Hard-luck Canucks sticking to the plan
GM Benning says rash of injuries to key contributors forces young players to step up
The Vancouver Canucks woke up on Sunday and, for the first time in four years, could look at the standings in February and feel they were relevant.
The night before, they had handed the Colorado Avalanche a 5-1 loss in one of their most complete performances of the season, moving into the eighth and final playoff spot in the West in the process. But the deeper meaning of that win also transcended the result of one game.
For the first time all season, the Canucks’ lineup was complete and healthy, and while it didn’t make anyone forget the ‘87 Oilers, it looked like a team that could compete for a playoff spot. Five different players scored for the Canucks that night, 12 different players hit the scoresheet, and goalie Jacob Markstrom stopped 34 of 35 shots.
For a fan base that had endured three straight seasons of unrelenting pain, it was a sign that things were changing, that the promise of the young Canucks was close to delivering. And who knows? Maybe that’s still the case.
But the Canucks wake up today in a different world than the one they occupied five days ago, and with the trade deadline drawing closer, it can reasonably be asked if things have changed for this team.
Well, have they Jim Benning?
“No, I don’t think so,” said the Canucks’ general manager.
You’re now free to discuss among yourselves if that’s a good thing.
“It’s always been about the long-term plan,” Benning continued. “I’m going to continue to look at the market and see if there’s a hockey trade there that makes sense. What’s happened is, every team thinks they’re back in it, and players who might have been available a couple of weeks ago aren’t any longer. That can change again. The standings will determine that.”
And maybe the whims of the hockey gods.
Since the win in Colorado, Benning’s boys have suffered a series of setbacks that can only be described as Canuckian in their number and circumstance. First, forward Sven Baertschi, who has a history of concussions, was sent home before Monday’s game with the Flyers after complaining he didn’t feel right. That night, backup goalie Thatcher Demko suffered a knee injury in the pre-game warm-up. And during the game, defenceman Alex Edler fell face-first onto the ice and suffered what appeared to be a gruesome injury.
It was later revealed Edler had a concussion and would miss at least a week. This is what qualifies as good news for the Canucks these days.
Now, individually, those developments told an unhappy story for the Canucks, but collectively, they impacted the most vulnerable areas of the team which, in turn, figures to impact that glorious stretch run.
Baertschi has played in just 22 games this season, but his eight goals translates to a 30-goal pace and he occupies an important place in the Canucks’ top six forwards, which is now more of a top 4 ½.
With Demko out, the Canucks’ backup goalie is Mike DiPietro, whose last live action came with the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s.
As for Edler, he’s the team’s best defenceman and one of its leaders, who draws the toughest matchup every night while running the power play. Little things like that. Faced with this new reality, however, Benning says there is no reason to alter the plan. That would be with a big deal, or more likely, a stopgap measure that would provide some relief. The GM has already said he isn’t trading any draft picks, and that doesn’t leave a lot of assets to play around with in the NHL’s commodities market.
But even if a deal materialized between now and the Feb. 25 trade deadline Benning says he’s inclined to let this season play out with the hand he’s holding. Again, there are a number of reasons for this, but, since October, the Canucks’ decision-makers have said the most critical piece in the team’s developmental arc is to play meaningful games late in the season. They’re now poised to do that and Benning, as much as anyone, is eager to see how the young players respond to the heat of games in March and April.
“It’s hard hockey out there now,” he said. “It’s not like playing in October or November, and our young guys need to step up to the plate.”
On the blue-line that means players like Ben Hutton and Troy Stecher will have to assume more responsibility in Edler’s absence. Up front, it means a further challenge for Elias Pettersson and heightened pressure on Jake Virtanen and Josh Leivo to produce.
And then there’s Nikolay Goldobin. A frequent habitué of the press box, the enigmatic Russian has been thrust into a top-six role that he figures to occupy for the rest of the season, coach Travis Green willing. The early returns have been encouraging — a goal against Colorado, a strong second half in the loss to Philly, some moments in Tuesday’s loss to Washington. But there’s a bottom line that comes with a feature spot in the lineup and this is Goldobin’s moment to earn a place in the master plan.
“I think, the last three games, he’s been harder on the puck and he’s made some plays,” said Benning. “I think he’s getting to where he needs to be, but we’ll continue to work with him.”
And work the plan.