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A #Canucks 
Mess: How we got here
Jim Benning ran the Sabres Scouting dept for 6 yrs. The last 3 yrs Buffalo missed the playoffs; Jim wasn't brought back after the lockout
John Weisbrod inexplicably runs the NBA's Orlando Magic into the ground in 1 yr as GM. Death threats ensue
Mess: How we got hereJim Benning ran the Sabres Scouting dept for 6 yrs. The last 3 yrs Buffalo missed the playoffs; Jim wasn't brought back after the lockout
John Weisbrod inexplicably runs the NBA's Orlando Magic into the ground in 1 yr as GM. Death threats ensue
Peter Chiarelli gets the GM job in Boston, but isn't allowed to fire the front office (future Kings architect Mike O'Connell and NY Rangers GM Jeff Gorton), hires Benning.
Who scouts from home for a year for the Bruins. In Oregon
Weisbrod is a scout in Dallas, lasts 1 season
Who scouts from home for a year for the Bruins. In Oregon
Weisbrod is a scout in Dallas, lasts 1 season
Chiarelli had two years experience in Ottawa as Ass. GM before moving on to be the GM in Boston. And in 1 of the 2 years there, the league was closed due to the lockout.
2007 - Chiarelli cleans house after missing the playoffs yr 1. Benning is elevated to Ass. GM in Boston
Weisbrod is hired by the Bruins as a pro scout in the hockey hotbed of Florida.
2 yrs later he's elevated to Dir of collegiate scouting. They draft no good College players...
Weisbrod is hired by the Bruins as a pro scout in the hockey hotbed of Florida.
2 yrs later he's elevated to Dir of collegiate scouting. They draft no good College players...
On the backs of Krecji, Bergeron, Chara, Marchand and Tim Thomas, the Bruins win the 2011 Cup. None of whom were acquired by Benning and the Harvard boys
Weisbrod bolted for Calgary that summer to be the Ass. GM for 2 years.
Brian Burke still cannot figure out what he did there.
Weisbrod bolted for Calgary that summer to be the Ass. GM for 2 years.
Brian Burke still cannot figure out what he did there.
2014 - Vancouver hires Benning and Weisbrod (VP player personnel), and the team returns to the playoffs that yr
Benning is allowed to clean house anyways though (Gilman, Henning, Crawford) and Weisbrod is quickly elevated to Ass GM
They also have an embarrassing news moment
Benning is allowed to clean house anyways though (Gilman, Henning, Crawford) and Weisbrod is quickly elevated to Ass GM
They also have an embarrassing news moment
The return to the playoffs post Tortorella was done by adding Ryan Miller, Vrbata, Dorsett and trading Ryan Kesler for Nick Bonino
It was the high mark for Benning in Vancouver, the new guys helping the rejuvenated twins and Burrows (combined 60 pt increase over the previous yr)
It was the high mark for Benning in Vancouver, the new guys helping the rejuvenated twins and Burrows (combined 60 pt increase over the previous yr)
But the bad moves had begun under Benning
-Picking Virtanen and McCann in the 1st rd(skipping Nylander and Pastrnak- twice)
-trading for small offensive C Linden Vey (they had Horvat, Henrik, Bonino, Richardson and had just drafted McCann at C)
-trading for Sbisa/Pedan/Clendening
-Picking Virtanen and McCann in the 1st rd(skipping Nylander and Pastrnak- twice)
-trading for small offensive C Linden Vey (they had Horvat, Henrik, Bonino, Richardson and had just drafted McCann at C)
-trading for Sbisa/Pedan/Clendening
2015
Chiarelli has been fired, as the Benning Boys influence leaves them outside the playoffs for 2 yrs. Fellow Harvard hockey guy Don Sweeney (Weisbrod, Chiarelli, Mark Benning) is elevated to GM in Boston
Chiarelli moves to Edm as GM
All 3 teams then miss the playoffs
Chiarelli has been fired, as the Benning Boys influence leaves them outside the playoffs for 2 yrs. Fellow Harvard hockey guy Don Sweeney (Weisbrod, Chiarelli, Mark Benning) is elevated to GM in Boston
Chiarelli moves to Edm as GM
All 3 teams then miss the playoffs
The 2015-16 season was a mess for Vancouver, with Benning and Weisbrod's influences on the lineup now taking hold
It was goodbye Nick Bonino, Kevin Bieksa, Brad Richardson, Zach Kassian (plus Gilman/Henning/Crawford)...
It was goodbye Nick Bonino, Kevin Bieksa, Brad Richardson, Zach Kassian (plus Gilman/Henning/Crawford)...
Hello Brandon Sutter, Bartkowski, Granlund, Baertschi, Etem and Brandon Prust.
They also welcomed a cpl kids definitely not ready for the show in Virtanen and McCann
Ben Hutton was the top Defenseman that year
They ended up 28th in the NHL
They also welcomed a cpl kids definitely not ready for the show in Virtanen and McCann
Ben Hutton was the top Defenseman that year
They ended up 28th in the NHL
Besides Brock Boeser at the 2015 draft the season was a disaster
Vrbata had 30 goals his 1st yr, but they wouldn't play him with the twins yr 2, and his play crashed
And with an owner willing to retain salary Benning got nothing for Vrbata and Dan Hamhuis at the trade deadline
Vrbata had 30 goals his 1st yr, but they wouldn't play him with the twins yr 2, and his play crashed
And with an owner willing to retain salary Benning got nothing for Vrbata and Dan Hamhuis at the trade deadline
And then, things really got ugly
Rumors of bad attitudes by the kids got McCann traded in a package to Florida for Erik Gudbranson.
