GM Jim Benning skates around Erik Karlsson trade rumours
While landing Karlsson might be a stretch, Vancouver would be wise to add another blue-liner
This is the state of the Vancouver Canucks.
The initial off-season buzz was that the NHL club should consider dealing a defenceman and landing a forward to help prop up the 26th-ranked offence.
That has been trumped by a bigger buzz that the Canucks should or could make a play for a blue-liner to bolster a back end that combined for just 21 goals last season.
It’s why Noah Hanifin’s name was linked to the Canucks before the Carolina defender was moved to Calgary at the 2018 draft in a multi-play swap. It’s why Torey Krug’s name surfaced recently, and why speculation that the Canucks will kick the tires on Erik Karlsson turned Twitter into a tire fire Wednesday.
Canucks general manager Jim Benning knew the secondary summer trade market could be of some interest.
And because he can’t risk being fined for publicly pursuing contracted players — Karlsson, 28, has a year left with Ottawa at a US$6.5 million salary cap hit with a modified no-trade clause, while Krug, 27, has two years remaining with Boston at US$5.250 million annual hit and a modified no-trade clause — he knew the rumour mill and social media, that finds Vancouver like a moth finds a flame, would try to do his job for him.
“Teams talk about taking our young player or picks,” Benning said. “We have some depth in our prospect pool but our future is about Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Thatcher Demko and Olli Juolevi — I’ve not lost sight of that.
“But if something makes (trade) sense, I’m not doing my job (if I ignore it).”
What doesn’t make sense for any GM is acquiring a need by giving up too much and then panicking.
Karlsson is a two-time Norris Trophy winner and don’t read anything into his odd season that generated but nine goals, 53 assists and endless rumours about not considering a contract extension.
Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman tested the Karlsson trade waters before opting for a multi-play swap with the Rangers to land defenceman Ryan McDonagh on Feb. 26. The betting line now is it’s going to take a firstround pick, roster player and two prospects to pry Karlsson out of Ottawa.
Then there’s Krug. Edmonton needs a topfour, left-shot, puck-moving defenceman with the loss of Andrej Sekera to Achilles tendon surgery.
The Oilers have had interest in Krug, who had 59 points (14-45) last season, and can dangle Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who had 48 points (24-24). The Canucks can’t match that.
The Bruins were also interested in unrestricted free agent Ilya Kovalchuk and lost out to Los Angeles in the bidding. And they lost free agent Riley Nash to Columbus, while Rick Nash remains an unsigned free agent.
The Bruins have eight defencemen under contract and can clearly move one for help up front. Krug is also 5-9, which makes one wonder if the Canucks can ice him along with under-sized blue-liners in Troy Stecher and Hughes one day.
The Canucks are buoyed by Chris Tanev and Erik Gudbranson returning to health, Ben Hutton working out like a demon to regain the coach’s trust, Derrick Pouliot’s potential and Stecher hiring a shooting coach. But if a trade doesn’t happen, is Benning willing to start the season with the same bunch? “Yeah,” he said.
“It would be nice if we could stay healthy. The first 20 games last year before (Bo) Horvat and (Brandon) Sutter were injured, I thought our back end was good and we moved the puck out of our end fast and were good through the neutral zone.”
But not good enough. “It’s an area we’ve talked about all summer,” Benning said. “How are we going to get our defence more involved in the offence?”