Poor draft selection was a big problem... Look at Detroit and where they were drafting and player selection... pulled some rabbits out of their hat for sure.

Surprised Edmonton and Calgary didn't make the list...

From a drafting/scouting perspective, there shouldn't be any throw away picks and the Canucks have had too many over the last decade.
- hillbillydeluxe

Calgary was 6th. Edm was 18th.

Michael Grabner was an off the board pick at #14 as well, an ok pick, but some better players taken after him.

(frank) me

And the guy still has a (frank)in job ??

Edit: but it's for the Leafs so it's ok
- LeftCoaster

From what I've been reading on the leafs thread, Nonis won't have a job for long. It's the Shanahan show now.

Calgary was 6th. Edm was 18th.
- bloatedmosquito

Edmonton's young players are all in the NHL and have been for a few years, which I know you know, just saying.

Michael Grabner was an off the board pick at #14 as well, an ok pick, but some better players taken after him.
- LeftCoaster

True, but in general it's been bad. Can't remember who posted (earlier this summer) on the success rate of canuck draft picks (games played) compared to the other 29 teams and it was really pathetic.

Didn't they get an intern in their office to pick? Didn't it show that without a professional scouting staff the canucks would have chosen better?

True, but in general it's been bad. Can't remember who posted (earlier this summer) on the success rate of canuck draft picks (games played) compared to the other 29 teams and it was really pathetic.

Didn't they get an intern in their office to pick? Didn't it show that without a professional scouting staff the canucks would have chosen better?
- bloatedmosquito

The past two drafts have been good IMO, hopefully that trend continues.

Edmonton's young players are all in the NHL and have been for a few years, which I know you know, just saying.
- LeftCoaster

Exactly, they mentioned that in the article.

For anyone who cares the canucks are ranked 27th. At least we are in front of Colorado, Carolina, and St. Louis.

Colorado and St Louis are ranked low for the same reason as Edmonton.

True, but in general it's been bad. Can't remember who posted (earlier this summer) on the success rate of canuck draft picks (games played) compared to the other 29 teams and it was really pathetic.

Didn't they get an intern in their office to pick? Didn't it show that without a professional scouting staff the canucks would have chosen better?
- bloatedmosquito

Octopus, Monkey, Elephant...

It shouldn't be too difficult to pick players with or without a scouting staff with all those rankings floating around.

But if you look at last draft, there were a few calling for the Canucks to pick Ehlers instead of Virtanen and previous draft taking Nichushkin over Horvat...

Drafting for need over bpa... which is the better approach?

Going totally off the board is risky, but a lot of that seems to be ego too.

The last three years or so, I thought the team was drafting better... and that is the age group of yst...


Noticed the Alberta teams have some exhibition games with local university teams, anything like that happening with the Canucks before main camp starts?

For the past ten years, 2004 forward, it's been pretty

The 2004 draft was excellent, four NHL players from seven picks, you don't see that too often. Those were Burke picks.

2005 - should have taken Kopitar ((frank) Nonis?)
2006 - should have taken the higher ranked Varlomov or Claude Giroux
2007 - Patrik White could have had PK Suban or Wayne Simmonds
2008 - Cody for Kassian which I'm ok with
2009 - Ryan O'Reilly, Marcus Johansson
2010 - Quinton Howden, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Charlie Coyle, Brock Nelson, Emerson Etem

Think about how different the team would look, I know every team could do this but there really is something to it…(frank)!!

The past two drafts have been good IMO, hopefully that trend continues.
- LeftCoaster

I was reading articles from some hockey 'experts' and they mentioned that Horvat was taken way too high and the canucks should have picked the big Russian.

Just for poops and giggles here's Valeri's NHL totals (in his draft year!) GP 79, G 14, A 20, PTS 34. A rookie making a difference now, not 3 to 5 years from now.

My God, just once can this franchise be competent?

For the past ten years, 2004 forward, it's been pretty

The 2004 draft was excellent, four NHL players from seven picks, you don't see that too often. Those were Burke picks.

2005 - should have taken Kopitar ((frank) Nonis?)
2006 - should have taken the higher ranked Varlomov or Claude Giroux
2007 - Patrik White could have had PK Suban or Wayne Simmonds
2008 - Cody for Kassian which I'm ok with
2009 - Ryan O'Reilly, Marcus Johansson
2010 - Quinton Howden, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Charlie Coyle, Brock Nelson, Emerson Etem

Think about how different the team would look, I know every team could do this but there really is something to it…(frank)!!
- LeftCoaster

Can't remember which draft years, when I looked at it earlier in the summer, but there were a couple years we just didn't have high picks cause they were traded away...

starting to think whenever a trade is made, try to get a pick as even a late round pick can be a silver lining in a bad deal...

My God, just once can this franchise be competent?
- bloatedmosquito

In Benning we trust!

I think it has more to do with Burke, Nonis, and Gillis than it does with being good. I was just looking at Hockey Futures' list of top prospect teams:

1 - Buffalo
2 - Anaheim
3 - Detroit
4 - Chicago
5 - Tampa Bay

Three of the top five teams have been just as successful as the canucks have been over the past years and still rank in the top 5.

Poor management (trading picks for temp fixes, poor daft selections) is to blame for where we are today, not regular season success.
- bloatedmosquito

Anaheim finished ahead of the Canucks the past 2 seasons, but finished well behind them the 4 before that (missed the playoffs in 2 of the past 5 seasons).

Detroit doesn't bring their prospects up until they absolutely have to, which enables them to develop them better than virtually any other franchise. Canucks could learn a thing or two from them and leave as many of their prospects in the minors / juniors this year as possible.

