The Management Thread | Live, Play, Repeat Edition

[Brock Boeser Laser Show]

Just fire him now. Stop delaying what we all know is coming. Give the new gm the rest of season to evaluate the roster and move players out at the deadline. We will never sell at the deadline with benning at the helm.

 

[Diversification]

The depressing thing for me, is how exactly does a new GM fix things and rights the ship for the Canucks?

I'm not saying that to advocate against removing Benning, but I'm just looking at the Canucks being the Augean Stable of the NHL.

Our cap structure is f***ed.

The incoming GM is going to have to, in short order:

- Sign Pettersson and Hughes to new contracts, which is going to eat up a ton of flexibility.
- Re-sign or replace Tanner Pearson. This is going to be difficult as I don't think Pearson has earned a raise, which means he'll likely be looking at term as a trade off. I'm not fond of retaining Pearson, but that then creates the problem of finding a new top six winger.
- Salvage a manageable defensive corps. Edler might just say 'f*** this shit, I'm out' and retire, plus his better days are behind him. We effectively have 3 second-to-third pairing defensemen, Hughes as our one gem back there and Chatfield/Juolevi as random passengers.
- Contend with the expansion draft. Who are we going to lose to Seattle? I'm guessing JT Miller, because lol, which means that our top six is going to become even emptier.
- Figure out the issue with coaching. It's looking increasingly as though Green is in over his head.

So all the new GM has to do is fix our top six, fix our defense, find a new coach all while having his back up against the salary cap thanks to the garbage contracts Benning has signed.

This isn't going to be undone overnight, and the clock is ticking on Pettersson, Horvat and Hughes.

I'm not so certain that it would be so bad with a new regime. For one, new coaching (provided it's the right choice) can revitalize an existing roster. It can make some of our struggling players look a lot better when properly deployed (Edler, say) and can utilize cheaper players by playing a tighter defensive system. Second, a new GM doesn't have the same sacred cows as the previous regime. Virtanen will be out the door, same goes for Juolevi, trade deadline could net us more assets that could be used on picks or as sweeteners to dig us out of Roussel's contract. Third, Podkolzin is on his way, which will give us a cheap option on the bottom 6. MacEwan and Chatfield also look like viable cheap options if deployed properly.

 

[Izzy Goodenough]

The end of an era?

Sven Bärtschi (F) from Vancouver Canucks to Bern | dagenshockey.com

 

[AwesomeInTheory]

I'm not so certain that it would be so bad with a new regime. For one, new coaching (provided it's the right choice) can revitalize an existing roster. It can make some of our struggling players look a lot better when properly deployed (Edler, say) and can utilize cheaper players by playing a tighter defensive system. Second, a new GM doesn't have the same sacred cows as the previous regime. Virtanen will be out the door, same goes for Juolevi, trade deadline could net us more assets that could be used on picks or as sweeteners to dig us out of Roussel's contract. Third, Podkolzin is on his way, which will give us a cheap option on the bottom 6. MacEwan and Chatfield also look like viable cheap options if deployed properly.

Well, Edler is a UFA at the end of this season. Do you want to commit to a player who is almost certainly going to continue to decline?

I don't see much value in either Virtanen or Juolevi and, regardless, it still means that there are going to be holes to fill on the roster if they're traded away. I don't see roster players coming back in any trades for those two players (particularly Virtanen, GMs might be intrigued with Juolevi's draft pedigree...)

I did forget about Podkolzin, although, again, I'm not as optimistic about him seamlessly fitting into our organization. If the stars align and he becomes a top six fixture? That's a huge monkey off the GM's back. But that's a big gamble to be relying on.

Finally, I just don't see Chatfield as being really all that remarkable. Maybe it's a matter of the current coaching structure (or lack thereof), but he seems to be performing as advertised from folks who saw him down in Utica. If he's logging regular minutes in our top 6, we're in trouble.

 

[y2kcanucks]

The depressing thing for me, is how exactly does a new GM fix things and rights the ship for the Canucks?

I'm not saying that to advocate against removing Benning, but I'm just looking at the Canucks being the Augean Stable of the NHL.

Our cap structure is f***ed.

