I've given it some time. Almost a week in fact, I had meant to get this out sonner but had a sore arm since Thursday because of my vaccine shot. In the last few days since it was determined that General Manager Jim Benning will be back next season, the outpouring of disbelief from Canucks fans on Twitter is alarming.
If you are a Canucks fan that believes that Jim Benning has not done a good job the last few years, I really want you to look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself what's wrong with yourself. For starters, this team was nine wins a way from winning the Stanley Cup last year. If that's not a signal of the end of the rebuild I don't Know what is. The Canucks have transitioned from rebuild to a emerging playoff contender and for me that is progress.
This doesn't mean that there won't be easy but to group 2021's struggles with 2018's struggles is completely off course. Jim Benning could have not predicted Covid 19 and in the old divisions Vancouver would have only missed the playoffs by three points.
The other part to remember is that Vancouver went 4-10 against Canadian teams last year and we saw more of the same this year as we finished 23-29-4 and we missed Pettersson for a good portion of the season. I have no hard feelings with Benning letting Tanev, Markstrom and Levio go, they all went to Calgary and they didn't finish much better than Vancouver. Possibly, Tyler Toffoli would have made this team better but I was ok that he left because of the amount of cap space we had or lack of it. Not to mention the conditional pick we would have lost as well.
The bottom line is, these circumstances bought us a year to try to experiment with things we might have not been able to otherwise and again I see that as progress. Most teams have a brumby start after their rebuild. Colorado didn't get things right four years ago and had to change paths and now are even better, Calgary missed the playoffs in 2016 after looking like the 2009 Blackhawks in 2015. Edmonton missed the playoffs as well after having a good run in 2017. They are still looking for answers four years later.
We need to trust the process and enjoy the fact that we have stability in management. Making the playoffs isn't guaranteed next year but that will make it all the more special next year if we do. This year was a very hard year to judge so I'm willing to give Benning and Green the benefit of the doubt. However, missing the playoffs next year will make 2020 feel like it was an anomaly.
This last week has proven how unpredictable the NHL playoffs can be and because of that, there is not much point in worrying about if ands and buts. I believe we will get there by 2023 at the latest and I'm trying to do my best to enjoy how things come together.
By no means is this a 2016 rebuild. Linden and ownership delayed the first rebuild as well and that can't be on Benning.
My key goal if I was GM would be to keep surrounding our young stars with talent. I often compare our core with the 2002 core. I like this core better and it's younger and more diversified. As long as this time around we don't let our assets depreciate too much before they move on or retire, we should be looking at playoffs the next 8 out of 13 years. I would sign up for that right now but it's all about getting appropriate return on our superstars when the time comes. That's what the early 2000's foundation was built on and why we had a great run from 2001-2013.
In contrast, we let our superstar players depreciate and walk for not much return in the last seven years that we have had a turbulent rebuild along with some bad drafting before Jim Benning.
I'm not saying it is that easy but I love how our core is built and we just have to move around few pieces here and there.
I'm just not willing to blame anyone yet. I cling to hope that this is just a market correction with a team that is headed in the right direction.
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