Has your opinion of Jim Benning changed?

[4Twenty]

He's been afforded a longer leash because Aquallini knows he was too hands in 2014-2016 era. You cant really fire the guy when behind the scenes Aquallini was the one demanding playoffs when it was time to restart.

So Aqua gave him an extension and became less involved. The last few years is all on Benning and therefore he will be fired if they collapse this season.

LOL.

Even if you agree that Benning disagreed with Aquilini's early approach, there is absolutely no way you can excuse Jim Benning's own execution of that approach. Jim never had any intention of having a team bad enough to select where they have. They've gotten those picks through failure.

 

[4Twenty]

I'll never understand why Benning didn't trade Hamhuis, Ryan Miller, or Vrbata at the trade deadlines when they were pending UFA agents, the Canucks were well out of a playoff spot, and Benning had no intention of re-signing them. I know people will say for Hamhuis that ownership got in the way (Dallas was the only buyer and our owners hate each other), but still, Miller had pretty decent value and we knew we weren't going to re-sign him, and we were far out of the playoffs...it makes no sense. It's poor asset management that's inexcusable IMO.

It was also reported at the time, Chicago put forth the same offer for Hamhuis that they ultimately used to bring Ladd back. Dano+1st. But 6 or 8 points out wasn't enough for Jim to plan his deadline in advance. Went to Hamhuis too late.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

 

[Sanchise90]

Would rather have it the other way around.

I put drafting at the top of attribute i want in a GM in order to build team that can challenge for many years.

Signing and Trading are for when the team and core is already assembled.

I agree to an extent. I just find it odd Benning is so bad at signings when he is so good apparently at evaluating talent...

 

[BCNate]

I'm stating solely on him as a trader it's alright, but he's still nothing special, he has taken chances at times when the safe move was rely on the draft as the team was so far away. And the guys he traded for could have gotten for free on the waiver wire.

For what he did with miller, trade has worked out but argument was he could have gotten him cheaper. If Canucks have a poor second half people will wish that he gave up the two seconds that most still considered to be an overpay.

Most of the deals you are referring to happened more than a couple of years ago. I think the only assets that i'd like back are the 2 2nds, and McCann. When I look at the roster we have now, Benning Traded for Miller, Leivo, Pearson and gave up a 1st, cap dump, and AHL lifer. These guys are having a massive impact on our team for very little cost. I don't think he gets a free pass per say for some tough deals in the early going, but I think most would admit he has improved significantly over the years in the trade market. I think that is a fair expectation of a rookie GM.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

Would rather have it the other way around.

I put drafting at the top of attribute i want in a GM in order to build team that can challenge for many years.

Signing and Trading are for when the team and core is already assembled.

I agree, which makes it so frustrating seeing him trade away so many picks. A rebuilding team should not be trading away four 2nd round picks and a handful of others for scraps.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Most of the deals you are referring to happened more than a couple of years ago. I think the only assets that i'd like back are the 2 2nds, and McCann. When I look at the roster we have now, Benning Traded for Miller, Leivo, Pearson and gave up a 1st, cap dump, and AHL lifer. These guys are having a massive impact on our team for very little cost. I don't think he gets a free pass per say for some tough deals in the early going, but I think most would admit he has improved significantly over the years in the trade market. I think that is a fair expectation of a rookie GM.

Pretty much..there's pre 2017 Benning, and post 2017 Benning...His worst moves were pre 2017 (well documented) ,but for some posters ..they're just unable to 'let it go' (pre 2017)......Fortunately, it looks like Benning is finally getting some credit from the media, and from around the league.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Pretty much..there's pre 2017 Benning, and post 2017 Benning...His worst moves were pre 2017 (well documented) ,but for some posters ..they're just unable to 'let it go'......Fortunately, it looks like Benning is finally getting some credit from the media, and from around the league.

No question. Had he started rebuilding from the start and traded players for picks and hung onto those picks we’d be further ahead now. Also bringing in over priced players like Beagle, Sutter and Eriksson early on in longer term deals was clearly a mistake when the team was nowhere near ready to compete and there are cheaper players that can be picked up on shorter deals.
I don’t know how he could have looked at that lineup and thought they were anywhere close to competing.
I do agree though most of his moves 2017 and onwards have been quite good. Drafting and trades included. I guess we will see whether he has learned from his earlier mistakes. I do think that if he can get through the next couple of years and clear some bad contracts up then the team is in pretty good shape to get to the next level. Whether it is Benning or a new GM who gets to the team to that level will depend on how the next couple of years go.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

Pretty much..there's pre 2017 Benning, and post 2017 Benning...His worst moves were pre 2017 (well documented) ,but for some posters ..they're just unable to 'let it go' (pre 2017)......Fortunately, it looks like Benning is finally getting some credit from the media, and from around the league.

