Jim Benning's busy day at the NHL draft ...

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WestCoastJoe
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TheLionKing wrote:Canucks trade their 50th pick to LA for Linden Vey
Thanks for the updates, TLK.

Here is a nice article about Vey. I like the moves Benning is making. Plus we got the top rated goalie in the draft.

Earlier Vey was listed at 6' 183. This article has him at 6'1" 186. Getting to a good size for the NHL.

I often wondered why the Sedins did not put on some weight. It is not as if it would slow them down. LOL They never were "fast." And the weight and strength of more size might have helped them from the constant pounding and attacks they have endured.

http://lakingsnews.com/2011/05/20/linde ... -nhl-duty/
LINDEN VEY: THE PROSPECT MOST READY FOR NHL DUTY?

By Bobby Scribe on May 20, 2011

Lakingsnews.com friend and fellow Kings’ fanatic, Guy Dulcet, brings us an interview with and an analysis of Linden Vey. Enjoy.

Linden Vey was born July 17, 1991 in Wakaw Saskatoon to a hockey family. As a 13 year old, Linden had a massively successful season wherein he scored 143 points and gained National attention.

Always a steady performer, he was selected by the LA Kings in the fourth round of last year’s draft and, after a meeting with our staff, Linden took what he had learned back to Medicine Hat.

The rest is history.

This past season was a breakout year for the 6’1″ 186 pounder. He not only led his Medicine Hat Tigers but also the entire WHL in scoring with an impressive 46 goals and 70 assists for 116 points in 69 games.

“I came into camp in the best shape of my life and the hard work really paid off big time,” said Vey. “I had great line mates and we just clicked”.

They clicked well enough to see Vey be named CHL player of the week this past April after he had a four goal/five assist effort and a plus-minus of a plus 6 to boot.

Depending on what hockey publications you read or to which pundits you listen, Linden Vey is ranked anywhere from the third to fifth best center prospect in the game.

I asked Linden what he thought about his current notoriety. “I want to play in the NHL and I want to be an impact player when I get there. Anything I do before I get there is great, it’s preparation for what I want to accomplish but it doesn’t matter as much as it will when I get to the NHL, that is my goal”.

In other words, Linden Vey won’t rest until he makes it in the NHL as an impact player.

“I have wanted to play in the NHL since I was a little kid,” said Vey, “It’s all I have ever wanted”.

Vey loves to hit, is a good skater with solid balance and knows how to shake off defenders to get his shot on net. His stick handling skills in tight situations are remarkable and the best part, like all young players who reach their potential in the NHL, is his knack for knowing what to do with the puck once he gets open – be it a tape to tape pass to the open man or finding the back of the net.

What he lacks in elite speed, he makes up in hockey sense and slick moves to get clear. This is the key to his game and why this writer believes he will accomplish his goal and do so in a big way. While other top prospects, like Vey, play the two way game and are efficient in all three zones, what makes Linden stand out from his peers is that superior hockey sense. I believe he is the furthest along of our younger prospects and has the dedication, work ethic and drive to make it to the NHL within the next season although, with Dean Lombardi’s nurturing instincts, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him a couple of seasons from now. Be excited Kings’ fans. He is a great pick up and will help us on our way towards lifting the Cup in Los Angeles.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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WestCoastJoe
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I won't miss Kesler all that much. Not a good playmaker as a center IMO. And lately was always hurt or on the mend.

The new guys should be better playmakers. Bonino. Vey.

Kesler felt the Canucks were years away from being a contender. Not necessarily. Benning is making fast transformations. Change was needed.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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WestCoastJoe
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Nikita Tryamkin (August 30, 1994, 41 gp, 1-6-7, +3): Nikita Tryamkin is a name that North American fans may want to keep in mind as the NHL draft approaches. The 19-year-old, who plays for his hometown team in Yekaterinburg, is ranked 25th on Central Scouting's list of European skaters, and he has the sort of size that makes scouts sit up and pay attention. To wit, he's 6'7" tall, and weighs 230 lbs! And there is every sign that he can play, too. Tryamkin split last season between the junior MHL and the wreckage of Avtomobilist's last-place KHL campaign, and he acquited himself well at both levels. This year, he has spent the whole season with the big club, playing almost 17 minutes per night and generally keeping his head above water as the team has stormed back to respectability. He is in almost a purrfect situation, with enough veteran help in Avtomobilist's defense corps that he can be brought along gently, and while 7 points in 41 games may not look like much, it will do just fine for a young defenseman (Tryamkin has also scored well at the junior level, so that number should improve). The NHL will almost certainly come calling this June, and Tryamkin could be a very valuable mid-round pickup for whoever selects him.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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WestCoastJoe
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D Nikita Tryamkin (Yekaterinburg, KHL) - Despite this being Tryamkin's 3rd year eligible, he came out of nowhere this season. The 6'7'' defender broke out this year - his first full KHL seasons - with 7 points and +2 rating in 45 games. He was 4th among regular defensemen on his team in ice time, with 16:30 per game on Yekaterinburg at just 19. Despite his size he can actually move pretty well. He's not afraid to play the body at all and has a cannon for a slapshot. As with any defender at this age he still needs refinement in his positioning and decision making, but he has a really high upside. Played internationally for the first time ever at WJC and was the Russian's second best defender after former first rounder Nikita Zadorov.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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Demko thrilled to be drafted by Canucks