The incoming GM is going to have to, in short order:

- Sign Pettersson and Hughes to new contracts, which is going to eat up a ton of flexibility.
- Re-sign or replace Tanner Pearson. This is going to be difficult as I don't think Pearson has earned a raise, which means he'll likely be looking at term as a trade off. I'm not fond of retaining Pearson, but that then creates the problem of finding a new top six winger.
- Salvage a manageable defensive corps. Edler might just say 'f*** this shit, I'm out' and retire, plus his better days are behind him. We effectively have 3 second-to-third pairing defensemen, Hughes as our one gem back there and Chatfield/Juolevi as random passengers.
- Contend with the expansion draft. Who are we going to lose to Seattle? I'm guessing JT Miller, because lol, which means that our top six is going to become even emptier.
- Figure out the issue with coaching. It's looking increasingly as though Green is in over his head.

So all the new GM has to do is fix our top six, fix our defense, find a new coach all while having his back up against the salary cap thanks to the garbage contracts Benning has signed.

This isn't going to be undone overnight, and the clock is ticking on Pettersson, Horvat and Hughes.

This is why I'd been screaming to fire Benning several years ago, but many people were happy to waste these crucial years. So this is what happens.

Basically, unless the new GM is a miracle worker he's going to have to come in here and shotgun a rebuild. Clear out as much as you can in the next 2 years for picks and prospects. Keep Pettersson and Hughes as they're the foundation of the team. I would also likely keep Boeser and Demko around too.

This is what happens when you sit with incompetent management that didn't bother to do a rebuild. You end up needing to rebuild anyway.

 

[AwesomeInTheory]

This is why I'd been screaming to fire Benning several years ago, but many people were happy to waste these crucial years. So this is what happens.

Basically, unless the new GM is a miracle worker he's going to have to come in here and shotgun a rebuild. Clear out as much as you can in the next 2 years for picks and prospects. Keep Pettersson and Hughes as they're the foundation of the team. I would also likely keep Boeser and Demko around too.

This is what happens when you sit with incompetent management that didn't bother to do a rebuild. You end up needing to rebuild anyway.

Yeah, I've been wanting Benning gone since around the Sbisa extension, if not earlier. It is hard to recall the timeline of all his epic cock ups.

He isn't particularly smart or savvy and has dug the Canucks into a near inescapable hole that the next GM is going to have a hell of a time trying to crawl out of. Folks talking about the bright future the Canucks have are seriously deluded about what exactly is going on.

Oh, and I can't imagine ownership patience is going to be all that high with the new GM, either, so add the pressure of becoming a playoff contender sooner rather than later to the list of shit the new GM has to worry about.

 

[Diversification]

Well, Edler is a UFA at the end of this season. Do you want to commit to a player who is almost certainly going to continue to decline?

I don't see much value in either Virtanen or Juolevi and, regardless, it still means that there are going to be holes to fill on the roster if they're traded away. I don't see roster players coming back in any trades for those two players (particularly Virtanen, GMs might be intrigued with Juolevi's draft pedigree...)

I did forget about Podkolzin, although, again, I'm not as optimistic about him seamlessly fitting into our organization. If the stars align and he becomes a top six fixture? That's a huge monkey off the GM's back. But that's a big gamble to be relying on.

Finally, I just don't see Chatfield as being really all that remarkable. Maybe it's a matter of the current coaching structure (or lack thereof), but he seems to be performing as advertised from folks who saw him down in Utica. If he's logging regular minutes in our top 6, we're in trouble.

I think you re-sign Edler because he's a lifer. Short term deal ~2M/year.

Virtanen and Juolevi are pieces that land you 3rd rounders most likely, but they all count when you need the picks to get our from under dead weight contracts. Speaking of which, LE's last year is an attractive time to buy out while the new GM has good will from ownership.

Chatfield and MacEwan are examples of home grown talent that come cheap and can fill out a cap-strapped roster. Every team needs a 7th dman and a 13th fwd (plausibly MacEwan is a bonafide 4th liner).

All of this is to say that there are options in the short term and things open up a bit more the following season. A shrewd GM who is unencumbered by meddling ownership (we'll see about that) could re-tool this roster because most of its hard-to-acquire components are already in place.

 

[canucksfan]

This is why I'd been screaming to fire Benning several years ago, but many people were happy to waste these crucial years. So this is what happens.

Basically, unless the new GM is a miracle worker he's going to have to come in here and shotgun a rebuild. Clear out as much as you can in the next 2 years for picks and prospects. Keep Pettersson and Hughes as they're the foundation of the team. I would also likely keep Boeser and Demko around too.

This is what happens when you sit with incompetent management that didn't bother to do a rebuild. You end up needing to rebuild anyway.

