Canucks: 3 things Jim Benning must accomplish this offseason
1. Jim Benning must sign Jacob Markstrom to a new contract
Only God knows who the Vancouver Canucks would be without their all-star goaltender, Jacob Markstrom. The 30-year-old netminder from Gavle, Sweden is the backbone of Vancouver and the biggest reason why the Canucks were in the playoff race. His eight stolen wins this year shattered all totals of every puck-stopper in the league and cemented him as a real deal starter in the NHL.
The team MVP is soon to be an unrestricted free agent who has earned the right to command top dollar from the open market. This is his first big-money opportunity and he has every right to cash in. Regardless of the dollar amount, Benning needs to find a way to bring Markstrom back into the fold.
Without a doubt, re-signing Markstrom further complicates an already sticky goaltender situation down the road, but with no-knock towards Thatcher Demko, I think it’s in the best interest of the rookie goalie to have him play backup for another year. He could probably handle taking the net next season, but on his own without Markstrom, the Canucks just wouldn’t be the same calibre team. Not quite.
The future of “Who’s net is it anyway?” can be discussed at a later date, but for the better interest of the club, Benning to a certain extent, has to give Markstrom whatever it takes in order to please him and get him to stay playing for the beautiful people of British Columbia.
I’m no expert on what would be the right number to make both sides happy, but fairly, Markstrom could probably ask for up to $7 million dollars annually on anywhere up to a six-year deal. That’s probably a bit steep for the term in the eyes of Benning, but honestly, Markstrom could probably fetch a prettier penny elsewhere. Benning should do what it takes now, and figure out the future later. Letting Markstrom escape would be a huge misstep by Benning; one he can’t afford to make.
2. Jim Benning must find creative ways to free up cap space
Not too long ago, it was reported by multiple sources that next year’s maximum cap could skyrocket all the way from $81.5 million to anywhere between $84-88.2 million dollars. At first, it was great news for the cap-strapped Canucks franchise, but now with the NHL on pause, that number is very uncertain and the wiggle room for Vancouver might get a whole lot smaller.
It’s really no secret that the Canucks have a few really bad contracts weighing them down. It’s been on the radar for some time, but now it may actually become a really big problem. Over the rebuilding years, Benning took to acquiring the veteran help he needed by offering up the extra year most other clubs wouldn’t. The help was needed and the contract lengths offered at the time looked to match the stage of rebuild. That was until Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes arrived.
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Both the Calder Trophy winner and the soon to be Calder finalist (if not the winner) changed the Canucks forever and gave speed to the rebuild, not even Benning could have predicted. That, combined with both players exceeding all expectations makes for two big contracts that need to be written up sooner than anyone originally thought. If the two superstars continue at the rate they’ve played so far, it wouldn’t be surprising to see both players command a double-digit annual fee.
Loui Eriksson is a “must move” target this summer. Eriksson isn’t even a shadow of his former self and with his bonus contract being paid out on July 1st, this might actually be the time someone picks him up. He’s rumoured to only be owed $4 million dollars over the final two years of his deal, but he still carries a massive $6 million dollar cap hit. Benning will have to get creative. It’ll most likely mean tacking on extra prospects or picks to move someone out, but Benning doesn’t have much of a choice at this point.
3. Jim Benning must re-sign both Tyler Toffoli and Chris Tanev
Wouldn’t it be a shame to never see Toffoli play another game as a Vancouver Canuck? What about Chris Tanev? These two players both had killer seasons for the Canucks, but their future in Vancouver has never been so uncertain.
Toffoli was meant to be a buffer that kept the Canucks holding down a playoff spot while Boeser recovered from injury. That worked perfectly as he showed instant chemistry on the top line putting up 10 points, (6 goals and 4 assists) in 10 games with the Canucks. His “buffer” status went to “must keep” pretty darn quick, and some people may argue he’s a better fit on the team’s top-scoring line than Boeser himself.
His addition really strengthens the depth of Vancouver’s forward group. The right-wing is stronger than it has ever bee and if the Canucks don’t get to see him do some damage in the playoffs this year, it would really dampen his initial acquisition altogether. Vasili Podkolzin is NHL ready now and would be the perfect replacement, but he’s committed to the KHL for one more season before he can join the Canucks. Toffoli gives the top-nine in Vancouver a scary look and it would be a shame not to see his addition reach its potential.
Toffoli hits every nail on the head as to why he should remain a Vancouver Canuck. It’s just a matter of making it work. What we got from the two-time Stanley Cup winner was too valuable to walk away from. It was a small sample size, yes. But Toffoli is the real deal that is going to turn this Canucks’ top-six/bottom-six lineup into a lethal top-nine forward group that can score and play a mean style game.
Tanev on the other hand nearly played an entire season without an injury and looked completely rejuvenated next to Hughes. The two were a dynamic pairing for the majority of the season and Tanev (when he’s healthy) has a lot he can still offer the Canucks top-four. It was his best season to date in 2019-20. At the age of 30, he still has a few good years left, just don’t expect his production to remain the same as he approaches his mid-thirties.
Outside of Hughes, the youth of Canucks’ defence is thin. The veteran’s on the blueline aren’t getting any younger, and without Tanev the Canucks back end probably takes a step back. At this point, he’s a safe bet for Benning, but it has to be at the right dollar and term. Something too long won’t sit right with the fanbase, but letting him walk won’t go over well either. A four-year deal might be too rich but at a lowered dollar amount, it might be what gets both sides to come to a mutual agreement.
Final thoughts…
Next. Canucks: 3 things Jim Benning got right this year. dark
Jim Benning has a long list of things to accomplish this offseason, but it’s vital to the organization’s success that he gets these three things nailed to the top of his priority list. It’s going to be a very stressful, very difficult summer for Vancouver, but Benning has what it takes to do what’s right. It’s going to be okay, Canucks’ fans.