Management Discussion | Just Have a Plan

[Vector]

@Canucks LB

Here's the full press conference. The Pearson stuff isn't really that interesting. They can't answer any questions. Skip ahead to around 15 minutes in and watch this thing transform into something else entirely.

 

[TruGr1t]

This stupid “we’re now tanking” about face, even if Rutherford made the comment in jest, is a little too out of the Rogers Arena handbook for me. A little too on the nose.

It is like they found Benning’s action guide and nicked a page.

You are not “tanking”. You tried desperately to be competitive, including making the salary cap situation unequivocally worse in the process, and you created a really bad team.

Chicago and Arizona are “tanking”. You just suck at your job.

 

[MS]

That’s…not what I was saying.

He made himself available, and, honestly, he was one of those types who loves to hear himself talk. Do you not recall his “the next Nieuwendyk” story where he drove through a snowstorm to scout Mark Jankowski?


There’s a lot of things to hate on with Weisbrod and Benning. Him not being a dial-a-quote for media isn’t one of them.

I don’t like the inaccuracy when people were making shit up in favor of those idiots, also don’t like inventing shit that makes them look bad (because it diminishes from the litany of horrible, dumb things they did.)

Say what?

The 'next Nieuwendyk' story was from when he was with Calgary.

The only 'interviews' he did were in-house CanucksTV hits for intermissions, usually during the prospects camp etc. so he could talk about how great our developmental system was.

I don't recall him answering questions at a press conference or with an independent media outlet once during his entire 8 years here.

 

[bossram]

This stupid “we’re now tanking” about face, even if Rutherford made the comment in jest, is a little too out of the Rogers Arena handbook for me. A little too on the nose.

It is like they found Benning’s action guide and nicked a page.

You are not “tanking”. You tried desperately to be competitive, including making the salary cap situation unequivocally worse in the process, and you created a really bad team.

Chicago and Arizona are “tanking”. You just suck at your job.

Yep, even though JR's joking, Drance's indignation at that comment is justified.

This is just the Benning redux. Don't actually tank or do anything intentional to facilitate a rebuild. Just be so bad at actually doing your job that you end up falling into a top-10 draft pick anyway.

It is not this hard to be an NHL GM. It really is not. You're not managing a country. You're not managing the global economy. It's 23 hockey players. Carolina manages to be a year-in year-out contender with a deep prospect pool, draft pick surplus, and more cap flexibility despite having a self-admitted shoestring front office budget.

Any Canucks fan who actively supports this team is delusional and part of the problem.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

I am not even going to say I come in peace

Did I hear right that the canucks confirmed they have talks with several people about the coaching position? Did they fire Bruce and i missed it? As an oiler fan I can say our entire organization often rides in a clown car. But if the canucks did make that statement? It is beyond oiler level stupid and disrespectful.

What the hell happened with the team? If Bruce got hired a month earlier I think you guys make the playoffs last season.

How did he lose the room so quickly?

We look oiler level stupid because we are being managed at oiler level stupid.

He didn't lose the room so quickly, the problem is this room can't be found. The locker room might as well be a giant 404. There's no getting through to the group, and I don't blame them but it's also no way to build a future.

In short, our owner is a smarmy f***ing idiot who thinks he's smarter than everyone else. At this point, I think a fan collective could run the team better. The Aquilinis should take a good long look in the mirror and ask themselves what they would prefer their legacy be in Vancouver, because no one is in their corner right now.

 

[bossram]

Excellent news:

- Embraced tanking this year
- Horvat trade is very likely

Bad news:

- Looking for almost bust players instead of picks. (Age Gap Strategy/Sea of Studnickas)

Terrible news:

- Want to retool instead of rebuild

They're not tanking. It was a joke. And nothing JR has done indicates an intentional step back. They're going to re-sign [EDIT: Kuzmenko] Probably Schenn.

This is just the Benning redux. Not an intentional step back, but just being so inept at your job that you fail into a top-10 pick anyway.

All this presser signifies is that there is a very strong chance the Canucks will waste away another decade.

 

[LordBacon]

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

They're not tanking. It was a joke. And nothing JR has done indicates an intentional step back. They're going to re-sign Mikheyev. Probably Schenn.