Saturday, 06.28.2014 / 11:26 AM

By Thatcher Demko - Special to NHL.com / Thatcher Demko blog

Goalie Thatcher Demko completed his freshman season at Boston College in 2013-14. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Demko went 16-5-3 with a 2.24 goals-against average and .919 save percentage and earned All-Hockey East Rookie Team honors and Hockey East honorable mention. Demko, who played his minor hockey in Southern California before joining the United States National Team Development Program in 2012-13, is No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's final list of the top North American goalies eligible for the 2014 NHL Draft. He has offered to maintain a blog for NHL.com that will chronicle his season leading up to the 2014 NHL Draft.

PHILADELPHIA -- Hello hockey fans. It's been an interesting last two days, to say the least.

I'm a pretty even-keeled guy so I felt OK Friday. In the morning I went to breakfast with some friends and family and then we just lounged around the hotel having a good time. My dad was more nervous than I was.

Then around 5 o'clock I got my suit on, got all dressed up. Once we got to the building and I sat down in my seat, that's when the nerves started to kick in. It's tough just sitting through it because you don't know. It's all a waiting game.

As the picks went by and I didn't hear my name called in the first round, I really didn't get disappointed. You can't expect anything. You just have to be happy that you're here. It's an honor to be here in the first place. You can't be angry because you're not getting your name called.

You don't really know when you're going to get called. Some mock drafts, they say he's going first round, he's going second round. At the end of the day, guys have slid further. I've seen crazier things happen at the draft. You don't really know what to expect.

We got up this morning and came back to the building early and got back to our seats. I was a little more nervous today, but at least I didn't have to wait long.

I wasn't really expecting it when the Canucks picked me. I was checking my phone, texting someone and I heard Boston College, looked around, stood up and hugged my parents. It was pretty surreal.

I went down to the Vancouver table and met all the people, shook all their hands. They seemed pretty happy. But not as happy as I am. It's a great spot for me.

I put the jersey on and then they went in the back and made me a jersey with my name on the back of it. Just seeing my name on the back of an NHL jersey ... wow. I'm not there yet by any means but seeing that, you can't really put it into words.

Thanks for reading along this season.

Follow Thatcher Demko on Twitter: @thatcher_hockey
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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Canucks aim for meat-and-potatoes players during the draft

By Jason Botchford, The Province June 28, 2014 6:30 PM

Jim Benning, general manager of the Vancouver Canucks, talks during the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at the Wells Fargo Center on June 27, 2014, in Philadelphia, Penn.

Photograph by: Bruce Bennett , Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA — Watching Vancouver GM Jim Benning operate this weekend was like landing on Mike Gillis’s opposite world.

He purposefully blew holes through his roster, trading his top goal-scoring forward, and arguably his best goal-scoring defenceman, for depth, toughness and versatility.

It started with the Ryan Kesler fireworks, cleansing the organization of a malcontent even though some thought he could get a better offer at the deadline.

For the rest of the draft, he continued to make moves Gillis would not have.

Benning asked Jason Garrison to waive his no-trade clause and, guess what, he said yes.

Not only did Benning dump Garrison, with his chronic groin issues and big-time contract, he got a second-round pick, which he wheeled to the L.A. Kings for Linden Vey, a playmaking AHL centre.

It was Benning’s best move of the weekend. Vey couldn’t make the Kings, but he’s already pencilled in to be the Canucks' third line centre.

Head coach Willie Desjardins, who coached him in junior, pushed for the 22-year-old Vey. But Benning knows him well, having seen him play plenty on a line with Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Person for the Manchester Monarchs. On many of those nights, it was Vey driving what many believed to be the best line in the minors.

“I’ve seen him play 20 times in the past three years,” Benning said. “He’s ready to play in the NHL right now.

