Francesco Aquillini and Jim Benning --Tales of a Rebuild: Misconceptions, Misery, and Money

[LillStrimma]

On 12/20/2023 at 1:44 AM, conquestofbaguettes said:

 

The problem is you have the premise wrong. And until you understand the underlying ownership mandate in place at that time you'll never get what's being said.

 

Of course a majority of those trades and signings look like or were dogshit!... especially for a rebuilding team, and moves which run counter to what people view as a "proper" rebuild. This was never in contention!

 

But it's the initial premise for the majority of those decisions which is in contention here.

 

The only "defense" I have for the previous regime is based on things which were largely out of their hands. Nothing more. And when you understand the cause of affect of the underlying mandate to stay competitive, the picture becomes much more clear.

Which is a statement lacking any kind of context. Team development, stage of team building, are at different places then to now. ie. You pay more, more term, etc. to convince guys to come to a losing rebuilder.... especially one with a mandate to stay competitive while doing it.

 

You're comparing apples to oranges.

The same BS again.

Ownership, not a problem for a real leader. Bennng wasn’t a real leader, check.

After the Bubble playoffs Benning should gave gone the Allvin route but he wasn’t able to do that because he wasn’t a real leader. Only excuses all the time for a nonleader GM.

I wonder if Benning even can tie his shoelaces. So bad is he as a leader according to you, Don Quijote of les baquettes.

[LaBamba]

Everyone talks about how great our pro scouting has been since the new management took over but we couldn’t properly evaluate . Oliver Ekman-Larsson. 
 

 

[Ballisticsports]

7 hours ago, LaBamba said:

Everyone talks about how great our pro scouting has been since the new management took over but we couldn’t properly evaluate . Oliver Ekman-Larsson. 
 

 

 If they were going to buy the 32 yr old  out at any point in the next four years — and let’s face it, that was very likely — the immediate cap savings of $7.1 million (USD) for this season was too tempting to ignore. Buying him out in later years would’ve eschewed the one-time, get-out-of-jail-free savings.

The pain — and there will be pain — kicks in 3 years from now when 35 yr old Ekman-Larsson will be a dead-cap charge of $4.76 million. But that’s still $2.4 million less than what they would have been paying him. and cap going up then won't hurt as much

(You can't have it all keeping what you have, capped out and not sell your future but still want to improve)

 

RT stated

Head coach Rick Tocchet had expressed a belief in March that Ekman-Larsson would return as a Canuck next season.

“This is a big summer for him,” Tocchet said at the time. “I know a lot of people count him out. I don’t know, I’ve got a feeling that he’s going to have a really good year. There’s a gleam in his eye. 

“I can tell that he’s going to use this as motivation. Things haven’t gone his way a lot a bunch of years now and I think this is something that, he’s going to take this summer and (reach) another level. I really believe it.”

 

PA stated 

“My intention is to not do buyouts,” he said. “As I said here too, I’m not a big fan of buyouts. I’m not sure anything changed, it was more internal discussions about the cap availability.

“We will look at all our options to make this team better.”

 

With the mess of the term of contract and cap strapped, they had little alternative t them if they wanted to improve this team - You cannot argue that they haven't done just that

 

 

The cap savings allow the team to have cap flexibility to improve and sign players

 

To summarise to your post

Everyone talks about how great our pro scouting has been since the new management took over but we couldn’t properly evaluate . Oliver Ekman-Larsson

OEL had years to show Canucks

I don't know why you think  the pro scouts didn't properly assess him ?

I think they weighed the limited options available and figured this was the best way to go about and improve the team

One only has to look at our defence (even without Soucy playing) and our record to see that they got it right

Edited December 24, 2023 by Ballisticsports