This is just the Benning redux. Not an intentional step back, but just being so inept at your job that you fail into a top-10 pick anyway.

All this presser signifies is that there is a very strong chance the Canucks will waste away another decade.

The whole retool instead of rebuild, we want prospects instead picks, should be a significant sign to fans that maybe we should stop pointing the finger into the manager box and point them at the owner's suite. It's glaringly obvious who has been in charge here. And I'll give Benning credit because not once did he complain to the media about it.

 

[credulous]

i don't get why a management team that badly misevaluated this team's situation and cap position such that they're going to finish bottom 10 in a year they were supposed to be competing and they're going to lose their captain because of cap issues gets any patience or faith that they'll do better at attempt #2. is their any realistic way this year (from draft until now) could have gone worse?

 

[bossram]

The whole retool instead of rebuild, we want prospects instead picks, should be a significant sign to fans that maybe we should stop pointing the finger into the manager box and point them at the owner's suite. It's glaringly obvious who has been in charge here. And I'll give Benning credit because not once did he complain to the media about it.

LMAO. "I'll give Benning credit he didn't criticize his boss, because he knew he was so bad at his job there was 0% chance he would find another one".

Yeah, we all know Aquilini is the big problem. But he's the owner and he's there until he decides he doesn't want to be. JR/Allvin wanted the job and knew (or should've known) what that entails. Do something, set a plan, and execute. If the job is literally and self-admittedly too hard for you, then quit.

If they had to retool (because of ownership), they should have been actively trying to carve cap space, maximize pending UFAs (Miller and Horvat), and build a new supporting core around Petey/Hughes. All JR/Allvin have done is double down on a bad roster and extended the pain.

i don't get why a management team that badly misevaluated this team's situation and cap position such that they're going to finish bottom 10 in a year they were supposed to be competing and they're going to lose their captain because of cap issues gets any patience or faith that they'll do better at attempt #2. is their any realistic way this year (from draft until now) could have gone worse?

It's baffling why anyone wants to give any benefit of the doubt to a septuagenarian who couldn't look at Vancouver's CapFriendly page before taking the job.

 

[SelltheTeamFrancesco]

I really hope the fans start chanting "sell the team". Because this is obviously more of an owner problem than a management. Obviously not taking away accountability for the management team because that was absolutely shit show today.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

LMAO. "I'll give Benning credit he didn't criticize his boss, because he knew he was so bad at his job there was 0% chance he would find another one".

Yeah, we all know Aquilini is the big problem. But he's the owner and he's there until he decides he doesn't want to be. JR/Allvin wanted the job and knew (or should've known) what that entails. Do something, set a plan, and execute. If the job is literally and self-admittedly too hard for you, then quit.

If they had to retool (because of ownership), they should have been actively trying to carve cap space, maximize pending UFAs (Miller and Horvat), and build a new supporting core around Petey/Hughes. All JR/Allvin have done is double down on a bad roster and extended the pain.

Nothing's changed my man. This attitude just lets Aquilini off the hook again and we get another Jim.

 

[bossram]

We look oiler level stupid because we are being managed at oiler level stupid.

He didn't lose the room so quickly, the problem is this room can't be found. The locker room might as well be a giant 404. There's no getting through to the group, and I don't blame them but it's also no way to build a future.

In short, our owner is a smarmy f***ing idiot who thinks he's smarter than everyone else. At this point, I think a fan collective could run the team better. The Aquilinis should take a good long look in the mirror and ask themselves what they would prefer their legacy be in Vancouver, because no one is in their corner right now.

Oh, there is absolutely no question a fan collective would've made better decisions for the club over the past decade than the current and former GM. Absolutely no doubt.

Nothing's changed my man. This attitude just lets Aquilini off the hook again and we get another Jim.

Who's letting Aquilini "off the hook"? We all know he is the primary problem. I've said that.

That doesn't mean JR/Allvin haven't done a bad job, even given the mandate they've been stuck with (and willingly accepted).

Hey man, ultimately, Aqua can do what he wants with the team. He bought it. It's his plaything. If you want to carry water for guys who carry water for Aqua, be my guest.

