Vancouver Caucks gameday: Trouble is Bruin

Fans of the Vancouver Canucks keep hearing that the price of success in one era is pain in the next. And yet, this visit from the 5th overall Boston Bruins reminds us that peaking in 2011 didn’t necessarily mean abject failure in 2018.

After the announcement that Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning was getting a three-year contract extension earlier this week, the team’s fans and media have been locked in civil war.

Those who believe that the Linden/Benning era has been a directionless slide into mediocrity are furious; those who think the new regime needs time for its vision to bear fruit are furious at the naysayers for their fury. As Madeline Kahn once said, beautifully anticipating the tone of Canucks twitter: “flame, flames… flames, flames on the side of my face, breathing, breath… heaving.”

Yes, it’s gotten ugly, although we at The Canuck Way were able to discuss the matter with all of the civility of a Sedin brother or six (see below).

In defence of the frustrated, these fans are staring into the chasm of another basement-dwelling season, the third in a row. Only two of the Vancouver Canucks who are supposed to be part of the future core – Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser – have shown any sign that they are a sure thing. On many nights this season, the best Canucks on the ice have still been the 37-year old Sedins, and this was certainly the case in Thursday’s loss in San Jose.

Enter the Boston Bruins. For many Canucks fans, the Bruins are still the most hated rival we have, and when things are this bad, you really gotta grind that wheel of hate. Few in Vancouver have forgotten the tumultuous 2011 Stanley Cup Final and even fewer have forgiven Bruins’ cheap shot artist Brad Marchand for his behaviour in that series.

It only compounds the bitterness that here we sit, seven years later, the Bruins again a legitimate contender for the Stanley Cup while the Vancouver Canucks management can offer its fans is the hope that we may someday be “competitive” again. To top it all off, the individual at the centre of the storm right now, Jim Benning, came to Vancouver from Boston.

Fitting then, that we find ourselves preparing for a Bruins-Canucks matchup at this moment. Here is what we will be thinking about going into Saturday night.

Draft dodgers

Much has been made this week about Jim Benning’s drafting history. A fair assessment has to be that he has had hits and misses (too many of the latter in my opinion) and comparing Vancouver to Boston is useful in this regard. In 2014, Jim Benning drafted both Jake Virtanen (6th) and Jared McCann (24th) ahead of Boston’s selecting David Pastrnak (25th). Ouch. Pastrnak has 174 NHL points, which is almost three times more than Virtanen (28) and McCann (39) combined.

On the other hand, in 2015, Benning used the 23rd overall pick to nab Brock Boeser, whom Boston passed up on 3 times (!) and of those three players only Jake Debrusk has cracked the NHL lineup. Safe to say the Vancouver Canucks did better in 2015.

Alas, although it’s far too early to close the book on Vancouver’s 2016 first round pick, Olli Juolevi, he’s certainly not Charlie McAvoy, a rookie who already projects as a legitimate top-pairing defender in Boston. He was selected nine spots after Juolevi. Juolevi may yet develop into a decent top-4 defender for the Canucks, but it’s safe to say that McAvoy was a stronger selection.

Drafting is only part of a GM’s job, but Jim Benning’s supporters point to it as one of his strongest attributes. If drafting is what he does best, the above comparison doesn’t reflect very well on the newly-extended Vancouver Canucks GM.

Who wore it better?

Much of the frustration in Vancouver this week has been about the speed at which fans should expect the rebuild to take place. When Linden and Benning came on nearly four years ago, they promised a quick turnaround. Some didn’t believe that was possible without tearing it all down (Torts, ¡Presente!) and some still feel Benning was hamstrung by the no-trade clauses he inherited.

Benning did, gradually, tear apart the 2011 team, slowly but surely. Some, like Kevin Bieksa, were traded for draft picks. Some, like Alex Burrows, were traded for prospects. Some, like Ryan Kesler, were traded for players. Some, like Dan Hamhuis, were allowed to sign elsewhere with no return for Vancouver.

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There are wins and losses in there. Trades for picks and prospects have generally been good, while losing Hamhuis in free agency was a disaster. Trading Kesler was the right decision, but asking for Luca Sbisa instead of Sami Vatanen? Acquiring Nick Bonino only to trade him for Brandon Sutter? These are painfully brutal losses.

