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

[Hockey Widow]

Agree wholeheartedly IN. Virtanen spooked them off of Taychook. Once they suspected Columbus was going to take Dubois they knew the Oilers would take the other Finn and they began to brace the fans that a D was in their sights. I admit I was spooked and was glad they stayed away from him. I haven't regretted it yet but give me five years, then come back and ask. But I love the year Taychook had.

[Blob Mckenzie]

You were glad they stayed away from Tkachuk ?

Not picking him because they drafted Virtanen is the height of stupidity. If they were adamant that Juolevi was the best player at that pick that's one thing but to pick by position when your organizational depth is horrible at every position is asinine. And all those players the dude mentioned being late bloomers were tracking a hell of a lot better than Virtanen is right now. He's gotten worse every year since he was drafted.

[Chef Boi RD]

You were glad they stayed away from Tkachuk ?

Not picking him because they drafted Virtanen is the height of stupidity. If they were adamant that Juolevi was the best player at that pick that's one thing but to pick by position when your organizational depth is horrible at every position is asinine. And all those players the dude mentioned being late bloomers were tracking a hell of a lot better than Virtanen is right now. He's gotten worse every year since he was drafted.

^^^Look at the 20/20 hindsight here. Mr. i told you so.^^^ Unbeleiveable but nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to Bubbles "Chicken Little" McKenzie

[Island Nucklehead]

And all those players the dude mentioned being late bloomers were tracking a hell of a lot better than Virtanen is right now. He's gotten worse every year since he was drafted.

Actually, very possible Virtanen ends up like a Grabner. He's got the coming year of waiver exemption, and will then be eligible starting in the 18-19 season. One of the (numerous) negatives to rushing him into the league. Clearly wasn't mature enough, and he might "figure it out" at 22-23, but we'll be in no position to wait that long.

The Canucks will need to decide what they have with him this season, and if he's not in the long-term plans he should be traded (like Grabner was) before he's lost on waivers for nothing (like Grabner was in Florida).

[Blob Mckenzie]

You were glad they stayed away from Tkachuk ?

Not picking him because they drafted Virtanen is the height of stupidity. If they were adamant that Juolevi was the best player at that pick that's one thing but to pick by position when your organizational depth is horrible at every position is asinine. And all those players the dude mentioned being late bloomers were tracking a hell of a lot better than Virtanen is right now. He's gotten worse every year since he was drafted.

^^^Look at the 20/20 hindsight here. Mr. i told you so.^^^ Unbeleiveable but nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to Bubbles "Chicken Little" McKenzie

Do you know what hindsight even is ? I questioned the reason for not picking Tkachuk. That too difficult for you to comprehend?

In the 2014 draft I wanted Ritchie and said so at the time. Virtanen will do well to be another Jack Skille.

[Chef Boi RD]

If we give up and pack it in on Virtanen like how INbred and Bubbles have, give Jake away for peanuts the way Gillis gave away Grabner to Florida for buyout Ballard along with a first and Bernier we could be looking at a future scenario where Jake is ripping it up and scoring 27 goals for another team like how Grabner did this year. OR! Or we could be patient with Jake avoiding a potential god awful Gillis in your face blunder.

Can you imagine, if we kept Grabner and the first we gave to Florida and drafted one of Kuznetsov or Coyle? Instead we don't draft until the 4th round only to see the 4 picks we drafted from that draft class never pan out. How shitty is that, nothing to show for from an entire draft year, a common Gillis theme unlike Benning

[Island Nucklehead]

Can you imagine, if we kept Grabner and the first we gave to Florida and drafted one of Kuznetsov or Coyle? Instead we don't draft until the 4th round only to see the 4 picks we drafted from that draft class never pan out. How shitty is that, nothing to show for from an entire draft year, a common Gillis theme unlike Benning

Would you still be alive if the Canucks lost Grabner on waivers, like Florida did after trading for him? I suspect the aneurysm may have been catastrophic.

[Chef Boi RD]

Can you imagine, if we kept Grabner and the first we gave to Florida and drafted one of Kuznetsov or Coyle? Instead we don't draft until the 4th round only to see the 4 picks we drafted from that draft class never pan out. How shitty is that, nothing to show for from an entire draft year, a common Gillis theme unlike Benning

Would you still be alive if the Canucks lost Grabner on waivers, like Florida did after trading for him? I suspect the aneurysm may have been catastrophic.

The Canucks are still feeling the affects of the impatience of Gillis

Step 1 - trade a 2nd and a 3rd for Bernier
Step 2 - A year later trade Bernier, Grabner and a 1st for Ballard
Step 3 - Buyout Ballard

Asset mgmt at its finest

Grabner scores 27 goals this year. Canucks could have drafted one of Kyznetsov, Coyle or Brock Nelson instead of trading that 1st. All 3 of those players who could've been Canucks had excellent years this year. What a gong show impatience can be

Patience Grasshopper

[Blob Mckenzie]

Jack Gordon traded Cam Neely and potentially a shot at Pierre Turgeon or Brendan Shanahan
for Barry Pederson.
About as relevant as Michael Grabner is to this thread.

[Blob Mckenzie]

Can you imagine, if we kept Grabner and the first we gave to Florida and drafted one of Kuznetsov or Coyle? Instead we don't draft until the 4th round only to see the 4 picks we drafted from that draft class never pan out. How shitty is that, nothing to show for from an entire draft year, a common Gillis theme unlike Benning

Would you still be alive if the Canucks lost Grabner on waivers, like Florida did after trading for him? I suspect the aneurysm may have been catastrophic.

Yeah he glosses over the fact Grabner was actually playing well in the AHL. Virtanen looks like an ECHL player at this point.

[SKYO]

There's still hope for 'old man' Virtanen just yet.



He'll start the season at 21 years old with a full AHL season under his belt.

For JV to succeed, like a lot of junior stars it's having the mature attitude/work ethic, strength/experience and the right coach to give him confidence.

In the perfect world for next season on our 4th line we could have an asshole LW - Sutter - Virtanen line, to provide pure energy/hustle with some scoring.

[Blob Mckenzie]

Skyo I hope the best for the kid god knows they need him to succeed. It doesn't excuse the horrific numbers for a supposedly gifted offensive player. He wasn't physical at all which is hugely alarming as well. He apparently avoided contact and confrontation like the plague.

[BladesofSteel]

He wasn't physical at all which is hugely alarming as well. He apparently avoided contact and confrontation like the plague.

Care to reference?

[Hockey Widow]

You were glad they stayed away from Tkachuk ?

Not picking him because they drafted Virtanen is the height of stupidity. If they were adamant that Juolevi was the best player at that pick that's one thing but to pick by position when your organizational depth is horrible at every position is asinine. And all those players the dude mentioned being late bloomers were tracking a hell of a lot better than Virtanen is right now. He's gotten worse every year since he was drafted.

Ya I was. I was leary of Tkachuk. Did Virtanen scare me off? Ya he did. Stupid me I guess.

[Chef Boi RD]

Apparently, accordingly to Bubbles well studied analysis from extensive/intensive in person scouting we are supposed to be sticking forks into both Virtanen and Juolevi, done like dinner, the book is written but not written on Shinkaruk. He's so objective