Grizzly attack in the Bulkley Valley. Granisle. Not far from where the famous "Phantom of Hungry Hill" was.
- boonerbuck

A buddy sent me a pic of grizzly tracks while moose hunting the Dease Lake yesterday.

Fair enough, I think the labels of being a #1 or #3 are kind of arbitrary, roles are more important. I think Quinn would thrive if there was a dman on the roster who can handle playing against top lines, I expect OEL to be that guy. Edler was tasked with that last year, but age has caught up with him so naturally the team's defense struggled and there were many nights when Hughes/Hamonic were out against top lines.
- Nucker101

The problem is long term, OEL isn't going to be that guy for very long, maybe 2-3 years at most and that's IF he manages to improve on his last two years. It's why I hesitate committing that much money to him whether on a bridge or long-term when I don't think he's "The Guy" that can play that role. I'd rather save the cap space, get as many picks/prospects and a top 4 D to replace him as we can and try and draft someone who can BE "The Guy" when OEL is inevitably useless like Edler was.

i understand what you are saying. but here is their counter argument to the players you just compared them to.

Elias got more points in less games than Mackinnon and Horvat when they signed their deals out of their ELCs

Hughes got more points in 2 seasons (plus 5 games in his first "season"), than Hedman did in his first 4 full seasons.

Points aren't everything of course, but you can see why these negotiations are difficult for both player+agent/GM.
- Codes1087

Oh I get your points…I just wouldn’t build around these players. One has to go imo. Can’t tie up that much cap with a couple of smurfs. Whoever is less committed to the team and City should be punted to Buffalo.

So…another Jim Benning wasted first round pick to go along with Virtanen & Juolevi? For a guy who’s supposed to be a drafting guru he’s not very good at it…no?
- LeftCoaster

Because Ruby doesnt like Hughes the pick is wasted?


For what it's worth, Ruby said he got it wrong in Hughes rookie season and then said "I told you so" in his sophomore season. it may play out like Ruby says,,,, or not. I think we all need to some time to see what we have here. This is exactly why most say bridge deal for the lil feller. He's certainly not getting traded before the season starts.

Oh I get your points…I just wouldn’t build around these players. One has to go imo. Can’t tie up that much cap with a couple of smurfs. Whoever is less committed to the team and City should be punted to Buffalo.
- CanuckDon

EP is like 6’1” or 6’2”, he’s thin but he’s not a Smurf. You do know smurfs are a reference to short folks, right?

Oh I get your points…I just wouldn’t build around these players. One has to go imo. Can’t tie up that much cap with a couple of smurfs. Whoever is less committed to the team and City should be punted to Buffalo.
- CanuckDon

Oh shut up…they finished near the bottom of the league five of the past seven years. They need to built around the youth that losing got them. Both are great offensive players and the only success the teams had is with them, not without them.

Because Ruby doesnt like Hughes the pick is wasted?


For what it's worth, Ruby said he got it wrong in Hughes rookie season and then said "I told you so" in his sophomore season. it may play out like Ruby says,,,, or not. I think we all need to some time to see what we have here. This is exactly why most say bridge deal for the lil feller. He's certainly not getting traded before the season starts.
- boonerbuck

Fans are fickle. Any player who has a down season is a scrub and any player coming off of a career high season that will never be repeated is a folk hero, the truth is always somewhere in the middle

Bridge is the only way to go. We aren’t signing Mackinnon, Horvat or Hedman. We are signing two runts coming off really bad seasons. They have a lot to prove and I’m uncomfortable having these little guys being the highest paid players/ leaders of the team.
- CanuckDon

Whether you like it or not, Pettersson will be the highest paid player on the team when he signs.

Whether you like it or not, Pettersson will be the highest paid player on the team when he signs.
- NorthNuck

Imagine having this much negative energy toward your favourite team’s top players

Are you that thick or do you have a problem reading, in no way have a rushed to any judgment on this player, as I have said, don't draft Hughes, I guess I am rushing my opinion.
It was apparent then, as it is now, that the kid is a shiny skater but a pathetic defender.
- Reubenkincade

You were admitting you got it wrong in his rookie season. I remember clearly because you were one of a very small group that didnt want to draft him when he dropped and we had a few discussions. You saw a different player in his rookie season then you saw last season. that much can't be denied.

You were admitting you got it wrong in his rookie season. I remember clearly because you were one of a very small group that didnt want to draft him when he dropped and we had a few discussions. You saw a different player in his rookie season then you saw last season. that much can't be denied.
- boonerbuck

Whether you like it or not, Pettersson will be the highest paid player on the team when he signs.
- NorthNuck

He should be, he’s the most talented.

EP is like 6’1” or 6’2”, he’s thin but he’s not a Smurf. You do know smurfs are a reference to short folks, right?
- Nucker101

Shut up nerd. He is a runt: happy?

