The Great Jim Benning Debate! (And personal insult thread)

[Zemtac]

Benning should get 3 more years. He has done a great job with what he was given to work with and has done exactly what was asked of him from the beginning. Most importantly, he has built our Prospect Pool up better than it has ever been. We have prospects leading their respective leagues all around the world. One setting a generational pace, another fighting for Rookie of the year, another for a Hobey Baker Award!!! I for one am excited about seeing what Benning and Co. draft in the next draft. That is what we should be focusing on, that is the meat and potatoes!!! Boeser, Pettersson, Gaudette, Demko, BFG, Dahlin, Lind, Gad, Virt, Pouliet, Stetch, Goldy, and next years draft. Sure you can bitch about the odd move, which most of will be cleared out by the time the core is moving into place!!! But when have we had such high end prospect coming up throught the lineup, never. We always traded for others scraps that fortunetely from time to time, like Naslund worked out!!! Burkes trading and drafting the Sedin's set us up for a Decade with the WCE ahead of them (Note: every player on the WCE was a traded player) Again, you win from building from within and this is the best this Franchise has ever had by a wide margin and some Jack Asses don't want to continue on with this trend!!! Only Canuck fans!!!

+ 1

Exfuckingactly

Let's hope Ownership see's it our way!!!

[Todd Bersnoozi]

Benning should get 3 more years. He has done a great job with what he was given to work with and has done exactly what was asked of him from the beginning. Most importantly, he has built our Prospect Pool up better than it has ever been. We have prospects leading their respective leagues all around the world. One setting a generational pace, another fighting for Rookie of the year, another for a Hobey Baker Award!!! I for one am excited about seeing what Benning and Co. draft in the next draft. That is what we should be focusing on, that is the meat and potatoes!!! Boeser, Pettersson, Gaudette, Demko, BFG, Dahlin, Lind, Gad, Virt, Pouliet, Stetch, Goldy, and next years draft.

JB does have some great pieces and it looks like he has some great potential pieces coming as well.

Premier sniper: Brockstar *check*
Potential snipers: Goldenshower + Dahlen

Premier top 2-way centre: BoHo *check*
Another potential top 2-way centre: Gaudette

Premier top faceoff monster, shutdown centre: Sutter *check*

Premier top tuff nasty shut down D-men: Guddy + Tryamkin *check*

Potential first line skilled playmaking centre: Petterson

Potential top 10 starting goaltender: Demko

Potential top 2-way D-man: Juolevi

Potential premier power forwards: Jake + Gadjovich

Potential top 2-way winger: Lind.

The only thing that JB is really missing is a top enforcer that Dorsett kind of left void (which is not too tuff to find) and a top PP quarterback D-man (which is really tuff to find). There's still Pouliot, Stecher and Hutty who could potentially be that top PP D-man, but right now it doesn't look like it'll happen. Pouliot is inconsistent and skating seems suspect at times. Stecher skates and moves the puck well, but is kind of small. Hutty skates well and has great poise, but is also inconsistent and can't really hammer it from the point.

[Ronning's Ghost]

Premier top tuff nasty shut down D-men: Guddy + Tryamkin *check*

?

This part is in some doubt.

Tryamkin may well become a 'premier top tuff nasty shut down D-man', but he is not *check*, in the sense that he is not playing for the Canucks right now. We have only dearly-held hopes that he might again.

Gudranson is also not *check* in the sense that he is not signed beyond the end of this season. Furthermore, while he is convincingly 'tuff/nasty', the 'premier top shut down part' has yet to materialize.

I agree the rest is encouraging, but the defence -- and pipeline of defencemen -- is cause for concern. The Oilers have a lot of talented forwards, too, and it's not looking so good for them right now. Drafting R. Dahlin would go a long way to rounding things out, but even a genius can't manipulate lottery balls.

[2Fingers]

Listening to TL on the radio I am not betting on Benning coming back. Never heard a President or what ever title he has, talking like a GM.

[Todd Bersnoozi]

This part is in some doubt.

Tryamkin may well become a 'premier top tuff nasty shut down D-man', but he is not *check*, in the sense that he is not playing for the Canucks right now. We have only dearly-held hopes that he might again.

Gudranson is also not *check* in the sense that he is not signed beyond the end of this season. Furthermore, while he is convincingly 'tuff/nasty', the 'premier top shut down part' has yet to materialize.