Chicago did an amazing job of retooling in one season. Hurt them for a year, but pulled of a virtually unprecedented restock on the fly when they traded so many vital players from their 1st Cup victory. Truly impressive.

Tampa and Buffalo just sucked for a while!

The past two drafts have been good IMO, hopefully that trend continues.
- LeftCoaster

Was it 3 years ago that Gillis decided to draft all those overagers?

Can't remember which draft years, when I looked at it earlier in the summer, but there were a couple years we just didn't have high picks cause they were traded away...

starting to think whenever a trade is made, try to get a pick as even a late round pick can be a silver lining in a bad deal...


In Benning we trust!
- hillbillydeluxe

I think the same was said about Gillis.

Everyone just step back from the edge and take a deep breath.

Anaheim finished ahead of the Canucks the past 2 seasons, but finished well behind them the 4 before that (missed the playoffs in 2 of the past 5 seasons).

Detroit doesn't bring their prospects up until they absolutely have to, which enables them to develop them better than virtually any other franchise. Canucks could learn a thing or two from them and leave as many of their prospects in the minors / juniors this year as possible.

Chicago did an amazing job of retooling in one season. Hurt them for a year, but pulled of a virtually unprecedented restock on the fly when they traded so many vital players from their 1st Cup victory. Truly impressive.

Tampa and Buffalo just sucked for a while!
- KB3Point0

We all have heard the excuses before… Out of curiosity I looked up where ANA top prospects were chosen. Here are some of ANA top prospects and their draft position:

John Gibson - 39th
Sami Vatanen - 106th
Rickard Rakell - 30th
Frederik Andersen - 87th
Shea Theodore - 26th

Sorry, but I don't accept your success excuse. Poor management and poor player development is to blame pure and simple. No more excuses.

I think the same was said about Gillis.
- bloatedmosquito

Didn't necessarily agree with signing Miller, but will have to wait to see how it plays out.

The challenge for gm's has to be not falling in love with the team they built and willing to continually make changes to improve. I think Gillis made some bold moves and then got gun shy.

Hoping Benning doesn't fall into the same mistakes but I have a bit more faith in Benning cause he has more experience... Not happy about the Miller signing but if he ends up getting traded and something comes back to improve the team...

Everyone just step back from the edge and take a deep breath.
- A_SteamingLombardi

But it really is that bad. This franchise is (frank)ed for years to come unless Benning is a (frank)ing magician. Time will tell.

(frank) that Corrado mother (frank)er

We all have heard the excuses before… Out of curiosity I looked up where ANA top prospects were chosen. Here are some of ANA top prospects and their draft position:

John Gibson - 39th
Sami Vatanen - 106th
Rickard Rakell - 30th
Frederik Andersen - 87th
Shea Theodore - 26th

Sorry, but I don't accept your success excuse. Poor management and poor player development is to blame pure and simple. No more excuses.
- bloatedmosquito

It's not an excuse, the Canucks have been absolutely awful. I was merely pointing out that Anaheim was not a very good team for a number of years and that is traditionally what leads to a deeper prospect pool.

The examples of Detroit and Chicago having top rated systems are perfect examples of how the Canucks have failed in this respect.

I think that development is highly underrated and the majority of the praise tends to go to good drafting by default.

Didn't necessarily agree with signing Miller, but will have to wait to see how it plays out.

The challenge for gm's has to be not falling in love with the team they built and willing to continually make changes to improve. I think Gillis made some bold moves and then got gun shy.

Hoping Benning doesn't fall into the same mistakes but I have a bit more faith in Benning cause he has more experience... Not happy about the Miller signing but if he ends up getting traded and something comes back to improve the team...
- hillbillydeluxe

Sure, a 34 year old goaltender being paid $6mil a season for the next 3 seasons and has a modified NTC (he can provide five-team trade list).

Is there trade value there? Considering what we've seen with the other recent goalie trades? Sorry, I don't share your optimism.

But it really is that bad. This franchise is (frank)ed for years to come unless Benning is a (frank)ing magician. Time will tell.
- bloatedmosquito

Another problem the Canucks have had over the recent years (very notably with Gillis and Nonis) is that they've hung onto players for too long. Trading some of those guys over the years before they hit the decline would certainly have helped.

Another problem the Canucks have had over the recent years (very notably with Gillis and Nonis) is that they've hung onto players for too long. Trading some of those guys over the years before they hit the decline would certainly have helped.
- KB3Point0

I agree. I wrote about this a few weeks back. Canuck management seems tentative to move a popular player out, terrified what the public reaction will be.

Sure, a 34 year old goaltender being paid $6mil a season for the next 3 seasons and has a modified NTC (he can provide five-team trade list).

Is there trade value there? Considering what we've seen with the other recent goalie trades? Sorry, I don't share your optimism.
- bloatedmosquito

Ya never know.... was not happy about that ntc either, but what Miller garnered at the tdl last year shows he has some value. And if it looks like we are stuck with him then maybe Lack will be moved and we get something for him.

Feeling like we are both trying to spin this opposite ways.

I am more of an optimist, yet have some doubts... drop the puck already!

I wouldn't be surprised if all the goalie talk is moot because Benning is in love with Thatcher Demko, and he is the future...

I agree. I wrote about this a few weeks back. Canuck management seems tentative to move a popular player out, terrified what the public reaction will be.
- bloatedmosquito

This is very sad... but if they are sure about who they want to bring in then it shouldn't be that big a deal....

Just noticed this blog on main page, Leafs Win Rookie Tournament Finale , did anyone win our yst? Didn't hear anything announced, or notice a championship game on the sched.