course most GMs would look at that and see theres more to give especially with top-6 minutes. Besides he's only 26 and making a ridiculous 5.25 AAV for the next 3 years.

 

[Canucks5551]

Myers, Rousell and Miller are looking pretty good so far.

Myers isn’t looking great for $6m a year. It’s a bad contract.

 

[GOilers88]

Your fanbase invented the draft lottery order party.

What is your point? Rooting for your team to suck is pathetic. I don't give a shit what team you cheer for. That makes you as far from a fan as possible.

 

[GOilers88]

Myers isn’t looking great for $6m a year. It’s a bad contract.

I never said he looked great. Fact is the team is in 1st in their division at the All-Star break and some of the vets they signed are directly responsible for it.

No GM is going to nail every trade or contract signing over their tenure. But if you want to be negative about a team being tops of the division at this point in the season you go right ahead.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

In my opinion he has done a great job. Just a few of his signings have sucked.... but then again majority of GMs have made a head scratching signing or 2

 

[SotasicA]

Their longest bad contract on the books are 2 or 3 year more. It will fit in fine when the core needs new contracts. We also dont know what the cap is going to be.

They also have guys in the AHL and prospects that will compete for those spots once the time is needed.

Bob Marley wrote a great song about drafting hockey players and fitting them under the cap, and about facing criticism from the media:

 

[Canucks5551]

I never said he looked great.

Okay, he’s not looking pretty good either, especially for that price tag.

 

[Just Linda]

An NHL GM has more to do than just being good at drafting and trading. End of the day, you look at the end product. I'm not sold of Vancouver being built to be a contender nor am I convinced they have the right pieces to become one. Their rebuild was too half efforted and it sucks for Canuck fans because they have the right pieces in some places (down the middle, Hughes) but not enough of them (where's their elite winger?) to make noise.

For that reason, no I'm not convinced. I'm convinced he got lucky not good.