 

[Kevinsane]

Any Canucks fan who actively supports this team is delusional and part of the problem.

That’s where I’m at. It may offend some posters here, but stop being such suckers.
STOP GOING TO GAMES!
STOP BUYING JERSEYS, HATS, OR ANYTHING ELSE!
STOP WATCHING.
STOP HOPING.
STOP CARING.
Stop lining Aqua’s pockets, tank the value of the franchise, and just maybe we’ll see a change in ownership. Without that, we’re going to be served swill three times a day and beaten until morale improves.

Demand better.

 

[Sedinery]

Retool vs rebuild ?

It never ends with these clowns

JR and Aqua think a retool can make this steaming pile of crap competitive?

Laughable

 

[MikeK]

Like many here, I wasn't impressed by the presser. Just more talk from an organization who continues to blow smoke. I don't see any end in sight. I've lost total confidence in this organizations ability to change course with the current ownership group. We just lost a decade because of poor management and it's looking like we're already headed in the same direction.

This organization needs new ownership and a complete teardown and rebuilding. Until then we're going to be a loser Franchise.

 

[Jay26]

It's amazing that people can throw stones at other fans yet continue to be tightly plugged into the Canucks, posting here every day and watching every game. Yes I realize you're not supporting the Canucks financially (although you kind of are by paying for your sports package and propping up the broadcast ratings) but it's still support. You're helping to keep the brand alive and well

I want to make it clear that I'm not criticizing people for posting here every day or watching games. I'm just saying unless you're willing to just turn away from this team and do other things with your time altogether - which in my mind is the ultimate way to stick it to the Aquilinis - then maybe don't call out others for how they choose to be a fan. In my eyes, the family who maybe goes to a game once in a blue moon and buys a bit of merchandise but is otherwise completely unplugged from the team is probably doing a better job of what you guys are calling for than anyone else!

 

[Superlative Soup]

Biggest laughing stock in the league and there’s another team that can’t even sell out its college arena

 

[Canucks LB]

Finished conference, ill give full thoughts in a bit, But huge credit to Jim for being so honest, He went further than i thought he would.

 

[iFan]

if you‘re tanking on purpose you don’t…
- Sign Mikheyev at 28 years old to a 5 year 19 million contract
- Don’t re-sign Miller to a 8 year 56 million contract extension when he’ll be 30 when it kicks in
- You definitely don’t trade 2nd round picks to clear cap space if your tanking in a deep draft, that alone calls BS on this idea that the tanking was planned all along. Their lying to the fans.

I 100% believe they thought we’d be flighting for a playoff spot and how bad this season was caught them off guard. I bet they thought the Canucks were closer to the team in the 2nd half of last year than the first half.

 

[Breakers]

He’s talking about players like
Turcotte
Poulin
Krebs

Guys like that. But pay a premium because of “pedigree”

 

[Wo Yorfat]

And to think the chicken littles thought we were a bad team with no pipeline, terrible cap structure moving fwd, and in worse shape than an expansion franchise!

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

if you‘re tanking on purpose you don’t…
- Sign Mikheyev at 28 years old to a 5 year 19 million contract
- Don’t re-sign Miller to a 8 year 56 million contract extension when he’ll be 30 when it kicks in
- You definitely don’t trade 2nd round picks to clear cap space if your tanking in a deep draft, that alone calls BS on this idea that the tanking was planned all along. Their lying to the fans.

I 100% believe they thought we’d be flighting for a playoff spot and how bad this season was caught them off guard. I bet they thought the Canucks were closer to the team in the 2nd half of last year than the first half.

100%. Cause they are f***ing idiots.

Got hoodwinked and Miller and his agent roped them into an albatross contract.

On top of the amateur drafting side being just that, amateur.

The only thing they have done that has been good is Abby.

 

[canucksfan]

Retooling with this team without getting rid of contracts is impossible.

 

[mathonwy]

credit to rutherford for taking all these questions but if he's just going to repeat they need less bad players and more good players i dunno how much value this exercise has

Ummm. Sounds like he would fit in just fine at HFCanucks.

You missed the part where he posted here pretending to be a normal fan lol

Ryan Miller!!