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Ronning's Ghost wrote:

dbr wrote:....it's pretty clear that barring catching lightning in a bottle with a handful of very young prospects we are not going to be contending any time soon.

As such I expect this team to fight the good fight on the ice and restock the cupboards for when the Sedins retire and we really bottom out and I'm okay with that.

Maybe this is the source of some of the differences in perspective on how Benning's moves are viewed. I had hoped there was still a chance for the Canucks to reload and be contenders while the Sedins were still making significant contributions (perhaps at the 'elite second line' level that was often projected to be their ceiling).

This is how I judge the rebuild's progress - Horvat progressed from a 25-point player to a likely 40-point player. Baertschi is looking like a 35-point player. McCann and Virtanen are playing at 25-point paces. Hutton might hit 30 points.

If those players modestly progress next year, the Canucks would actually have a solid 2nd scoring line if they all approach 40 points. If a team has more than 5 players crack 50 points, they're probably going to be in the running for the President's Trophy - the 2011 Canucks had Sedins + Kesler over 60 points, and Ehrhoff, Sammy and Burrows right around 50. This year's Capitals have 3 players around 80 points, 2 more likely to crack 50, and 3 more who might get 40. Last year's Blackhawks had 4 over 50, and Sharp would have been over 50 in a full season.

Right now, it looks like the Canucks have developed a 40-point center in Horvat - something they haven't done since Kesler, and a player that goes for $4 mil + on the UFA market. If, in the next 2 years, the Canucks have developed their prospects into a 45-point center, a 40-point LW (Baertschi), a 35-point Dman (Hutton), and a 35-point center (McCann), the rebuild is in excellent shape, even if all of those players have hit their ceilings in their 2nd or 3rd year of pro hockey.

Topper wrote:Sbisa has greatly improved and is easily a top four on the Canucks.

Vey has become very serviceable and is now a regular on the PK..

The pee party needs to get their heads above "water" and look at this season's performances.

With all the injuries sure Sbisa is a top 4. He's still behind Edler, Tanev, Hutton and Hamhuis when they are healthy. It say more about the quLity of the defence than the quality of Luca. Funny thing is Benning has traded two better defencemen than Sbisa in the last two years.

Aaronp18 wrote:

Island Nucklehead wrote: I'd prefer Benning not drop 2nd rounders to buy a couple years of a "serviceable player". We (and any other NHL club) could've had Vey for the cost of a waiver claim.

Vey was a gamble. He was known by his head coach, was buried in LA behind some pretty good centres and was putting up quite decent numbers in the AHL.

He wouldn't have cleared waivers at the time.

And we lacked centres, especially in Vey's age group. It's really quite easy to see why the risk was taken to acquire Vey.

Vey has developed quite nicely this year, and is far less one-dimensional than he was last year. His faceoffs are becoming respectable, he's been productive at ES, and he's a right-shooting centerman. There's no chance he'd clear waivers now, which makes me think his play might have given him some value.

Probably not enough to recoup a 2nd, but probably a lower pick or as part of a package.

I'd rather keep him, but its tough to see where he fits in next year.

He's ahead of Hamhuis with Hutton catching up.

Have you watched a game sober this season?

Topper wrote:
Have you watched a game sober this season?

Topper wrote:He's ahead of Hamhuis with Hutton catching up.

Have you watched a game sober this season?

I'm curious if the goggles are painted black. Sbisa is a fringe bottom pairing guy. Thanks for the laugh though.

RoyalDude wrote:

Topper wrote:
Have you watched a game sober this season?

Why would anyone want to do that?

Topper wrote:He's ahead of Hamhuis with Hutton catching up.

Have you watched a game sober this season?

And Mason Raymond was one of our better forwards.....

Island Nucklehead wrote:

RoyalDude wrote:

Topper wrote:
Have you watched a game sober this season?

Why would anyone want to do that?

Alcohol is a diuretic.

This explains much.

Island Nucklehead wrote:

Strangelove wrote:

Island Nucklehead wrote: It's a worrisome trend that Benning has a tendency to wind up on the high-side of contract negotiations. Sutter is likely overpaid by a couple hundred grand. Again, not back-breaking in isolation, but combine that with the $750K Dorsett is being overpaid, or the $1Mish Sbisa is overpaid, and it starts to add up.

... aaaaand the Tanev contract makes up for all of that (assuming you're correct Island Nickle+Dime).

Yes, the Tanev extension is easily the best contract he's handed out.

Baertchi, Biega, Markstrom, Vey all solid contracts.

Even Bartkowski and Weber were decent desperation depth moves considering.

Sure the players didn't pan out but who knew (especially w Weber).

One-year UFA deals though; placeholders for guys like Larsen, Tree, Pedan... Subban?

Like I say, most teams have far worse contracts than your Vancouver Canucks...

Island Nucklehead wrote:

Strangelove wrote: Yes you pay a little more for UFA years, but Benning is making sure he has plenty of younger/cheaper players.

Why is he worried about UFA years for chumps like Sbisa? The guy would hit free agency and love to sign the deal he's currently got. I don't see a long list of teams looking to drop $4M on the Wart. Weren't you part of the group that thought even his Qualifying Offer was too much?

Yes, I was the first guy in all of Canuckdom to jump all over Sbisa (with both Daytons).

I was the first guy in all of Canuckdom to suggest Canucks walk away rather than qualify him at $2.9M.

(notice $2.9M qualifier means some GM other than Benning also had Sbisa rated highly)

But yeah, I wanted Sbisa gone baby GONE.

After Benning extended him, I was not happy.

BUT THIS IS WHERE ALL THE "GENIUS" TALK BEGAN.

I started posting over + over again:

If Sbisa's play drastically improves it would be a sign that Benning is a genius.

Blob Mckenzie wrote:

Topper wrote:He's ahead of Hamhuis with Hutton catching up.

Have you watched a game sober this season?

I'm curious if the goggles are painted black.

Speaking of "painted black" if you ever want back on the bandwagon, you're sitting at the very back, brother.

Ronning's Ghost wrote: I had hoped there was still a chance for the Canucks to reload and be contenders while the Sedins were still making significant contributions (perhaps at the 'elite second line' level that was often projected to be their ceiling).

Could still happen.

Might be a better chance after their existing contracts run out though

... and they start signing a series of one-year much-cheaper deals.

IIRC correctly, Henrik was talking along those lines a while back.

Strangelove wrote:... and they start signing a series of one-year much-cheaper deals.

IIRC correctly, Henrik was talking along those lines a while back.

I can see them going the Jagr route, except they'll stick with the Canucks.

Cornuck wrote:

Strangelove wrote:... and they start signing a series of one-year much-cheaper deals.

IIRC correctly, Henrik was talking along those lines a while back.

I can see them going the Jagr route, except they'll stick with the Canucks.

As long as Hank's back is ok I can see it. His back has been bothering him for a good 4-5 years now. But yes, they both indicated that when this contract is up they will decide year to year. I can't see them chasing a cup being the Swede loyalty thing but one never knows. What if the Canucks don't want them back?

Hockey Widow wrote:What if the Canucks don't want them back?

They will because the Sedins will always ensure...