Jim Benning looking to acquire a top-six forward and an upgrade on defence this offseason
In the space of two and a half hours, Jim Benning, Travis Green and the Vancouver Canucks’ players covered a lot of territory in their final media availability of 2018-19.
Whatever. The fact is there should be an assumed level of improvement among the Canucks’ young players. The more interesting exercise, however, is projecting next season’s lineup and trying to figure out where the complementary pieces fit. Can you imagine, for example, the howling if Sutter starts next season at centre on the third line and 22-year-old Adam Gaudette is in Utica? Or they re-up Markus Granlund for another season? Or they decide the name UFAs are too rich for their blood and Spooner opens the season in a feature role?
• On a related note, it was instructive to watch the first group of players at the podium — Horvat, Boeser, Stecher and Pettersson — and the deference paid to Horvat. • Jacob Markstrom, who becomes an unrestricted free agent after next season, said he’s committed to the Canucks. And Benning said the two sides will explore a new deal after July 1.
• In his first draft as the GM, Benning took Jake Virtanen with the sixth overall pick. In his third draft, he took Olli Juolevi fifth overall.
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