Jim Benning: Top 5 Worst Decisions As Canucks GM

5. Drafting Olli Juolevi

In Jim Benning’s defense, no one could’ve predicted the bad luck Olli Juolevi would have when it came to injuries. With that in mind there were still better options at the time. These options include Matthew Tkachuk drafted one spot after. In comparison Tkachuk is approaching 250 games played and almost 200 points, Juolevi has yet to play in a NHL game. Juolevi has been plagued with injury thus far.

Juolevi missed the majority of the last AHL season due to injury where he only played 18 games. After only 14 games in Utica this season, the young European is out indefinitely with a lower body injury. Canucks fans everywhere are hoping that he can get healthy and prove the critics wrong. With that being said, this has been a poor draft selection.

4. Jay Beagle Signing

Unlike some of the others on this list, Jay Beagle has played quite well in Vancouver. He is a veteran pressence on the ice who provides leadership from the fourth line and can kill penalties. His faceoff percentage is phenomenal sitting above 50% since his rookie season over a decade ago. The problem that analysts and fans have with this contract is the price and term. It’s unanimous that Jay Beagle is a really good fourth line center – but you shouldn’t pay fourth liners $3,000,000. On top of that salary, Jay Beagle was 32 at the time and inked for four years. Fans will be praying that Beagle can keep this up for the next two seasons after this one.

3. Drafting Jake Virtanen

Similarly to Olli Juolevi selection it is easy to understand where Jim Benning was coming from with this pick. The draft class was relatively weak and there was a rugged B.C. boy ranked in the top 15. The pick seemed obvious and the fans wanted Jake Virtanen. With this in mind, Jim Benning probably could’ve moved down five spots to pick him. Virtanen is on to his fifth season for the Canucks right now and with only small improvements each year, fans fear he may only be a third line player.

Many fans are still wondering where the Canucks team would be right now if Nikolaj Ehlers or William Nylander were selected instead. Regardless of if Virtanen can develop into a consistent second line guy or not, this will go down as one of Bennings weaker decisions during his tenure.

2. Erik Gudbranson Trade

In May of 2016, Benning traded Jared McCann, a second rounder and a fourth rounder for Erik Gudbranson and a fifth round pick. At the time the trade looked pretty good on paper. Gudbranson was a former third overall selection who just hadn’t really panned out yet. However in hindsight this trade one of the worst of Jim Benning’s career.

Gudbranson was acquired for his physical presence, but he didn’t get to play much. Gudbranson played 30 games his first season with Vancouver, 52 in his second and was traded mid-way through the next season after being a -27 with Vancouver. On the other hand McCann is transforming into a 40-point winger with room to grow for the Penguins.

1. Loui Eriksson Signing

After having success with Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin in past international tournaments, Benning decided Loui Eriksson would be a strong addition to the lineup. Fans would’ve been fine with this signing if the salary and price were reasonable – they were not. At age 30 he was signed for six years at $6,000,000 per year. Fans were extremely disappointed at this number, feeling that even at his skill level then he wasn’t worth it. Loui Eriksson past age 32 getting paid $6,000,000 was bonkers to fans. Furthermore, it was not yet discovered how poor his level of play would be.

Eriksson’s career high in Vancouver came last year with a underwhelming 29 points. The Swedish vet has been scratched 10 times thus far and has yet to record a point in his 12 games played. The team has just passed this half way point in his contract. As a result, this deal continues to hurt the team.

Regardless of all of these poor moves Jim Benning has made, there have also many transactions that have favored the organization. His best decisions will be outlined in a future article.

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