Carol Schram: Vancouver Canucks: A Closer Look at Jim Bennings, Sports' Smartest Spenders Canucks' new president Trevor Linden met with Boston's Cam Neely on Thursday, adding fuel to the rumours that Bruins' assistant General Manager Jim Benning is the No. 1 candidate for the Canucks' general manager job.

Carol Schram: Vancouver Canucks: A Closer Look at Jim Bennings, Sports' Smartest Spenders
Canucks' new president Trevor Linden met with Boston's Cam Neely on Thursday, adding fuel to the rumours that Bruins' assistant General Manager Jim Benning is the No. 1 candidate for the Canucks' general manager job.


Linden does his best to ask for patience from the fanbase:


I know from the outside people are wondering what’s going on. But this isn’t a two-week project. The ripple effect of each decision is significant. I have to understand things in the full situation. not just a sliver here or a sliver there.
- Carol Schram

Oh gawd, next it will be let's see what Torts can do if the team is healthy, we saw just a sliver of him last season with his suspension...

#tanknation, here we come...


edut: Thanks Carol, good little blog when there isn't much to really report.

Oh gawd, next it will be let's see what Torts can do if the team is healthy, we saw just a sliver of him last season with his suspension...

#tanknation, here we come...

- hillbillydeluxe

Think you might be reading too much into it. I'd be taking my sweet time finding GM candidates if I were Linden too. We need to get this right.

Think you might be reading too much into it. I'd be taking my sweet time finding GM candidates if I were Linden too. We need to get this right.
- AlexF

I know people want the new GM to fire the coach and hire his own, but seeing the little letter to Bloated yesterday, it sounds like renewals still aren't where they should be... Torts gotta go. Lingering like a bad smell.

I know people want the new GM to fire the coach and hire his own, but seeing the little letter to Bloated yesterday, it sounds like renewals still aren't where they should be... Torts gotta go. Lingering like a bad smell.


- hillbillydeluxe

I know I will be cancelling cable if Torts is still here at the beginning of next season. It's all I can do, that is legal.

I know I will be cancelling cable if Torts is still here at the beginning of next season. It's all I can do, that is legal.
- Marwood

No matter, I'm still going to watch.

If, as was suggested yesterday, Kesler, with Higgins and Hansen were dealt, that would go a long way for the sake of change and even better if a d was dealt.

Basically it would be the 2nd line dealt and depending on what comes back and what is on the team and in the system (possible free agents)... it would mean a new 2nd line and changes that ripple through the lineup if Kassian moves up... healthy competition for spots...

Yeah, Torts has to be shown the door.

Were they also using Torts' system in Utica? Or a hybrid of it?
Rangers seem to be doing well enough without Torts, wonder what sort of impression he made on players there, are they better for having suffered through Torts?

No matter, I'm still going to watch.

If, as was suggested yesterday, Kesler, with Higgins and Hansen were dealt, that would go a long way for the sake of change and even better if a d was dealt.

Basically it would be the 2nd line dealt and depending on what comes back and what is on the team and in the system (possible free agents)... it would mean a new 2nd line and changes that ripple through the lineup if Kassian moves up... healthy competition for spots...

Yeah, Torts has to be shown the door.

Were they also using Torts' system in Utica? Or a hybrid of it?
Rangers seem to be doing well enough without Torts, wonder what sort of impression he made on players there, are they better for having suffered through Torts?
- hillbillydeluxe

The new 2nd line should be the Sedins.
The Canucks need a new 1st line and a proper 4th line.

I know I will be cancelling cable if Torts is still here at the beginning of next season. It's all I can do, that is legal.
- Marwood

OH 134lb 15 year old pimpley faced, awkward and voice cracking Jesus, please help Marwood understand that we are only 9 days into the playoffs.

OH 134lb 15 year old pimpley faced, awkward and voice cracking Jesus, please help Marwood understand that we are only 9 days into the playoffs.
- A_SteamingLombardi

How are we going to get Torts fired if you keep praying to pre-pubescent teenage Jesus for other sh*t. We need to focus on the task at hand.



I thank you for your concern and for reaching out, however!

The new 2nd line should be the Sedins.
The Canucks need a new 1st line and a proper 4th line.
- Marwood

If the Sedins are <60pt players then no arguments from me... and who really cares what # you call the line. The Sedins were overplayed and if they played 2-3 minutes less a game and put up similar numbers with other players stepping up, then we may be in good shape.

We need a 4th line that can bump and crash a bit and not be a defensive liability.

