Vancouver Canucks Faced with Untimely Confusion

Was the Trade Deadline not enough for the Vancouver Canucks?

Amongst the positive fall-outs for the Vancouver Canucks from the NHL Trade Deadline is the fact that there was a firm sense of direction in the organization. Dan Hamhuis is going to be respected, the Canucks will look to signing him soon, and the Garage Sale Seven will now try to make the best of the remaining season as Canucks.

The Canucks are not going to get into the playoffs, nor are they going to “tank” to the bottom-five for the Auston Matthews sweepstakes. The kids are going to get their chances, beginning with none other than former first-round pick two-way centreman Brendan Gaunce. (It feels like the Canucks have a million of them and just one Brock Boeser, eh?)

That sounds pretty concrete to me. In fact, I could live with that for the next twenty games of the season, hoping that no one else gets hurt and the kids start making the team stronger. Of course, I am going cross my fingers and say my prayers that the Edmonton Oilers get on a high streak and the Toronto Maple Leafs too. The future will look brighter for the Canucks if the Oilers don’t end up with Auston Matthews.

Actually, the future of the league will be brighter if Auston Matthews ends up with a team like the Montreal Canadiens for that matter. Hey. You don’t see Montreal in the bottom third of the NHL standings that many times.

So. The future.

That was what the Town Hall meeting was all about on Friday. When Jim Benning and Trevor Linden came directly to the season ticket holders and gave them a transparent view into the trade deadline that has passed us now and the plans to build for the future. But now that future looks uncertain. How so?

Here it is, this week’s edition of the Canucklehead Lament, on how confused all we Canucks fans should be after a behind-the-doors meeting that revealed how confused and out-of-sync the management is.

There may be a few months of sureness left in this season. But after the 82nd game is played, barring a miraculous march into the playoffs, the Canucks management will have a lot of clean-up to do after themselves. What Benning and Trevor have said lately — it sure adds up quickly into a hot mess of confusion and disconnect.

Next: Benning vs. Linden: Did the Canucks have a Chance this Year?

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Benning vs. Linden: Did the Canucks have a Chance this Season?

So much for all the talk surrounding the Aquilini ownership meddling with the management — I would not be surprised if Linden and Benning were not on the same page themselves. Well, as the word is coming out of the Town Hall meeting, that was the case.

Trevor Linden, President of Hockey Operations, apparently did not expect to make the playoffs even before the puck dropped for game one.

Linden said that his club had “punched above [its] weight last year,” with lowered expectations this year. This certainly was not the impression the city got to begin the year, before all the injuries started piling up. Playoffs seemed like a possibility, especially with the Pacific struggling mightily.

But then Jim Benning had different ideas.

It looks like we’re not going to make the playoffs this year. But in my heart, I really believe if we had Brandon Sutter the whole year and Alex Edler didn’t get hurt, we’d be right there. We’re four wins out from being in the playoffs.” – Jim Benning

Well, firstly. Benning, your club is now five wins out from being in the playoffs. You are also four Maple Leafs wins away from a 20 percent odd to win Auston Matthews. You are one point above dropping to the bottom five in the league.

Secondly, Benning. Why are you and Linden disagreeing? You are causing a lot of confusion here. Is there a subconscious reason that kept you from pushing a potential Radim Vrbata trade here? Is this just a look-good-to-ownership tactic?

If so, you are not making your management looking good in the process. I get it that these meetings are supposed to be clear, see-through presentations of the management. Don’t make it look bad, though.

Next: Benning vs. Agent: Nikita Tryamkin, Try Again

Benning vs. Logic: Squeeze Nine Defencemen to Make Six

To add to the Tryamkin story,  Jim Benning has expressed that he would like to have the Russian playing Vancouver before the 2015-16 season is over. The Canucks lineup currently without Alex Edler will delight to have him here.

But next year gets messy. Again, the future, eh?

Tanev – Edler
Hutton –  Biega
Sbisa – Larsen
Pedan – Tryamkin

In addition to the group above, Dan Hamhuis might get re-signed and slot in on the second or third pairing.

Yes, Benning. You have just guaranteed nine “NHL defencemen”  each a spot on the blueline, whether it be verbal promise (Hamhuis, Pedan, Tryamkin), acquisition of rights (Larsen), or contract obligations (Biega, Edler, Sbisa, Tanev, Hutton).

Maybe stop saying things like this?

You are a GM of an NHL team. Your words translate to millions of dollars in salary. Think before you speak Jimmy. Please. How are you going to sign Hamhuis with this mess already on the blueline? Nevermind the Garage Sale Seven, is this a sign that one of Sbisa, Edler, Tanev, or Biega could be traded in the offseason?

Why not, if the return is a Jonathan Drouin? How about packaging a pick with a player to upgrade in the draft? After all, I am sure Benning really likes some of the defencemen in the free agent pool, especially after he said this:

To add to the mix, if the Canucks draft in the top five, the chances of getting Jakob Chychrun, the top-ranked defenceman in this year’s draft, is quite high.

So, nine defencemen committed to already, add a free agent, and add a potential Chychrun to the mix — depending on how close to NHL-ready he is. There you go, Willie Desjardins, you could have 11 defencemen to fill the top-six and the two of three seats in the press box.

If that isn’t illogical, I don’t know what is. Or is it just possible that Jim Benning has a failing memory?

Next: The Bottomline

The Bottomline

The Vancouver Canucks are confused — at least they sound and act as if they are — and are hence confusing their fans. What is really going on?

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• 2nd period penalty trouble sinks Canucks in 4-2 loss against Winnipeg

The seemingly incoherent messages that the management is sending are showing that the front office is not really intact. The Tryamkin case just simply shows how unlucky the Canucks are this year. This is the case of the confused fans, who would be hearing two different things at the same time.

The plethora of defencemen at the Canucks’ disposal? Oh well. Maybe Trader Jim is waiting his time to return to the scene with some big trades at the NHL draft. Or is he just outright confused?

No matter what the truth is that gets written on Jim Benning’s whiteboard, it sure needs some clarifying. This organization is just so confusing to deal with.

From the coach to the management, from the line deployment to the asset management… confusing is the only word I can think of. And that was this week’s edition of the Canucklehead Lament.

Next: Benning and Linden Shed Light on a Bright Future. Ahead

To get more in-depth information from Friday’s Town Hall meeting exclusive to season ticket holders, check out the above post from our writer Sarah Laug, straight from behind the doors.