Benning has been a shitty GM for his entire tenure here. He’s had 7 years of high draft picks and his team is regressing as a result of his poor decisions, bad asset management, and complete cluelessness on how to manage the team’s cap. The proof is in the pudding in what we’re seeing this season. Benning needs to be relieved of his duties as GM if this team wants to improve and succeed.

 

[polloqpiu]

Hahaha wait and see 2 years, benning has learned. What did he learn he just had a horrible offseason, like you think he cant top 2016 but at least he's trying to. Also no, the team will be hard to manage. Despite how he made it seem hard to manage until now, those were the easy years, where our star players were super cheap. It will be hard from now on and needs some draft picks to come in and contribute.

 

[DS7]

Holy thread ressurection Batman!

 

[Warden of the North]

No. Still terrible

 

[polloqpiu]

I bet those guys that admit benning was bad at the beginning and that not rebuild was a mistake were defending his moves at the time and that retool age gap bs​

 

[Connor McConnor]

The thing with Jim Benning that people outside Vancouver don't really know is that the REAL problem is ownership. The Aquilini's are known mobsters who are extremely cheap with the Canucks. They never let Benning tear it down properly because they still wanted to sell tickets so it was pretty much just a partial rebuild after the Sedin era. Again, Benning has made his fair share of mistakes but there are plenty of rumours that he is just a puppet.

 

[polloqpiu]

The thing with Jim Benning that people outside Vancouver don't really know is that the REAL problem is ownership. The Aquilini's are known mobsters who are extremely cheap with the Canucks. They never let Benning tear it down properly because they still wanted to sell tickets so it was pretty much just a partial rebuild after the Sedin era. Again, Benning has made his fair share of mistakes but there are plenty of rumours that he is just a puppet.

Of course acquilinis are a problem, but even if direction was dictated by ownership the execution was terrible. Like if the owner tells you to compete and not rebuild, you choose sbisa to play in your top 4 and give 6m to eriksson, or have sutter as foundational player, larsen in your defense, gudbranson top 4 etc. Etc. ?

 

[vancityluongo]

I've had this avatar for like, 5 years.

So, no.

 

[Connor McConnor]

Of course acquilinis are a problem, but even if direction was dictated by ownership the execution was terrible. Like if the owner tells you to compete and not rebuild, you choose sbisa to play in your top 4 and give 6m to eriksson, or have sutter as foundational player, larsen in your defense, gudbranson top 4 etc. Etc. ?

The thing with Benning is he's maybe the best scouting GM in the league but he's also terrible at negotiations lol. So he might be the reason the Canucks have one of the best foundations/prospect pools but he might also be the reason you lose 1-2 of them (likely Boeser is the casualty) because of his other bad decisions. I think he has too much pride to take a demotion to scouting/hockey ops but that's probably his ideal role.

 

[polloqpiu]

The thing with Benning is he's maybe the best scouting GM in the league but he's also terrible at negotiations lol. So he might be the reason the Canucks have one of the best foundations/prospect pools but he might also be the reason you lose 1-2 of them (likely Boeser is the casualty) because of his other bad decisions. I think he has too much pride to take a demotion to scouting/hockey ops but that's probably his ideal role.

He missed 50% of his top 10 picks

 

[NyQuil]

He’s out of his depth.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

I actually don’t mind Benning. His free agent signings have been poor, but he’s done an excellent job of drafting.

Green is more of an issue imo.

 

[Connor McConnor]

He missed 50% of his top 10 picks

Tell me how the Canucks became a top 5 prospect pool if he was just missing picks? That logic is completely flawed.

 

[strattonius]

He' bad and has to go.

Sewered the team's chances at retaining part of their core this off season because he locked up Beagle, Roussell, Eriksson, Myers, etc, etc, etc.

He also miscommunicated the gutting of this roster that was going to happen to the players this year as he was busy trying to lock in on Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

I actually don’t mind Benning. His free agent signings have been poor, but he’s done an excellent job of drafting.

Green is more of an issue imo.

So many things wrong with this post.
1) great drafting isn’t going to get the team anywhere if he can’t surround the elite talent with good complimentary players and depth. Our defence and depth looks awful because of Benning’s mismanagement of the cap.

2) his drafting really hasn’t been that great. He’s missed on half of his top 10 picks (Juolevi and Virtanen). Hoglander, Demko, and Gaudette are the only players drafted outside the 1st round who are currently NHL players (remember, this is 7 years of drafting, with a majority of bottom 10 finishes so higher picks involved).

3) even if his drafting is great, he bleeds draft picks and almost never accumulates them. He traded away five 2nd round picks for basically nothing (Vey, Baertschi, Gudbranson, 10 games of Toffoli).

 

[Beezeral]

A year later, I love my posts itt and my opinion still hasn’t changed. Dale Tallon will save you @WetcoastOrca

 

[Cupless44]

No my opinion has not changed. Have wanted to be rid of him for years.

He is incompetent at his job....ok at drafting...but poor at everything else...abyssmal at cap management and asset management.