from Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province,
Taken in isolation, maybe it isn’t a big deal. Taken in the collective, it can reasonably be asked if things have changed for this franchise. As things currently stand, GM Jim Benning is entering the final year of his contract, which isn’t a healthy situation for the franchise. Compared with most every other NHL team, Benning is also operating with an undersized hockey department.
Then there’s the cancellation of the popular Young Stars tournament in Penticton. There are a couple of reasons for that but, again, it can be asked if cost-cutting isn’t a large part of the motivation.
This summer should tell a more complete story for Canucks’ fans. According to CapFriendly, the team has 20 players under contract and $30.5 million in cap space available. There is ample room to sign an impact forward, maybe two. There is ample room for an Alex Edler contract.
There is ample room, in fact, to address many of the Canucks’ needs. Yes, they’ve assembled some foundational pieces to build around but they have to offer more to their fan base next season than another lottery pick and more prospects.
The Western Conference is just too tough and the Canucks are competing against too many good organizations to get by on the cheap. Maybe those fans are content to watch the young players develop while the team misses the playoffs for the fifth season in a row.
But they’re asking those fans to invest a lot in this team when it seems ownership isn’t reciprocating.
more Canucks talk including why they may want to avoid signing Erik Karlsson...
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