Jim Benning hit the ice skating on his first day as GM of the Vancouver Canucks on Friday. Benning and team president Trevor Linden have a lot of work to do. The Benning will be all about substance, not style. Benning isn’t flashy and verbose. He’s a quiet, respected career hockey man. He’s not interested in posing for pictures and doing interviews. Benning to snow drift across the US and Canada, touring all rinks, with a cup of joe in one hand and his laptop in the other. Benning is a road warrior. He prefers it that way. His way is the right way for a Vancouver organization that is faced with a huge decision: blow it up and start from scratch? Or, add players to the aging veteran core (see Sedins, Kesler,Burrows, Bieksa Edler) and build the Canucks on the fly? Benning has a plan. He will be patient and persistent. He’s got a solid veteran core already in place. However, the organizational cupboards are bare right now. There aren’t four or five young prospects who are challenging for roster spots with the NHL club. That will be Benning’s first order of business. He and his scouts are going to compile their list and Benning will go shopping at the draft in June.
Today, we learned that Benning wants his Canucks to play a fast, up-tempo style with big, burly, and skilled players at the helm. Benning wants his Canucks to play both styles of NHL hockey. Benning and Linden want their team to play heavy and productive. They are in the same division as Anaheim, LA, and San Jose. Benning didn’t have to say it, however, he’s looking to build the Boston Bruins West. The Canucks will have to draft sandy, sizable, skilled players, or he’ll have to trade for them. Acquiring them via free agency this summer is also an option. The NHL Combine will commence in Toronto next week. The Canucks will select sixth overall in the June entry draft in Philadelphia. Benning, a career NHL scout and talent prospector, will go to the combine in search of a ginormous, skilled forward who can ride shotgun for Ryan Kesler. Michael Dal Colle, Nick Ritchie, and Brandon Perlini immediately jump to the top of mind.
Remember when the Canucks had Roberto Luongo and Corey Schneider manning their goal crease? Times have changed, and not for the better. Benning and Linden didn't shed much light on their goaltending situation on Friday. Benning will no doubt be searching for a veteran puck stopper to groom either Eddie Lack or Jakub Markstrom. Ryan Miller and Jonas Hiller are pending UFAs. Benning would be wise to inquire within about Miller. He's known the former Sabres netminder since 1998. Benning and the Sabres selected Miller in the 5th round (138th overall) in the 1999 entry draft.
There is a faction of Canucks media and fans who want the Canucks to trade Kesler. Based on what Benning and Linden have said on the record, Kesler is going to be a Canuck for a long time to come. The Aquilini family, the owners of the Canucks, have expressed their feelings about wanting to keep Kesler. Linden echos that sentiment about retaining Kesler. On Friday, Benning spoke glowingly about the power forward who demanded a trade in advance of the 2014 trade deadline due to his unresolved rift with former GM Mike Gillis and his former head coach John Tortarella.
“He’s a warrior. He comes to the rink every night and plays hard. He’s a good skater. He’s physical. I’ll sit down with him. I think Trevor has talked to him but I’ll sit down with him and get to know his thoughts and we’ll make a decision based on that.…
Kesler has two seasons remaining on his current deal. He has a no trade clause. Alex Burrows, Chris Higgins, Jannick Hansen, Dan Hamhuis, Jason Garrison, Alex Edler, and Kevin Bieksa. also have no trade clauses. The Sedin twins are owners of no movement clauses. Benning said Friday that he is not going to be shy about speaking with his players who own no trade clauses.
Benning will also have to find himself a new head coach if he thinks that Kesler can be convinced to stay and play in Vancouver. Kesler may decide to give it another shot in Vancouver with the new regime in place provided Benning hires the correct head coach. Barry Trotz has been rumored to be high on Benning’s coaching wish list. Ditto Pittsburgh Penguins current head coach Dan Bylsma. If the Penguin decide to hire a new GM from the outside of their organization, that GM may want to send Bylsma packing in lieu of a new head coach, say Barry Trotz. The Penguins canned their GM Ray Shero last week. Bylsma and Kesler know each other very well from their Team USA experiences at the Sochi Olympics.
Benning will have to unpack his brief case and get to work game planning the draft and searching for his new head coach.
**
Habs tough guy Brandon Prust earned he two game suspension. Prust plowed into Rangers center Derek Stepan in the first period of Game 3 on Thursday night.
I don't mind the two game suspension. I think that the NHL got it right. Prust crossed the line when he landed his late hit on Stepan. To that end, Prust deserved his two game ban. I feel that the sentence fits the crime.
We learned on Friday morning that Stepan suffered a fractured jaw in Game 3. He underwent surgery on Friday night and its not known how long Stepan will be out of the Rangers' lineup.
**
Derek Dorsett and Dan Carcillo were not cool with the Prust hit on Stepan so they took the law into their own hands. Dorsett got his clock cleaned by Prust and Carcillo lost his cool and got thrown out of the game for abuse of an official (Rule 40 in NHL rule book).
Carcillo's 10-game suspension is mandatory. Stupid is as stupid does. Hitting a cop while resisting arrest is the act of an immature, temper tantrum prone dope.
Thanks, CBC