Imagine having this much negative energy toward your favourite team’s top players
- Nucker101

Imagine having this much anger to Aquilinis puppet. The fact Benning is still employed keeps you up at night

You were admitting you got it wrong in his rookie season. I remember clearly because you were one of a very small group that didnt want to draft him when he dropped and we had a few discussions. You saw a different player in his rookie season then you saw last season. that much can't be denied.
- boonerbuck

i think one of the biggest thing too is the quality of his defensive partner.

When paired with Tanev, he was great (still defensive liability but way way way better than last year).

Makar has had Toews who is a fantastic shut down and two way dman. Makar is better than Hughes no doubt, but so is his defense partner.

Imagine having this much negative energy toward your favourite team’s top players
- Nucker101

Benning’s made so many contract blunders he’s now gun-shy…love to know where the numbers and years are at.

I’m guessing he’s well aware he’s running out of rope.

You were admitting you got it wrong in his rookie season. I remember clearly because you were one of a very small group that didnt want to draft him when he dropped and we had a few discussions. You saw a different player in his rookie season then you saw last season. that much can't be denied.
- boonerbuck

Yes, I said I may have been wrong, which happens almost as much as Lefty, but I was moreso referring to how he was able to translate his offensive ability to the NHL, not how he needs to be carried by an excellent defender like Tanev.
Anyways, I also said a couple months back that I would back off on my Hughes bashing, so as to not bog down the optimism of some of the nice moves Benning made this off-season.

A buddy sent me a pic of grizzly tracks while moose hunting the Dease Lake yesterday.
- A_SteamingLombardi

The biggest Grizzly tracks I ever saw(and I've seen countless) were way up the Kispiox River while I was on a dual moose hunt/steelhead trip. Sweetin River area. I found a beaver dam on a creek that the salmon found their way into and a massive grizz had been feeding there. Four hand widths wide... it was in clay so it was so perfect you could see the wrinkles and rough skin on his pads. Talk about the neck hair standing to attention when I found that spot. Tip toe in reverse....

My buddy who was a grizz hunting guide said 1000 lbs for sure. Said he had seen that bear a number of times. He didnt guide there though.

i think one of the biggest thing too is the quality of his defensive partner.

When paired with Tanev, he was great (still defensive liability but way way way better than last year).

Makar has had Toews who is a fantastic shut down and two way dman. Makar is better than Hughes no doubt, but so is his defense partner.
- Codes1087

That's a problem, if he's that bad that he needs someone to babysit him, then he shouldn't have been in the NHL to begin with. I think if he had 1-2 years in Utica/Abbotsford, he might be "The Guy" that can be the 1D going forwards. His offense was never the issue, it was being able to defend and play the big minutes in all situations that was always the question. It's still a huge question mark and may never really be answered.

Imagine having this much anger to Aquilinis puppet. The fact Benning is still employed keeps you up at night
- CanuckDon

Wrong. After seeing analytic nerds like Dubas and Chayka fail, I changed my stance and realized that analytics are better suited for a more controlled game like baseball.

Benning has decades of hockey experience, my main concern is about how much ownership meddles since they aren’t hockey people, they’re just fans like you and I

Yes, I said I may have been wrong, which happens almost as much as Lefty, but I was moreso referring to how he was able to translate his offensive ability to the NHL, not how he needs to be carried by an excellent defender like Tanev.
Anyways, I also said a couple months back that I would back off on my Hughes bashing, so as to not bog down the optimism of some of the nice moves Benning made this off-season.
- Reubenkincade

Your frustration with him is not a big deal to me. I was just curious about the spite and you explained. You are not demanding people agree with you or anything.


I have some reluctance about Hughes as well but I think he's a serious threat paired with the right guy.

Benning’s made so many contract blunders he’s now gun-shy…love to know where the numbers and years are at.

I’m guessing he’s well aware he’s running out of rope.
- LeftCoaster

He’s always been pretty patient with big RFA contracts. Booner mentioned how long it took for Boeser and Bo to sign

He’s always been pretty patient with big RFA contracts. Booner mentioned how long it took for Boeser and Bo to sign
- Nucker101

Benning has to stop drafting these upper tier players. That is the solution. Or perhaps trade more 1st rounders away because they keep screwing everything up in contract #2.


Sometimes you just can't win so middling players it is.

That's a problem, if he's that bad that he needs someone to babysit him, then he shouldn't have been in the NHL to begin with. I think if he had 1-2 years in Utica/Abbotsford, he might be "The Guy" that can be the 1D going forwards. His offense was never the issue, it was being able to defend and play the big minutes in all situations that was always the question. It's still a huge question mark and may never really be answered.
- DariusKnight

Yes and no. Highly offensive talents have been accommodated for their other areas that are not up to par for years. Ovechkin, Nylander, marner, Seguin, hall, even draisatl to an extent.

On the defensive side, it's harder to compare to anyone for Hughes as most defenseman don't come into the league at 19 or 20 and are studs defensively right out the gate. Makar is a freak. I remember werenski having hiccups, Hedman certainly wasn't elite defensively either. Doughty was really bad defensively. Subban was absolutely dog poop defensively in Montreal in his first few years. Defenseman trajectory for hitting their prime and being more well rounded is much slower than forwards.