Canucks commit to GM’s vision
Benning’s cast of young players, prospects is backed by a bright, dedicated hockey staff
In the ongoing debate over Jim Benning’s managerial acumen, there’s really only one opinion that counts, and if the Vancouver Canucks’ general manager was concerned about his job security, that matter was laid to rest this week.
“I am pleased with how Jim has performed,” Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini told Sportsnet 650.
“I’m optimistic we’re going to come to an agreement with him.”
And there it is. Unless something changes dramatically — and because these are the Canucks you can’t rule anything out — it would seem Aquilini is married to the vision Benning and Trevor Linden have created for this franchise. As it happens, that vision is now coming into focus for the first time in Benning’s three-plus years here which, following 28th- and 29th-place finishes, has also created some optimism around the Canucks.
Or maybe it’s just the pessimism isn’t as deeply rooted.
Whatever the case, it now seems the Canucks will be on board the Benning train for the foreseeable future, which brings us back to the question which hung in the air when the Edmontonian was hired in the first place. Is he the man who will finally get things right in Vancouver?
Can he bring long-term, sustained success to a franchise which has known so much frustration and heartache in its five decades of existence?
The answer — and you’re going to love this — is ... maybe.
“(The contract extension) will work itself out,” said Benning, who is in the final year of his deal.
“We’ll get that figured out. I’m focused on continuing to do the work we started.
“I’m more concerned about trying to change the culture of the group. Since I took the job, we’ve been trying to rebuild the organization. It’s something that doesn’t happen overnight. Kids take time. But I think this is the first year we’re starting to see the (Brock) Boesers and I think every year after this we’ll see (young players integrated into the lineup).”
And then we will see if this change is real and lasting or another mirage.
Any assessment of Benning’s work to date has to start with the Canucks’ young players and prospects he’s assembled. We’re not going to spend a lot of time itemizing that list because it’s known to even the most casual Canucks fan. Suffice to say there are 10 regulars on the NHL team, led by Bo Horvat and Boeser, who are 25 and younger, and the Canucks have at least 10 legitimate NHL prospects in their system, ranging from Elias Pettersson, Olli Juolevi and Thatcher Demko at the high end to Will Lockwood and Jonah Gadjovich at the lower.
If you believe in Benning, this is where you point. But if you don’t, happy days because there have been enough mistakes over the last three years to build the anti-Benning case. Again, those mistakes have been well-chronicled — Loui Eriksson, some head-scratching contracts — and when you get beyond the details, there’s the matter of 28th and 29th place to consider. So where does that leave us? Well, there’s one aspect about the Benning debate which, if it’s possible, has been under-reported in this market and that concerns the totality of what he’s helped to build; the gestalt of the Canucks, if you will.
This is as much a Linden construct as anything, but because Benning sits in the GM’s chair, he shares the credit. When you look at the Canucks’ hockey department, you’re struck by a couple of things. They’re young, they’re bright and, for the most part, they have a history with the Canucks.
It starts with head coach Travis Green, by the far the organization’s most significant acquisition this off-season. True, you’d like more than a 16-game sample size before you form a fixed opinion on Green, but he has the look of a leader, someone with a plan and a philosophy, and that’s a good starting point.
It also goes deeper than Green. His staff includes Nolan Baumgartner and Manny Malhotra, both former Canucks and both familiar with the demands of today’s NHL. The goalie coach is Dan Cloutier, another former Canuck. So is director of player development Ryan Johnson. Scott Walker, who’s currently serving as Willie Desjardins’ assistant coach with Team Canada at the Karjala Cup in Finland, is in his department. Mattias Ohlund is in the process of joining that group, and will work with the Canucks’ prospects in Europe.
Judd Brackett, the new director of amateur scouting, isn’t a former Canuck, but he fits the model in terms of age (40) and outlook.
“When I talk about changing the culture that’s what I’m talking about,” Benning said. “They’re all character people. They were Canucks and they care about this team.”
Is that enough? Who knows. But it’s something the faithful can look at and think this makes sense. You’ve got a team being built around young players. You’ve got a hockey department populated by bright, young minds who are invested in this franchise. Theoretically, they should grow together. Theoretically, they can make this work. There will be nights like Thursday in Anaheim when it looks like the Canucks are heading down the same familiar and depressing road and part of the challenge of the Benning-Linden administration is staring down the skepticism which is the faithful’s default position.
But this much we know. They’ve set a course here, and Benning will remain a key player in that journey. As for the unknown, we have no idea where the journey ends but that should be the fun part.