I agree the rest is encouraging, but the defence -- and pipeline of defencemen -- is cause for concern.

*hehe* Fair point. I was having a bit of fun with the post and I like both Tryamkinsaurus and Guddy, so I just slotted them in.

I forgot 2 I should add:

Premier 2-way versatile forward: Granny *check*

Middle grade flashy forward: Bearcheese. *check*

Listening to TL on the radio I am not betting on Benning coming back. Never heard a President or what ever title he has, talking like a GM.

Hmmm... maybe Trev is seeing a chance for himself much like MG back in the day. Let JB do the grunt work to assemble the foundational core pieces, then Trev makes himself prez + GM just when the team is starting to trend upwards. Trev's end game is for himself only to take all the glory when the team is good again. *LOL*

[Island Nucklehead]

Hmmm... maybe Trev is seeing a chance for himself much like MG back in the day. Let JB do the grunt work to assemble the foundational core pieces, then Trev makes himself prez + GM just when the team is starting to trend upwards. Trev's end game is for himself only to take all the glory when the team is good again. *LOL*

I'd rather keep Benning.

[Mickey107]

Trevor does love to be loved. He even has his Cub 16 ads playing during NFL playoff games. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
I thing Benning simply loves his work and although he must like some recognition, don't think it's a big deal.
None the less, we are stuck with this new multi-level management format and it aint goin anywhere now.
Hell, I still can't grasp the concept of having so many asst. coaches. Too many cooks.

[Rocky Dennis]

Hmmm... maybe Trev is seeing a chance for himself much like MG back in the day. Let JB do the grunt work to assemble the foundational core pieces, then Trev makes himself prez + GM just when the team is starting to trend upwards. Trev's end game is for himself only to take all the glory when the team is good again. *LOL*

I'd rather keep Benning.

Count me as one that thinks Benning should stay but will end up being given the heave ho. He should hope for a continued strong finish by brock and bo (and to a lesser extent the other prospects of note showing well this year) - that MIGHT save him. While anything with Benning has yet to happen, this club has started to remind me of NFL Washington who have gone steadily downhill since meddling owner Dan Snyder bought the team in '99. Eight head coaches and at least five different gms, always distracted by the latest shiny new FA, and over involvement in player personel decisions etc. Im indifferent to football these days so i could be mistaken, but i dont think washington even has an official gm currently. Anyone think this sort of cockamamy structure that IN mentioned could be coming to Vancouver? Its two different sports and Its not quite at the same stage of disaster but i see parallells between washington and vancouver that, as a fan, are worrisome.

[Linc]

While it is worrisome that Benning does not have a contract yet, I don't think that Linden speaking to the media is a sign that he is seeking the GM job. My sense has been that Benning is uncomfortable in the media and that he prefers to have Linden do more of the media relations part of the GM job. Linden has been doing this for awhile.

[2Fingers]

While it is worrisome that Benning does not have a contract yet, I don't think that Linden speaking to the media is a sign that he is seeking the GM job. My sense has been that Benning is uncomfortable in the media and that he prefers to have Linden do more of the media relations part of the GM job. Linden has been doing this for awhile.

Yes and no, unless they specifically have divided up the responsibilities of each role certain questions should be answered by the GM. He is supposed to be the hockey guy while TL is the operations guy.

[Topper]

In the words of Brian Burke "lame duck".

[Blob Mckenzie]

In the words of Brian Burke "lame duck".

Funny thing is Elmer is among a pack of quacking lame duckies. Maybe the owners are tired of paying GMs and coaches for three and four years after they fired them.

[Ronning's Ghost]

....Benning has done more good than bad.....

This a defensible position. I happen to disagree, but it is defensible. It is also, however, a good ways short of "Benning is a genius !"

Are you off the genius train ?

[Cousin Strawberry]

My take on the Current State of the Rebuild and our GM is one of positive optimism. Never before have we had so many promising young talents all maturing at the same time. Its been a very good job done by Benning at dafting and an average job done on contracts and trades.

I wonder if he'll be around still when they contend?

[Blob Mckenzie]

I think Benning would like a few do overs if you made him drink truth serum. Thankfully the hemorrhaging or picks seemed to have stopped.