The GM taking over from Benning will be in a lot tougher situation than Benning was when he took over from Gillis.

 

[Hyzer]

It took 7 years, but people are finally realizing that Mittens is a cat.

Even the casuals are starting to finally see it.

Sucks that the chickens had to come home to roost for everyone to see instead of... you know... looking at the moves as they happen.

 

[VanJack]

Just fire him now. Stop delaying what we all know is coming. Give the new gm the rest of season to evaluate the roster and move players out at the deadline. We will never sell at the deadline with benning at the helm.

Jim Benning is now the second-longest tenured GM in Canuck history. Never in team history has a guy had more more time and more rope, and accomplished virtually nothing with it.

 

[I am toxic]

Even the casuals are starting to finally see it.

Sucks that the chickens had to come home to roost for everyone to see instead of... you know... looking at the moves as they happen.

God forbid we don't wait and see.

 

[tantalum]

God forbid we don't wait and see.

We waited. We saw. We were correct.

 

[Blue and Green]

The GM taking over from Benning will be in a lot tougher situation than Benning was when he took over from Gillis.

Most of the bad contracts are finished come summer 2022 with Myers' deal having only two years remaining by that point. There'll be a core of young and prime-age talent. A good GM ought to be able to make something good out of it.

 

[I am toxic]

We waited. We saw. We were correct.

Eek!

 

[I am toxic]

Most of the bad contracts are finished come summer 2022 with Myers' deal having only two years remaining by that point. There'll be a core of young and prime-age talent. A good GM ought to be able to make something good out of it.

When Elder is turning 36?

Myers will be what, 31, and we have him for 2 more years at $6M per?

Schmidt will be in his 30's?

Up front, Miller is getting to be 30 and UFA?

And what's in our pipeline? Podz?

So yeah, a good GM ought to be able to make something out of Hogs, Hughes, Petey, Boeser, and Demko.

A half decade from now.

2026.

A dozen years after Benning came aboard and achieved one playoff series win - against a team missing their top winger, a top 4 D, and had been ravaged by Covid.

 

[canucksfan]

Most of the bad contracts are finished come summer 2022 with Myers' deal having only two years remaining by that point. There'll be a core of young and prime-age talent. A good GM ought to be able to make something good out of it.

Sure but their prospect pool isn't good and their top talent will be making a lot of money. The GM will have more flexibility after the 2022 season.

Also no tradeable assets.

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

Most of the bad contracts are finished come summer 2022 with Myers' deal having only two years remaining by that point. There'll be a core of young and prime-age talent. A good GM ought to be able to make something good out of it.

LOL. By 2022 every good player is going to be getting *paid*. Demko, Hughes, Pettersson, Boeser will all get huge raises.

 

[MS]

When Elder is turning 36?

Myers will be what, 31, and we have him for 2 more years at $6M per?

Schmidt will be in his 30's?

Up front, Miller is getting to be 30 and UFA?

And what's in our pipeline? Podz?

So yeah, a good GM ought to be able to make something out of Hogs, Hughes, Petey, Boeser, and Demko.

A half decade from now.

2026.

A dozen years after Benning came aboard and achieved one playoff series win - against a team missing their top winger, a top 4 D, and had been ravaged by Covid.

5 of this team’s current top-6 defenders are 30+ this year, 3 are pending UFAs, and we have almost nothing in the system.

The situation on the back end for the new GM will be dire.

 

[Peen]

The day I lost faith in this regime.

We are going to win on saturday. We always win the “this is going to get someone fired” games.

 

[CherryToke]

 

[Pavel96]

The day I lost faith in this regime.

We are going to win on saturday. We always win the “this is going to get someone fired” games.

Here's my day:

 

[RandV]

Ownership saying no to buyouts didn't hurt, either.

But consider how much ownership has spent burying Jim's players in the minors and constantly spending to the cap with no playoff revenue. While it's ownership's call not to allow a buyout, you have to think Benning still helped make his own bed here.

 

[AwesomeInTheory]

But consider how much ownership has spent burying Jim's players in the minors and constantly spending to the cap with no playoff revenue. While it's ownership's call not to allow a buyout, you have to think Benning still helped make his own bed here.

Oh, I agree. I was just pointing out that ownership was making Benning sleep in the bed he made.

 

[Nucker101]

I was done after that Sbisa deal, I couldn’t believe that it was AAV and not total

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]