You're generalizing - they've openly said they're going to get younger and try to compete at the same time. As developing players like Horvat in a winning environment is important to them.

They've also said they need to get a different mix of players in the form of speed and size. Which every team says. All sports teams will give you a general idea of what they plan to do but they're not going to spell it out and line-item it.
- LeftCoaster

Well no poop.

Every single business that has public shares? I believe they are called Business Plans, or Vision Statements, or Mission Statements.
- bloatedmosquito

We have a generic vision statement, but we don't detail our business plans to everyone including our competitors. Does that make sense to you? The guy is losing trades bad enough already, he doesn't need to help the other franchises out any further

Speculating here, he's bringing in assets on expiring contracts to load up for this draft that will still allow them to be competitive while slowly intergrating the ELCs like McCann, Cassels, Horvat, JV etc. I still think he's not done and something else is in the works, or else this doesn't make sense.
- DariusKnight

Its not making sense.

Well no poop.
- BINGO!

Then what the (frank) are you looking for!

I agree the market sets the value but a savvy GM will be able to gauge the market and not put themselves in a position to be forced to take poor value for assets.

Kesler trade, Garrison trade, Lack trade, Kassian trade and Bonino all IMO were poor value but the excuse always is, Benning got as much as he was offered and that the market was poor. Personally I think Benning needs to be holding on to those assets if the deal is not fair value.

Someone compared it to the housing market and how the market dictates your houses price not what you perceive the value is, this is true but the people who usually do the best in the housing market are the ones who can afford and choose to wait until the market is giving fair value.
- belcherbd

Completely agree and yet outside the Garrison move, could we really have afforded to wait?

Kesler quite literally defined his own value while waiting another season to move him could have imploded the locker room.

It was Lack or Markstrom. Benning made a choice in an otherwise overpopulated goalie market.

The mere return on Kassian in my view demonstrates his lack of perceived value league-wide.

Apart from the pick i have to say that i am more excited heading into this season with Sutter over Bonino.

To each their own. I am not a Benning supporter by any means and yet i'm not about to completely discount every little thing he has done.

Benning deserves the criticism . He has made a lot of questionable moves
- VANTEL

Yes he has...so lets get everyone to start demanding a GM change, no more waiting to see what the PLAN is.

Nucker, Bloated, Bingo and that wishywashyleafs guy, are right....Gillis was such a demi god GM, how could we have been so wrong.

Personally I'm gonna wait this out, I've given every other GM and coach the benefit of a doubt for a few years, I'll be doing the same here.

The problem is that if you don't swallow what the nay sayers are pushing then your automatically lumped into the circle jerk gang...for the record I'm the wait and see what happens, 2 hands above the covers guy.

I was trying to take a break from here. I'm not getting this.
- thundachunk

Just follow the plan...you'll be ok...

Yes he has...so lets get everyone to start demanding a GM change, no more waiting to see what the PLAN is.

Nucker, Bloated, Bingo and that wishywashyleafs guy, are right....Gillis was such a demi god GM, how could we have been so wrong.

Personally I'm gonna wait this out, I've given every other GM and coach the benefit of a doubt for a few years, I'll be doing the same here.

The problem is that if you don't swallow what the nay sayers are pushing then your automatically lumped into the circle jerk gang...for the record I'm the wait and see what happens, 2 hands above the covers guy.
- Makita

I have never said any such thing. Mike Gillis was a (frank)ing trainwreck. Thing is, Benning hasn't really been an improvement.

Why does Vancouver want their third round pick back?
- VANTEL

probably have their eye on someone already

Its not making sense.
- thundachunk

If Benning thinks he's gonna take a run at some highend UFA's and be successful, he's seriously underestimated the West Coast and how it's perceived around the league. It's a travel nightmare.

The expiring contract theory makes no sense. Bonino makes 1.9M per, that's very affordable and easy to trade and arguably more valuable since he's signed through next year while Sutter if traded will be valued as a rental and will be costly to re-sign.

Makes little sense.

here's a positive spin on the trade.


Canucks are planning on bringing on a lot of young wingers this year. Bringing in a strong defensive centre like Sutter will only help them in their transition into the NHL.

Plus Canucks have lacked that checking centre with size to help match up with centres like Kopitar, Thornton, Getzlaf etc Sutter should help there.

he's a right handed shot who has a faceoff % higher than 50%. Horvat and hank are both lefties. Having a mix of right handed and left handed faceoff guys is pretty valuable in this league IMO.
- Mungo

I think Sutter and Bonino are pretty comparable players but neither should be considered defensive checking centres even if they have been cast that way.

If Benning thinks he's gonna take a run at some highend UFA's and be successful, he's seriously underestimated the West Coast and how it's perceived around the league. It's a travel nightmare.
- LeftCoaster

That and it's hard to sign guys when your team sucks.

Yes he has...so lets get everyone to start demanding a GM change, no more waiting to see what the PLAN is.

Nucker, Bloated, Bingo and that wishywashyleafs guy, are right....Gillis was such a demi god GM, how could we have been so wrong.

Personally I'm gonna wait this out, I've given every other GM and coach the benefit of a doubt for a few years, I'll be doing the same here.

The problem is that if you don't swallow what the nay sayers are pushing then your automatically lumped into the circle jerk gang...for the record I'm the wait and see what happens, 2 hands above the covers guy.
- Makita

Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm not defending Gillis FFS. That guy was proper junk.

I have never said any such thing. Mike Gillis was a (frank)ing trainwreck. Thing is, Benning hasn't really been an improvement.
- BINGO!

Benning is worse at everything except drafting..Gillis was excellent at first then he really went off the rails and overvalued his own assets and tried to buy-low on vets who were on the decline. So overall he was meh.

Do you think Gillis would have done worse, the same or better?
- Nucker101

Gillis would have done nothing. Too afraid to make mistakes

That and it's hard to sign guys when your team sucks.
- BINGO!

Yes UFA's generally want to sign where they have a chance to win. Canucks aren't winning poop for the foreseeable future.

Just follow the plan...you'll be ok...


- LordHumungous

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- thundachunk[/URL]

The expiring contract theory makes no sense. Bonino makes 1.9M per, that's very affordable and easy to trade and arguably more valuable since he's signed through next year while Sutter if traded will be valued as a rental and will be costly to re-sign.

Makes little sense.
- Nucker101

Benning said they are talking about an extension.

I have never said any such thing. Mike Gillis was a (frank)ing trainwreck. Thing is, Benning hasn't really been an improvement.
- BINGO!

Depends upon individual perception.

Gillis refused to move core players while shipping out picks/prospects at the deadline for a kick at the can.

Benning has shipped off "core" players to a fault but at the very least is shaking things up for better or worse.

Gillis would have done nothing. Too afraid to make mistakes
- CanuckDon

Benning seems to love overpaying, I guess this way is more fun at least.

The expiring contract theory makes no sense. Bonino makes 1.9M per, that's very affordable and easy to trade and arguably more valuable since he's signed through next year while Sutter if traded will be valued as a rental and will be costly to re-sign.

Makes little sense.
- Nucker101

Did you really see Bonino long term here? He was getting demoted this year, what about when McCann and Cassels are ready?

Benning said they are talking about an extension.
- pker2theend

Well there goes that theory. And it hurts the clearing up cap space theory since Sutter will make more than Bonino this year and next.

Benning said they are talking about an extension.
- pker2theend

If Benning values Sutter over Bonino, because he's better in the faceoff circle, at a million dollars more a season he's a total (frank)in idiot.