From Bountiful to Ponoka

[Mickey107]

................

[Cousin Strawberry]

I enjoyed the calgary radio assessment on the drive in this am. The highlight was them talking about how quick vancouver went from doormat to relevant and how the lames can copy the Benning model



I can imagine how well that goes over at the mongoloid farm

[2Fingers]

If you look at the 2 teams the areas that the Canucks are better is at forward and goalie.

For D, Hughes today is better than anything they have and then there is a toss up between Tanev/Edler and their group.

I just see the Canucks playing with a little more heart, EP does not give up or disappear like the Flames players.

The biggest issue the Nucks have is working around the Cap and that is something that JB can deal with, may take a year or 2 but the core of the Canucks are better than Calgary.

If I was the Calgary GM i would try very hard to get a proper goalie.

[SKYO]

Wonder how much they'll throw at Braden Holtby? $7M per?

[Cousin Strawberry]

In goal is apparently where they will be upgrading but Holtbys game has fallen way off in the past year. There are no guarantees he will even find it again so 7/per might end up being another giant fuckup....

Giggity!

[ESQ]

In goal is apparently where they will be upgrading but Holtbys game has fallen way off in the past year. There are no guarantees he will even find it again so 7/per might end up being another giant fuckup....

Giggity!

On the plus side, they have no star kids coming off ELCs to worry about, so may as well through buckets of money at a 31-year old goalie.

If they think their window is still open, this will keep it open for another year or two. Holtby is a pretty good win-now option.

Crazy, look at the Flames and Canucks drafting since 2013:

Horvat, Virtanen, Demko, Boeser, Gaudette, Petersson, Hughes versus

Monahan, Bennett, Anderson, Tkachuk, Dube, Valimaki.

They were getting similar draft performances until 2016 when the Flamers got the Tkurtle. Coincidentally, 7th-round pick Gaudreau showed up in his draft+6 year and was an instant star. Then they stated hemorraging picks and had 1 playoff win in the next 3 years to show for it. Meanwhile, the Canucks drafted their playoff leaders - Hughes and Petey.

Thanks god some Canucks fans could handle a rebuild and see this through!

[Hockey Widow]

I enjoyed the calgary radio assessment on the drive in this am. The highlight was them talking about how quick vancouver went from doormat to relevant and how the lames can copy the Benning model



I can imagine how well that goes over at the mongoloid farm

You know this is happening more and more. Not only did Benning draft very well, overall, but our best players are being our best players. So far none of them have disappeared in the playoffs. Huge difference.

And so far I'd venture that only Ericksson is underperforming in the aging vet department. Sutter and Beagle are earning their keep. Rousell is hot and cold but I don't see him as a determent at this point even if his a little underwhelming. Ferland was a gamble that isn't hurting us yet, perhaps moving forward.

He's made mistakes but not as many as some thought. And so far this playoffs the team is fun to watch, when ones heart allows for live watching. But in spite of that some will say he is lucky or give credit to others. But good to see he is getting more main stream recognition.

Now how he manages the offseason will be huge....

And lets not forget that over the next 2-3 years we have a number of players that will be transitioning into the lineup that will be exciting to see.

[BCExpat]

I'm not surprised by the Flames early exit from the playoffs. I haven't watched any games this year (cancelled sportsnet before the season started), but I didn't think this group was good enough to get it done. I don't see any quick solution for them. I'm too old to get excited or depressed by hockey anymore.

[Blob Mckenzie]

Thanks god some Canucks fans could handle a rebuild and see this through!

Meh.... that’s Doc’s party line, and nobody on this board couldn’t handle a rebuild. Some of us have been calling for it at various times, but most if not all embraced it. Benning got his head caved in here from his own hemorrhaging of picks for useless tits. That’s water under a bridge.

Funny fact: a huge majority of this board wanted Noah Dobson and Gabe Vilardi/Cody Glass in 2017 and 2018. I didn’t see many people jumping up and down to pick Petterson and Hughes until AFTER they were chosen. If he would have went with THIS boards preferences he would h
be out of a job. Credit Benning and the scouting staff for saving his bacon. He would have been out of a job without Hughes and Pettersson.

[Hockey Widow]

Thanks god some Canucks fans could handle a rebuild and see this through!

