I agree with leftcoasters mentality that you need to give Benning more time before he is judged, but some of his moves are definitely worth questioning.

With Sbisa the biggest thing was why sign him then and why not try and get him cheaper. RFA making over 1 million need to be offered the same or higher under a million is a raise I believe. 3.6 cap isn't going to cost the nucks the cup but it raises the question of benning's mgmt skills. The extra 500k could be helpful for a cap team.

He also very easily could of waited and seen what the market looked like before committing to that deal.
He also didn't need to commit 3 years to a player that previous 3 years have not been very successful.

I judge Benning on those points more than for resigning a player who I don't particularly like.
- belcherbd

I am trying to put some blind faith in JB. I questioned what you have pointed out. Guessing he knows more about the market and demand for dmen, but I am still scratching my head a bit.

We don't know what is happening behind the scenes, but I hope he was resigned because there was some interest, Sbisa has value, and JB's intention is to flip him at some point.

I hope JB isn't as hung up on pedigree, ignoring on ice indicators, as MG. I think JB has/had an eastern perspective/ignorance of players and happenings in the west. Maybe it is a good thing if he is actually waiting to get the staff together before making moves. And hoping his eyes have been opened since this time last year.

Does. Anyone know much about Corey pronman and whether he is right about anything. I just read he has timo Meier at 26. I would be absolutely shocked if he even made it to 20.
Travis konecky at 7 to the flyers.
- manvanfan

He is well respected because he talks to a lot of scouts but he isn't a scout himself. His rankings are like McKenzie's, the avg opinion of who he talks to.

He tends to value hockey skill over size and that likely why he has Meier going later than konecky.

Which I'm okay with.
- VanHockeyGuy

Sadly it's kind of normal. Salaries increase every year. If Sbisa was signed was signed in 2010 he would be getting in the range of 2-2.5

I agree with leftcoasters mentality that you need to give Benning more time before he is judged, but some of his moves are definitely worth questioning.

With Sbisa the biggest thing was why sign him then and why not try and get him cheaper. RFA making over 1 million need to be offered the same or higher under a million is a raise I believe. 3.6 cap isn't going to cost the nucks the cup but it raises the question of benning's mgmt skills. The extra 500k could be helpful for a cap team.

He also very easily could of waited and seen what the market looked like before committing to that deal.
He also didn't need to commit 3 years to a player that previous 3 years have not been very successful.

I judge Benning on those points more than for resigning a player who I don't particularly like.
- belcherbd

Sbisa's salary last year was $2.9 million, a qualifying offer would have cost the Canucks at least that. I agree that even this is too much money for this player, but the sky isn't falling.

He is well respected because he talks to a lot of scouts but he isn't a scout himself. His rankings are like McKenzie's, the avg opinion of who he talks to.

He tends to value hockey skill over size and that likely why he has Meier going later than konecky.
- belcherbd

I would tend to believe the scouting rankings before him I think. Meier has a 44-49 season in the Q and at 6'1" 209. To me that's a top 15 player in any draft.

I would tend to believe the scouting rankings before him I think. Meier has a 44-49 season in the Q and at 6'1" 209. To me that's a top 15 player in any draft.
- manvanfan

I don't disagree, of course it helps playing with one of the best offensive players in the league in ehlers.....

Sbisa's salary last year was $2.9 million, a qualifying offer would have cost the Canucks at least that. I agree that even this is too much money for this player, but the sky isn't falling.
- 1970vintage

I believe you have to qualify an RFA at 10 percent over his last year's salary, so honestly it's not THAT much of an overpayment. 3.2mil would be what his qualifying offer would be and I believe he also has arbitration rights, so if Benning was determined to keep him, we likely got him at roughly market value.

Some thoughts on Rangers/Lightning as well as a gaffe by Nick Jensen in last night's Utica Comets game, in today's blog:

http://www.hockeybuzz.com...ets-Series-Tied/194/68966

I am trying to put some blind faith in JB. I questioned what you have pointed out. Guessing he knows more about the market and demand for dmen, but I am still scratching my head a bit.

We don't know what is happening behind the scenes, but I hope he was resigned because there was some interest, Sbisa has value, and JB's intention is to flip him at some point.

I hope JB isn't as hung up on pedigree, ignoring on ice indicators, as MG. I think JB has/had an eastern perspective/ignorance of players and happenings in the west. Maybe it is a good thing if he is actually waiting to get the staff together before making moves. And hoping his eyes have been opened since this time last year.
- hillbillydeluxe

Blind Faith great band

Blind Faith great band
- VANTEL

YES

Sbisa's salary last year was $2.9 million, a qualifying offer would have cost the Canucks at least that. I agree that even this is too much money for this player, but the sky isn't falling.
- 1970vintage

No it isn't falling. Salaries are going up it's just something we all have to deal with.

If memory serves many female doged, cried and whined when Bieksa was signed here and he turned out ok for quite a few years. Bieksa, like Sbisa was also horrible in his own end and a turnover machine at one time but he did grow out of it to an extent. Let's give Sbisa some time. Bieksa of course is a lost cause now but there was a time when he was a pretty important part of the mix.

Sbisa's salary last year was $2.9 million, a qualifying offer would have cost the Canucks at least that. I agree that even this is too much money for this player, but the sky isn't falling.
- 1970vintage

You are right in that the sky isn't falling. However, this was nonetheless not a good decision by Benning - and that now makes two (the Miller signing - and not only the signing but how the actual negotiations went -i.e. there were none -even Benning said it was the easiest negotiation he's had in a while - is this how a GM acts? perhaps you don't play hardball but all the leverage was with the Canucks, given Miller wanted to play on the coast. Then to give him a limited trade clause, was the pies de resistance.

The Sbisa signing could have easily waited - don't know too many teams that were lining up for his services (in fact, it was with glee that Anaheim got rid of him, if sources are correct). Frankly, I would have rather given Sanguienetti a shot over Sbisa. But now we are stuck.