Patience is needed, but everyone knows there is a lot of work to do and we want to see something different than yesterday, which looked a lot like a couple weeks before.... Besides firing Torts and hiring new GM, coaching staff and support staff, I don't know what else could really be happening. No trades really at this moment, maybe some FA signings from college and undrafted players, but nobody with an immediate impact.... Still, I am impatient. (too much coffee?)

If the Sedins are <60pt players then no arguments from me... and who really cares what # you call the line. The Sedins were overplayed and if they played 2-3 minutes less a game and put up similar numbers with other players stepping up, then we may be in good shape.

We need a 4th line that can bump and crash a bit and not be a defensive liability.

Patience is needed, but everyone knows there is a lot of work to do and we want to see something different than yesterday, which looked a lot like a couple weeks before.... Besides firing Torts and hiring new GM, coaching staff and support staff, I don't know what else could really be happening. No trades really at this moment, maybe some FA signings from college and undrafted players, but nobody with an immediate impact.... Still, I am impatient. (too much coffee?)
- hillbillydeluxe

We will, also, need a coach who will play the 4th line.

We will, also, need a coach who will play the 4th line.
- Marwood

I had started to type, Hansen should have been on the 4th or 3rd line and not the 2nd... For some stretches Torts played the 4th line or maybe it was just Sestito for 8 minutes a night and the team looked fresher, had more jump.

He did overplay the top line and when they slowed down, he kept at it.... Hard out of the gate and never let up... Still think he made it worse than it had to be...

For him and Gillis to have been on the same page, it sure seemed like he was trying to make a point that there wasn't any depth... I would have thought Gillis would have "encouraged" him to try different players in different roles, give guys enough rope to learn and not be benched for one mistake... maybe he should have told him to bench the vets that weren't producing... maybe he did. Still don't understand that hiring and how it all unfolded. Sure seems like Torts was a FA signing and he didn't fear or listen to Gillis. Just don't understand it.

Oh gawd, next it will be let's see what Torts can do if the team is healthy, we saw just a sliver of him last season with his suspension...

#tanknation, here we come...


edut: Thanks Carol, good little blog when there isn't much to really report.
- hillbillydeluxe

What is there trouble in Canuckland?

What is there trouble in Canuckland?
- lakings35

No where to go but up from here.

How is LA ? You guys back in it?

No where to go but up from here.

How is LA ? You guys back in it?
- hillbillydeluxe

Stanley cup 2012
Western conf finals 2013
Yeah were good.

Stanley cup 2012
Western conf finals 2013
Yeah were good.
- lakings35

I know you guys were good, just wondering if the switch has been turned on against SJ with that 6-3 win? Quick looked like he was on.

I know you guys were good, just wondering if the switch has been turned on against SJ with that 6-3 win? Quick looked like he was on.

- hillbillydeluxe

I sure hope so. The first three were painful.

I know you guys were good, just wondering if the switch has been turned on against SJ with that 6-3 win? Quick looked like he was on.

- hillbillydeluxe

Hard to see the Sharks losing twice at home but if they don't close it out this weekend, they hurt their chances of staying healthy for a long run. We'll see what the Sharks are made of in game 5. Is this finally Joe's coming out party? Touch them all Joe.

Hard to see the Sharks losing twice at home but if they don't close it out this weekend, they hurt their chances of staying healthy for a long run. We'll see what the Sharks are made of in game 5. Is this finally Joe's coming out party? Touch them all Joe.
- strombone

If they don't close it out, do the Kings get in their heads? Is it a big momentum swing for the Kings, nothing to lose... pretty good hockey.


Are we getting this Benning guy? Doesn't want to leave before the Bruins are eliminated I guess, can't blame him. See the year through.

Has it been a month yet since Gillis was fired?

I'm worried if we get rid of to many of the wrong players we wont be the most hated team anymore.

I'm worried if we get rid of to many of the wrong players we wont be the most hated team anymore.
- A_SteamingLombardi

I love being hated... But I'll settle for relevant.

The new 2nd line should be the Sedins.
The Canucks need a new 1st line and a proper 4th line.
- Marwood

That's an expensive second line.

Lefty was asking Kesler for Staal . No thanks . Staal is expensive and is not an upgrade.

I love being hated... But I'll settle for relevant.
- DrChristianTroy

how about hated AND relevant

Lefty was asking Kesler for Staal . No thanks . Staal is expensive and is not an upgrade.
- VANTEL

I take he wasn't talking about Eric?