GM’s extension the will of Linden
Canucks’ entire hockey department bears unmistakable vision of club’s president
As we contemplate the world’s most-interesting 26th-place team, here are the Mondaymorning musings and meditations on the world of sports:
We may never know precisely how they arrived at the decision, but when the Canucks extended general manager Jim Benning ’s deal, one thing became crystal clear. It was the will of Trevor Linden.
The Canucks’ entire hockey department, in fact, is now a Linden construct and while Benning sits in the corner office, hockey ops should be viewed in its totality. Director of amateur scouting Judd Brackett is a rising star in his game. Less is known about director of pro scouting Brett Henning, but he’s in Brackett’s age group.
The same can be said of Ryan Johnson, director of player development and Utica GM, player-development thingy Scott Walker and assistant coaches Nolan Baumgartner and Manny Malhotra.
Head coach Travis Green is a little older, but he too is in his first NHL assignment at this current posting.
Add it all up and the Canucks’ hockey department is a reflection of the team on the ice. It’s relatively young. It’s still developing. But there are intriguing talents who should grow together and, one day, might be part of a winning organization.
Could they use a veteran hand in that group? Absolutely, and the thought here is Linden was too quick to jettison a wise old head like Lorne Henning, Brett’s father.
But whatever else it is, hockey ops is a reflection of Linden’s vision for this franchise and Benning remains a part of that vision.
Based on his track record, we can argue whether or not he deserved that extension. But we can’t argue who made the decision to keep him here.
A lot has been made of Benning ’s pronouncement that the Canucks will look to free-agency this off-season to find players who can support the Canucks’ youngsters. For a large portion of the faithful, that immediately conjured up the spectre of another Loui Eriksson signing or, at the very least, more in the Gagner-Del Zotto-Vanek vein.
Sorry, don’t see it. You do see the Canucks shopping at the low end of the free-agency market trying to land an undervalued asset. But anything beyond that would be foolhardy.
For what it’s worth, we have a bet with Canucks beat-writer Jason Botchford. The over-under for a max Canucks UFA signing this summer is US$3 million and I’ve got the under.
Which reminds me that I forgot to stipulate that doesn’t include the Sedins.
The twins remain the great variable in the rebuild and the feeling in the organization is that their decision to return is a 50-50 proposition.
But, whatever else they are, they remain the team’s best option to provide scoring depth. They’re three-four on the Canucks in scoring and both are on pace for 50-plus points. They’re also coming off two games in which they were dominant, Thursday in San Jose and Saturday against Boston.
“They’ve shown it all year,” Green said after the 6-1 win over the Bruins. “I thought they were all-world in San Jose. It looked like the clock turned back 10 years.”
That might be overstating the point a tad, but they can still play. Clearly, you don’t want to build your team around them, but in that support role Benning referenced, they’d be fine for another season.
The question is, do they still want that role and everything that goes with it?
For everything the faithful has endured this season, Saturday night offered some long-awaited payback. There were six goals in a game where they played with pace, purpose and a physical edge. Big-time performances by players like Troy Stecher, Derrick Pouliot and Jake Virtanen, who could play significant roles in a rebuild. And a big night for Erik Gudbranson, who looked like a foundational piece for the blue-line.
Now, hate to be Debbie Downer, but the problem with a game like that is it acts as the hockey equivalent of the neuralizer, the weapon that wipes out memory from Men in Black.
Saturday aside, the Canucks’ flaws remain deep and blindingly obvious. We’d also remind you two weeks ago that they caused some excitement when they beat Chicago 4-2 on a Saturday night at home. That was followed by four straight losses before another hope-raising 6-0 win over Dallas.
Alas, two more losses ensued before the win over the Bruins.
“We’ve got a lot to play for,” Green said. “Everybody wants to be part of changing something. Every game you have to reset the button and play your ( butt) off.”
It’s 2018. Saturday night in Chicago four fans were ejected for directing racially based taunts at Washington’s Devante SmithPelly. Why? How is this still a thing ? Can anyone explain it?
And finally, we’re now a week away from the Feb. 26 trade deadline and, as always, there are some tantalizing names and scenarios in play.
Max Pacioretty, Evander Kane, Ryan McDonagh and Mike Hoffman are supposedly on the block. There are the related questions that add to the drama: What will Vegas do; what will the Rangers do; will St. Louis make a big play; how about Pittsburgh?
The problem is the reality of the trade deadline never matches the breathless hype that precedes it, and it looks like this year will offer more of the same.
As Benning rightly pointed out, prospects and draft picks are the Bitcoin of today’s NHL and teams are loathe to part with either. That might help the Canucks move a down-market asset like Thomas Vanek, but as fire as fireworks go, don’t hold your breath.
In other words, the trade-day panels are going to have to earn their money again.