“We were trying to do this (Friday) but L.A. wanted to wait and see who was there at No. 50. The player they liked (Roland McKeown) was there, so we could do it.

“Maybe it takes a year, maybe a couple, but I think he has the skill to be a second line centre at some point.”

The Canucks were desperate for players in the 20-22 age range who are ready to push into an NHL lineup. They needed Vey.

Before that, Benning drafted future power forward Jake Virtanen, an actual local kid, passing on William Nylander, the player who had the most skill when the Canucks picked at No. 6.

Virtanen said for days he relishes pressure. Don’t worry, you’ll get loads of that, along with comparisons to players like Nylander.

Swedish scout Thomas Gradin thinks the world of Nylander, as many fans do, comparing him favourably to Sam Reinhart.

But Benning wanted size and edge with their first pick. Actually, that’s what they were looking for in just about every major decision they made in Philly. If you haven’t noticed a theme yet, you’re not paying enough attention.

“If you watch the NHL playoffs, you need guys with size and strength,” Benning said. “Guys who can get to the front of the net and deflect pucks and get rebounds.

“We were looking for that type of player.”

Asked about picking those types instead of players with more skill, Benning said:
“We’re going to get back to a meat-and-potatoes style in the trenches. Play hard. So we really didn’t consider that.”

Benning did draft a Russian, the Canucks’ first time in eight years and something which was verboten under Gillis’s watch.

Nikita Tyramkin doesn’t speak English but he’s 6-foot-7 and 265 pounds, with a head the size of Maple Ridge.

He has two years remaining on his KHL contract, but the Canucks will look at getting him to Vancouver for training camp.

“He is a unique guy,” Benning said. “For that size, he can skate. He has the reach. He is a defensive defenceman. And he can shoot the puck.”

The Canucks also drafted Swedish defenceman Gustav Forsling, who Gradin said has a booming shot.

They filled out their draft with the 6-foot-4 centre Kyle Pettit, who had 10 points in 53 games last year, and 6-foot-5 defenceman Mackenze Stewart, who played for Prince Albert.

Yes, Benning likes the bulk. Meat and potatoes, too.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
TheLionKing
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Benning probably move more moves this weekend than Mike Gillis did in his entire tenure with the Canucks
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WestCoastJoe
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TheLionKing wrote:Benning probably move more moves this weekend than Mike Gillis did in his entire tenure with the Canucks
Gillis -> diet advisors and sleep doctors

Benning -> meat and potatoes
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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WestCoastJoe
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My first look at Jake Virtanen. 17 yo 6'1" 212

Fastest skater forward and backward at the Prospects game.

Great, great shooter.

Power forward.

Excited? Nah ... but liking what Benning is doing.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
TheLionKing
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Buffalo buying out the remaining 7 years of ex-Canuck Christian Ehrhoff's contract. Wonder if the Canucks are interested.
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WestCoastJoe
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McCann looks very good on youtube also. Strong two way centre. Scores well.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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notahomer
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No where to go but up, IMO. You have a team going into the 2013-14 season that should be battling for the Stanley Cup and they finish OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS. So, they will be improving. They probably would have improved with no changes other than the GM/Coach but thankfully that OBVIOUSLY hasn't happened. In the short term these changes may actually slow the team down but in the long run, I like the moves/drafts this new regime has brought in.....
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Toppy Vann
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Benning seems very focused and has some clarity as to what he is trying to do. Gillis was ill prepared for his role other than being an agent and here in Vancouver as a resident and hanging out with the owner apparently.

He had to move Kesler and now the question is will they get early returns.

New HC sounds good but the Medicine Hat - Van. Giants 2007 series with the new Canuck HC sending out the new Canuck player to start a fight on the opening face off only to have him stand aside to let the bigger goon fight best stay in the minors - unless they plan to rid themselves of the Sedins. The pro stories seem better but hey Don Hay says he is a good coach and he was his opposite number the night of the goon show.

All the other press from guys like Mark Crawford was positive.

But I have heard Ernie McLean at the old Van YMCA talk of how in junior when his big, great Bruins were hammering opposing teams how he had to engage in threatrics to keep us fans coming back. He and Bill Shinske co-owned that team. Grab a toupe here from a ref.. ... toss a garbage can out.

Put Phillipoff out so their goon comes out but keep taking him so they can't fight. Very entertaining stuff. Not that Harold was afraid to fight. It was theatre.
"Ability without character will lose." - Marv Levy
TheLionKing
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Ryan Miller and his wife is in town to talk to the Canuck brass.
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