You know that scene in Lion King that hits you right in the feels? Simba is running up to Mufasa after he gets trampled on by a Buffalo Stampede. Simba is frantically wishing his dad would wake up but you know that’s not happening. It’s a sickening gut feeling.
I feel like Jim Benning is Simba and Sven Baertschi is Mufasa. Benning before the season had all the hype for Baertschi. Benning was like Baertschi’s hype machine, and it looked and felt we were going to see a 25 goal season from Sven.
Ha. Well let’s look at the stats to start the season shall we?
He’s got two goals and 7 points in 20 games and had been scratched four times. He’s also a -1.
Listen Baertschi has the talent and ability to be the player Benning wants him to be, but only having the ability isn’t good enough in the show. You got to go out there and do it as well. He’s clearly missing his confidence, and you can’t play with confidence just one or two games a month. You got to go out there every game and know you’re the best out there.
Right now the Canucks need a guy like Baertschi to get them out of this offensive slump. The Sedins can’t always carry the load every night. That can’t be your game plan going into every game, and it shouldn’t be. This is the time for guys like Baertschi to show his worth and not be a motionless Mufasa around the ice.
You think the expectations of Baertschi would be so high if he didn’t give up a 2nd round pick at the deadline last year? I remember thinking that trade was a huge steal for the Canucks because I knew how good Baertschi was in Junior. Now that 2nd round pick is looking a little stiff. Clearly Brian Burke knew something Benning didn’t.
Baertschi is in a funk, deep funk. A funk that if he’s still in it by the end of the season he will be in the AHL. I can’t see Benning or Willie Desjardins thinking it would be a good idea to keep this kid up.
Then again its Willie Desjardins and Jim Benning. As a basketball player once said…ANYTHINGS POSSIBLEEEE.
Written by: Kevin Cawthra
Image via Vancouver Canucks