They then sign another aging Swedish forward (forgetting already they were trying to get younger the year before) Loui Eriksson, to a 6 yr deal
Rumors of bad attitudes by the kids got McCann traded in a package to Florida for Erik Gudbranson.
They then sign another aging Swedish forward (forgetting already they were trying to get younger the year before) Loui Eriksson, to a 6 yr deal
Gudbranson and Eriksson weren't the 1st players Benning was after that season. He'd hoped for Steven Stamkos, PK Subban and Milan Lucic, and decided to talk about it. The NHL quickly stepped in...
They complemented new #Canucks Gudbranson and Eriksson with the likes of Jason Megna, Michael Chaput and Jack Skille and Philip Larsen
Trading Burrows and Hansen, they got back Goldobin and Dahlen
They finished 29th out of 30, finishing ahead of only Colorado and their 48 pts
Gudbranson and Eriksson with the likes of Jason Megna, Michael Chaput and Jack Skille and Philip LarsenTrading Burrows and Hansen, they got back Goldobin and Dahlen
They finished 29th out of 30, finishing ahead of only Colorado and their 48 pts
At the 2016 draft, they'd skipped Mathew Tkachuk (Hey we got Jake Virtanen, no worries) and picked the highest Canucks D in the draft since Bryan Allen in '98, one Olli Juolevi.
He has not been the best Defenseman from that draft year.
2016 was not a good year in Vancouver
He has not been the best Defenseman from that draft year.
2016 was not a good year in Vancouver
Except behind the scenes, where Judd Brackett had been promoted to dir of amateur scouting in 2016, plus more scouting shakeups in 2017
Linden was making the changes, which of course was Benning and Weisbrod's bread and butter
This didn't go over well as it turns out
Linden was making the changes, which of course was Benning and Weisbrod's bread and butter
This didn't go over well as it turns out
The draft of 2017 finally saw some hope in Vancouver, as the team drafted Center Elias Pettersson, #7 overall.
And after getting burned in the Sutter and Gudbranson trades and with the signing of Loui Eriksson, it was a fairly quiet off-season for big Benning moves
And after getting burned in the Sutter and Gudbranson trades and with the signing of Loui Eriksson, it was a fairly quiet off-season for big Benning moves
None of the moves actually worked out, but Sam Gagner and his ridiculous 3 year, $3.15M per (up from 650K ?!?) was the longest of the bunch
Del Zotto and Nilsson got 2 yr deals Vanek got 1
Alex Burmistrov bolted back to Russia after 24 games (joining countryman Nikita Tryamkin)
Del Zotto and Nilsson got 2 yr deals Vanek got 1
Alex Burmistrov bolted back to Russia after 24 games (joining countryman Nikita Tryamkin)
The highlight of 17-18 was easily Brock Boeser and his great rookie year
But the team wasn't much better, missing the Playoffs a 3rd straight season and finishing tied for 26th overall in the NHL. 2nd worse in the Western C.
The real action was behind the scenes that season...
But the team wasn't much better, missing the Playoffs a 3rd straight season and finishing tied for 26th overall in the NHL. 2nd worse in the Western C.
The real action was behind the scenes that season...
Trevor Linden had been set to fire John Weisbrod, who was apparently was spared at the last moment.
The questions surrounding Trevor Linden's departure 6 months later still remained unanswered. And it likely spilled over into Judd Brackett's exit 2 years later. https://www.google.com/amp/s/torontosun.com/sports/hockey/simmons-says-nasty-politics-pushed-linden-out-with-vancouver-canucks/wcm/a508368f-305e-4653-b1eb-efac3ff72996/amp/
After Linden left and the Sedin's retired, the bad contracts returned.
Instead of Dorsett, Sbisa and Gudbranson, it was Beagle, Roussel and Schaller for $8M
Pettersson had a Calder season, but they still finished 23rd and missed the playoffs a 4th straight time
Instead of Dorsett, Sbisa and Gudbranson, it was Beagle, Roussel and Schaller for $8M
Pettersson had a Calder season, but they still finished 23rd and missed the playoffs a 4th straight time
Then came Myers, Ferland and Benn for $11.5M
They traded 1st, 2nd, 3rd round picks plus top prospect Tyler Madden in an attempt to avoid missing a 5th straight playoff (Tambellini in Edm is the only GM to do it with a full cap)
They were 9th and falling fast and then... Covid
They traded 1st, 2nd, 3rd round picks plus top prospect Tyler Madden in an attempt to avoid missing a 5th straight playoff (Tambellini in Edm is the only GM to do it with a full cap)
They were 9th and falling fast and then... Covid
The Covid run is well documented. And was a welcome respite
But the lone bright spot organizationally the last few years, the drafting dept, lost Judd Brackett
Definitely a Linden guy
Manny Malhotra left too
And once again, the #Canucks are awful under Benning and Weisbrod
But the lone bright spot organizationally the last few years, the drafting dept, lost Judd Brackett
Definitely a Linden guy
Manny Malhotra left too
And once again, the #Canucks
are awful under Benning and Weisbrod
Also of Note:
The ridiculous mess the Utica Comets were at one point (with high draft picks struggling to get ice time over 29 year old career minor leaguers.
Jim Benning's ridiculous attempt at playing team doctor
The ridiculous mess the Utica Comets were at one point (with high draft picks struggling to get ice time over 29 year old career minor leaguers.
Jim Benning's ridiculous attempt at playing team doctor
Oh and besides trading picks, Benning turned down reported 1st round picks for Ryan Miller by SJ, Tanev from Toronto, and Edler by Calgary. Even Sutter had multiple teams interested at one point, and the team just froze
While already really, REALLY bad
#Canucks #FireBenning
While already really, REALLY bad
#Canucks
#FireBenning