And even while Canucks management makes excuses for the difficulties it has had in rebuilding, Boston has found a way to do what Vancouver could not.

The 2011 Stanley Cup Champions are legit contenders again. Only four players who won that Stanley Cup are still on the team, and the Bruins are one of the younger teams in the league with an average age of 26.8 (which would be even lower without 40-year old Zdeno Chara). Vancouver, by contrast is middle-of-the-pack at 27.5.

While Boston has a core of veterans who still play important roles, especially in Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, their success is a product of the emergence of the young players who will be its future core. Their 4th highest scorer this season is Danton Heinan, a 4th round draft pick from 2014 (yes, the Virtanen/McCann year). Other key pieces include Riley Nash and Torey Krug, the latter signed by Boston in 2012 out of the NCAA.

The tough question, then, is why Boston has been able to get back to being one of the NHL’s best teams, while the Vancouver Canucks have languished in an interminable rebuilding phase that – at this point – shows no sign of turning around anytime soon.

A more perfect deadline

For all the frustration that this situation has created, Benning’s extension offers him an opportunity to prove wrong those who doubt his vision and/or his or capacity to realize it. The first big test is happening as we speak.

With the trade deadline less than two weeks away, Benning has a chance to make the Vancouver Canucks better. He has Thomas Vanek, a proven NHL scorer in the midst of a strong season who will be a UFA on July 1. Trade him, Jim. Get it done.

He has Erik Gudbranson, an albatross that Benning needs to get out from under. The Canucks traded a young player with some potential (McCann) for a slow defender whose value gets lower with every passing season. Jimbo just missed the boat here. Slow, heavy defenders do not fit the current game and watching Guddy lumber around the ice for the Canucks can be excruciating. The return won’t be great, but anything is better than roster space wasted on Gudbranson. Trade him, Jim. Get it done.

Pierre LeBrun recently reported that there was interest in Chris Tanev, suggesting he might be worth a first round pick and a prospect to a playoff-bound team. I love what Chris Tanev brings to this team and I would hate to see him leave. Nevertheless.

Nevertheless, this is a rebuild. By the time this team is good, Tanev will be well past his prime. He is injury-prone and there is reason to believe it will take its toll on him; his value, then, is probably at its peak right now. So as much as I like the idea of his mentoring young defenders coming up, the Canucks have to strike while the iron is hot because – as Boston’s success illustrates – this team is not even close to ready.

Final notes

Some rumours have suggested that Vancouver has interest in Bruin’s forward Ryan Spooner. I don’t particularly dislike Spooner’s game, but at 26 years old, Spooner doesn’t really fit the profile of the Canucks’ needs.

If the Bruins are selling, the Canucks should be looking at draft picks or youngest prospects. If the Canucks are looking to pick up a prospect from the B’s they should consider Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, a decent 21-year old two-way centre with 28 points in the AHL this season.

He is probably unavailable, but the Bruins may be looking to move the aforementioned Zboril and/or Senyshyn. Zboril, in particular, has seen his value drop in Boston, meaning he might be in the mix. Still, at just 20-years old, the 200 pound defender may be a long way from his ceiling and could be a very smart pickup for a team that lacks elite defensive prospects.

On that note, I would love to see Philip Holm get a chance to play against Boston on Saturday. Holm has scored more in Utica than most of the Canucks defenders have in Vancouver and has earned a chance to play. If the Holm experiment works out, it could be a real feather in Jim Benning’s cap. But we will never know if he doesn’t get a chance to play. Do we really need to see more of Alex Biega? Hasn’t Michael Del Zotto earned a healthy scratch yet?

Finally, with respect to giving young players a chance, I can’t finish without mentioned Reid Boucher. My followers know that I am a big fan of this kid and have argued all season that he deserves an opportunity.

Next: Canucks are looking at Max Domi and Tobias Rieder

In his first call-up he barely saw the ice, but this time he has been given a regular shift. He has responded with some very good hockey; 2 goals and 16 shots in his last four games. He is forechecking hard, looks faster than ever, and has shown flashes of real playmaking. His strongest attribute is his shot, and he is using it. I have argued that he could be a useful piece in the Canucks future, so let’s hope he continues to get the opportunity to prove it.

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