1. Using the fact that Ehlers could potentially, possibly, perhaps become the better player within the next 3-5 years to discount a GM's drafting ability is grasping at straws.

2. Cap flexibility? After this coming season, Vrbatta, Sutter, Prust and Hambuis could be flipped for further assets or simply come off the books, freeing up over 14 million. The following year Burrows and Higgings are up as well. How is that not flexibility?
- Whiskey-Tango

1. That's fair, that's just my opinion and far from a fact.

2. Benning just said that Sutter is a core piece to him and that they're already working on an extension. He got 3.5M as an RFA from Pit, and now as a pending UFA and with Benning negotiating I full expect him to be getting 2nd liner type of money. His agent must've loved that quote from Benning today. We keep talking about the future flexibililty but if Benning keeps making questionable trades/signings then there won't be as much cap space as projected. And how do we know that he'll actually spend that money wisely?

What do you know? You only watch him around 82 times per season...
- Nucker101

Sutter Pros:
Very good wrist shot and backhand
Skates well, not great though
Very disciplined in penalties and positioning
Good in SO
Offensive threat on the PK
Never gets injured
Good on FOs

Cons:
loses the majority of puck battles and weak on the puck
poor passing and vision
not physical at all
no slapshot or one timer
Weak on his skates
Poor shot and goal suppression on PK

what are the odds that the phone is actually connected?
- DoubleDown

Maybe Vantel was onto something this whole time???
- LeftCoaster

I said early this year Canucks should target Lucic and Sutter. Apparently they did both. they now can OS a top payer also .

As long as he isn't right about Lucic.
- belcherbd

Oh come on, I like Lucic for what he does no the ice. A few character flaws but nothing like Kassian.

They play a totally different style of game, it's hard for some to look past numbers. Not implying that's what you do Nucker, just a general statement. Ehlers is a small talented junior player, like Shinkaruk was in junior.

Virtanen can play a heavier game yet still put up points, I would have been happy with either but I'm definitely NOT unhappy they picked Jake.
- LeftCoaster

Yeah, it's just personal opinion and preference at this point. But Ehlers has more skill than Shinkaruk IMO and he makes players around him better, Virtanen doesn't IMO. Both are great prospects but Ehlers to me as a higher chance of becoming a top line player.

what are the odds that the phone is actually connected?
- DoubleDown

They play a totally different style of game, it's hard for some to look past numbers. Not implying that's what you do Nucker, just a general statement. Ehlers is a small talented junior player, like Shinkaruk was in junior.

Virtanen can play a heavier game yet still put up points, I would have been happy with either but I'm definitely NOT unhappy they picked Jake.
- LeftCoaster

Nylander is better then both so who cares

Pretty solid trade, Canucks got the better player (i think) and didn't have to give up any young top tier talent. Falls in line with the "rebuild on the fly" plan.

Well, that deal came out of nowhere.

Trade analysis and a poll now live in the new blog:

http://www.hockeybuzz.com...-Brandon-Sutter/194/70194
- Carol Schram

Sorry Carol you are wrong. This move is all about THE PLAN.

Funny thing, VANTEL and Benning's thought process on rebuilding is pretty much the same. Go figure.

I said early this year Canucks should target Lucic and Sutter. Apparently they did both. they now can OS a top payer also .
- VANTEL

They don't have the cap space to OS a top player this year. And the picks the Canucks give up could end up being high as well with the way this team is trending.

- Streit2ThePoint

what are the odds that the phone is actually connected?
- DoubleDown

I think it's a direct line to cliff fletcher

Pretty solid trade, Canucks got the better player (i think) and didn't have to give up any young top tier talent. Falls in line with the "rebuild on the fly" plan.
- 13sundin13

Okay, Jim.

Yeah, it's just personal opinion and preference at this point. But Ehlers has more skill than Shinkaruk IMO and he makes players around him better, Virtanen doesn't IMO. Both are great prospects but Ehlers to me as a higher chance of becoming a top line player.
- Nucker101

I would have taken Ehlers as well. This team needs a pure scorer.

Sutter Pros:
Very good wrist shot and backhand
Skates well, not great though
Very disciplined in penalties and positioning
Good in SO
Offensive threat on the PK
Never gets injured
Good on FOs

Cons:
loses the majority of puck battles and weak on the puck
poor passing and vision
not physical at all
no slapshot or one timer
Weak on his skates
Poor shot and goal suppression on PK
- jfkst1

Bonino is slow, bad on the dot, no real grit.

Evaluating the draft record above all else is something that makes sense when judging a head scout (like a Ron Delmorme). Trades, coaching, and all the other particulars are much more in the GMs wheel barrow. Therefore Virtanen, McCann, etc wouldn't be the decider for me.

The trades that you note would be much more relevant IMO. And those 3 names (Sven, Vey, Markstrom) have pretty sizeable question marks regarding their abilities to have an impact on this organization's future.

I honestly don't think GMs should be given a 5+ year window into their way of doing things before they can be judged.
- AlexF

Ken Holland disagrees with you. He said he thinks a GM should be given a five to ten year window as it's so hard to make moves and draft well outside of the top five picks...which I tend to agree with.

Bonino is slow, bad on the dot, no real grit.
- VANTEL

Has a good shot, good passer, decent vision as a passer. Good in the shootout. Decent on the PK.

Nylander is better then both so who cares
- ClarksonDavid

He's a wussy, Virtanen will squash him like a bug the one game a year we play you turds

Has a good shot, good passer, decent vision as a passer. Good in the shootout. Decent on the PK.
- Nucker101

You just described 40% of all the bottom six players in the league

You just described 40% of all the bottom six players in the league
- LeftCoaster

This guy is cut from the same cloth as Benning...

Nylander is better then both so who cares
- ClarksonDavid

Who? Isn't that dude like 45?

Sutter's 21 goals last year would have made him the highest goal scoring centre on the Canucks.

As a Pens fan, I won't miss Sutter in the least. I think his analytics are very indicative of the quality of player that he is. I wish him well in the future as he seems to be a good guy but I really think this is a terrible move for Vancouver.
- jfkst1

The dozen or so games I watched him in would concur with your statement.

What's worse: to re-sign this guy might cost around 5m+ mark.