{"id":24878,"date":"2018-03-06T00:41:48","date_gmt":"2018-03-06T05:41:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=24878"},"modified":"2018-03-06T00:41:48","modified_gmt":"2018-03-06T05:41:48","slug":"vancouver-canucks-management-lacks-direction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2018\/03\/06\/vancouver-canucks-management-lacks-direction\/","title":{"rendered":"Vancouver Canucks Management Lacks Direction"},"content":{"rendered":"

The recent trade deadline was a polarizing one for many around the Vancouver Canucks<\/a>. Defenceman Philip Holm<\/a><\/strong> was swapped to<\/a> the Vegas Golden Knights<\/a> for Brendan Leipsic<\/a><\/strong>, while rental forward Thomas Vanek<\/a><\/strong> was exchanged to<\/a> the Columbus Blue Jackets<\/a> for wingers Tyler Motte<\/a><\/strong> and Jussi Jokinen<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0In a vacuum, neither of these trades should cause much uproar. However, they also speak to a lack of direction from Canucks management.<\/p>\n

Despite a rhetoric from President Trevor Linden<\/a><\/strong> that puts emphasis on draft picks, the club failed to bring any in. Instead, general manager Jim Benning<\/a><\/strong> highlighted the importance of ‘hockey trades’. After a third straight season of bottom of the league play, fans are rightfully frustrated with the distinct lack of overarching vision for the club.<\/p>\n

Vancouver Canucks Management Lacks Direction<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When one considers the strengths of the Benning-era, drafting regularly tops the list. The team has found strong prospects such as Adam Gaudette<\/strong><\/a> (fifth round), Kole Lind<\/strong><\/a> (second round), and Guillame Brisebois<\/strong><\/a> (third round) beyond the first round of the draft. The prospect pool is a strength of the organization. As such, it stands to reason that draft picks would stand as a major part of any future blueprint. When putting things within this context, it makes little sense that trading for picks would not be a priority.<\/p>\n

The last time Benning traded a player for a draft pick straight up was in 2015. This was when he swapped Kevin Bieksa<\/a><\/strong> to the Anaheim Ducks<\/a> for a 2nd round pick. The pick was also subsequently flipped as a chip in the Brandon Sutter<\/a><\/strong> trade. Evidently, this is a club that places little value in draft picks, despite doing an excellent job at the draft table.<\/p>\n

Benning’s Trade Record<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Benning’s trade record also shows a lack of commitment to a true rebuild. He has shown a desire to pick up slightly older players, rather than high upside skaters. This works on occasion, of course. Sven Baertschi<\/a><\/strong> has proven to be a decent scorer, while Derrick Pouliot<\/a><\/strong> has been a good story on defense this season. However, projects have become his go-to acquisitions, which may be harming the team in the long run. The 2017 trade deadline is an exception as Benning acquired Jonathan Dahlen<\/strong><\/a> and Nikolay Goldobin<\/a><\/strong> for veterans Alexandre Burrows<\/a><\/strong> and Jannik Hansen<\/a><\/strong>. Aside from that,\u00a0he has yet to make any moves purely for the benefit of the future.<\/p>\n

This also extends to the refusal to trade gritty defender Erik Gudbranson<\/a><\/strong>. Despite a possibly lucrative return, Benning signed him<\/a> to a three-year, $12 million contract extension. This makes it seem unlikely that a franchise-altering move would be made, namely the trading of Chris Tanev<\/a><\/strong>. Trading Tanev would certainly bring back an impressive package, but management seems unwilling to make such a move.<\/p>\n

What is most concerning about recent developments wasn’t their standalone impact. From a raw value standpoint, a move like Vanek for Motte is defensible. The long-term implications are a more worrisome aspect. Benning’s reliance on ‘hockey trades’ is counter-intuitive to a long-term vision and may hurt the club in the future. The prospect pool is better than it has been in a long time and for that Benning deserves credit.<\/p>\n

Going forward, Benning and the Canucks management need to give themselves more of a chance to use those skills and truly advance the prospects of the Canucks.<\/p>\n

Main Photo
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>