Meh.... that’s Doc’s party line, and nobody on this board couldn’t handle a rebuild. Some of us have been calling for it at various times, but most if not all embraced it. Benning got his head caved in here from his own hemorrhaging of picks for useless tits. That’s water under a bridge.

Funny fact: a huge majority of this board wanted Noah Dobson and Gabe Vilardi/Cody Glass in 2017 and 2018. I didn’t see many people jumping up and down to pick Petterson and Hughes until AFTER they were chosen. If he would have went with THIS boards preferences he would h
be out of a job. Credit Benning and the scouting staff for saving his bacon. He would have been out of a job without Hughes and Pettersson.

You might be right Blob. Those two make up for a lot of mistakes. The rest he has drafted wouldn't have been enough. Benning deserves credit for picking those two regardless of whose idea it may have been. They were top 10 picks and he had the final say. But ya, without them, especially without Hughes this season, I don't know where we would be.

[Carl Yagro]

Funny fact: a huge majority of this board wanted Noah Dobson and Gabe Vilardi/Cody Glass in 2017 and 2018.

Chef Dude is not a huge majority of this board.

His prognostications skills however, are quite terrible. He's often incorrect and his backpedalling is hilarious

This place would be a lot less lively without the Dude-isms.

[Mickey107]

You might be right Blob. Those two make up for a lot of mistakes. The rest he has drafted wouldn't have been enough. Benning deserves credit for picking those two regardless of whose idea it may have been. They were top 10 picks and he had the final say. But ya, without them, especially without Hughes this season, I don't know where we would be.

With UFA Barrie? ick.

[SKYO]

Thanks god some Canucks fans could handle a rebuild and see this through!

Meh.... that’s Doc’s party line, and nobody on this board couldn’t handle a rebuild. Some of us have been calling for it at various times, but most if not all embraced it. Benning got his head caved in here from his own hemorrhaging of picks for useless tits. That’s water under a bridge.

Funny fact: a huge majority of this board wanted Noah Dobson and Gabe Vilardi/Cody Glass in 2017 and 2018. I didn’t see many people jumping up and down to pick Petterson and Hughes until AFTER they were chosen. If he would have went with THIS boards preferences he would h
be out of a job. Credit Benning and the scouting staff for saving his bacon. He would have been out of a job without Hughes and Pettersson.

You might be right Blob. Those two make up for a lot of mistakes.

I see what you are saying, but two players don't change a franchise totally, it takes an entire team to win.

Just look at the Oilers with McJesus and Draisaitl BEASTS, top point getter's in the league and playoffs - yet knocked out in the qualifer.

Leaves have arguably 3-4 High End game changers - yet knocked out in the qualifer.

What I'm trying to say is YES obviously Petey and Hughes are game changers and franchise players - it's similar to the Chicago Blackhawks - when they were built different and then added Kane/Toews to their pretty good team, it put them over the top.

Jim Benning has put together a strong supportive cast around Petey and Hughes, from before and after they arrived so they can better succeed, JB has never tried to tank, Benning has always maintained a steady goal in mind in trying to build a competitive team since his arrival, by adding competitive players who never quit, work hard and are go-getters, it helps build the teams mentality and character, he did this through drafting, free agent signings via UFA or college FA's and trades.

[Meds]

Thanks god some Canucks fans could handle a rebuild and see this through!

Meh.... that’s Doc’s party line, and nobody on this board couldn’t handle a rebuild. Some of us have been calling for it at various times, but most if not all embraced it. Benning got his head caved in here from his own hemorrhaging of picks for useless tits. That’s water under a bridge.

Funny fact: a huge majority of this board wanted Noah Dobson and Gabe Vilardi/Cody Glass in 2017 and 2018. I didn’t see many people jumping up and down to pick Petterson and Hughes until AFTER they were chosen. If he would have went with THIS boards preferences he would h
be out of a job. Credit Benning and the scouting staff for saving his bacon. He would have been out of a job without Hughes and Pettersson.

Considering where we were picking, I wanted Hughes.

I didn't have a clue who Pettersson was.

Maybe Chef should send in a resume for Brackett's old spot?

[Meds]

This place would be a lot less lively without the Dude-isms.

And Strangelove's 20 or so Doc-Socks.