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Vancouver Canucks: Jim Benning Uncertain about Draft Choice

By Janik Beichler

Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning announces Jake Virtanen (not pictured) as the number six overall pick to the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning announces Jake Virtanen (not pictured) as the number six overall pick to the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning is changing his opinion once again — forward or D-man?

Just before the NHL Draft Lottery, Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning seemingly revealed the club’s draft strategy in a Sportsnet interview. Especially interesting was his statement on one defenseman the Canucks were going to select if they fell to fifth or sixth in the lottery. That scenario is now reality, but the strategy might have changed already.

During a Monday morning appearance on TSN 1040 radio, Benning let fans know that he does not think there is a No. 1 defenseman in this year’s draft and that picking a forward “sounds more realistic.”

“Defense is so hard to come by now in the league. If we felt there was a true No. 1 and we could get him at five, that’s where our focus would be,” Benning said. “But having said that, with Henrik Sedin getting older now, we have to look to the future, too. If we could add a No. 1 center ice man, that’s attractive to us, too.

“I don’t know if there’s a true No. 1 defenseman,” he explained. “If you look through the league right now, there’s maybe eight or 10 No. 1 defensemen in the whole league. This defense group this year, I think they’re first pairing guys where they could be a good two. But with a No. 1 defenseman, we’re talking about a guy with size and strength, who can run a power play and can match up against the other teams’ top lines. I don’t know if there is a true No. 1 defenseman in this year’s draft.”

So what does that tell us?

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The Canucks have yet to hold their scouting meetings, so they don’t actually have a ranking yet. NHL GMs watch junior hockey occasionally, mostly to check in with their prospects, and talk to scouts throughout the season, but their opinions are mostly a combination of what they hear from scouts and what they believe their club needs.

So, the main scouting meeting could certainly change Benning’s opinion. Maybe some scouts think there is a defenseman with No. 1 potential available, and Benning is convinced enough to pick him over a forward.

Maybe the scouts agree that there is no No. 1 D-man in the draft but they change Benning’s opinion on the available forwards. It might not be a two-horse race between Pierre-Luc Dubois and Matthew Tkachuk; but instead, Logan Brown or Alex Nylander might have a shot, too.

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That is a lot of ‘maybes’ and ‘mights’ but the important takeaway is that anything can happen come draft day. Behind the top three, it is a coin toss.

There is so much to like about Dubois, a big forward who can play center and wing and has been compared to Anze Kopitar. Tkachuk has drawn comparisons to his father Keith, Brown has been compared to Joe Thornton. A case can be made for all of those players.

Then there is the fact that first-pairing defensemen are indeed extremely hard to come by these days. There are worse things than getting someone like Olli Juolevi or Jakob Chychrun.

Next: Beichler's Full First-Round Mock Draft

The bottom line is, Benning has stated a variety of things over time and his opinion might change again soon. We won’t know until we know.

Until then, let’s speculate.

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