Subj : Canucks News & Rumors: Motte,;Virtanen, Markstrom
To : All
From : The Hockey Writers - Main
Date : Fri Sep 11 2020 04:40 am
In this edition of Vancouver Canucks News & Rumors, I'll look at some of the
work that general manager Jim Benning should do during the offseason. Who will
he re-sign? Who will he trade? There must be real chemistry on the team,
because, almost every player has reported that they want to stay in Vancouver
heading into the future. Related: Canucks News & Rumors: Green, Demko,
Markstrom & More
In a way, that makes life easier for Benning, because he doesn't have to talk
anyone into staying. The players know how well the team has done. At the
beginning of the 2019-20 season, only a few pundits picked the group to go
anywhere - including the postseason. However, the Canucks were the last
Canadian team to be eliminated from the playoffs. That means something, and few
would have expected it. It's been 27 seasons since a Canadian team won the
Stanley Cup, and this team came the closest. Their future is bright. Item One:
Tyler Motte Wants to Remain a Canuck
Rick Dhaliwal recently tweeted that Tyler Motte's agent Rich Evans announced
that Motte wanted to stay with the Canucks and has invited Benning to offer him
a new contract soon. It wasn't that blatant, but it was implied. When agents
make such announcements, they are working in the best interest of their
clients.Tyler Motte, Vancouver Canucks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Benning surely noticed Motte's play during the playoffs. He only scored four
goals in 34 games during the regular season, but he matched that total in the
playoffs. He emerged in the postseason, and his hard work and on-ice skills
seemed on display more than any other time I've watched him play. I liked him
as a hitting-maching, but I really noticed his work ethic and skills. He was
especially good in the first round.Related: Canucks' 2010s First-Round Picks
Ranked
I';m sure Benning will sign the pending RFA, although he might first want to
take care of business he considers more pressing, like signing their All-Star
starting goalie, Jacob Markstrom and maybe new winger Tyler Toffoli, who has
looked really good since joining the Canucks.
RFA Tyler Motte's agent Rich Evans : "Tyler wants to be a part of this group
in Vancouver going forward, and we hope to make that happen with a new
contract."- Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) September 7, 2020
Motte's contract was worth $975,000 this season and he probably deserves a
raise. That said, with a flat salary cap and a lack of knowledge as to where
the NHL might be in the future, smaller-contract players might not get
increases. Motte is an important piece of the team's bottom-six, but would he
consider signing for a hometown discount to stay with this group? He might if
he understands that this group is likely to make the playoffs in the next
several seasons.Item Two: Jim Benning Was "Expecting More" from Jake Virtanen
During the 2020 Postseason
With a backhanded compliment, Benning noted that he thought Jake Virtanen
"worked and competed hard in the playoffs. He scored that big goal for us in
Game 6."Jake Virtanen, Vancouver Canucks (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
Then, Benning cut to the chase by adding, "To be perfectly honest with you,
though, I was expecting more from Jake in the playoffs. He can skate; he's
strong. He can get to the net. He's a guy we're going to have to talk about
here going forward. We've been patient with him in his development, but he's a
guy I was expecting to produce more for us," (from "Canucks ‘expected more
from Jake' Virtanen: GM Jim Benning," The Province, 09/09/20).
Virtanen scored only two goals and three points in 16 postseason games and
Benning's announcement seems like a shot over Virtanen's bow. When Virtanen, a
native of Vancouver, was chosen with the sixth-overall pick in the 2014 NHL
Entry Draft, he was expected to develop into a top-six power forward. However,
he';s now 24-years-old and he hasn';t found his game yet.Related: Vancouver
Canucks All-Time Team
If this is his game, it isn't good enough. There are flashes of skill, but no
consistency. As a result, he remains a physical bottom-six forward who chips in
offensively. It's not that he';s a bad player, but he could be much better.
Virtanen is an upcoming RFA, and it will be interesting to see how Benning
treats him during salary negotiations. If Benning signs Virtanen and he has
another season like 2019-20, bet that he'll be exposed in the expansion
draft.Item Three: Benning Is Clear, He Wants Markstrom Back
Yesterday, it was reported that Benning spoke with�Jacob Markstrom';s agent
earlier this week. Although there were rumors that, given Thatcher Demko's
stellar play during the playoffs, the team would move on from Markstrom, I
can't believe there's any foundation to that speculation.
In fact, Benning clearly confirmed the team's interest when he reported, "We
want him back, and we're going to work on that this week."Edmonton Oilers
centre Connor McDavid fails to get a shot past Vancouver Canucks goaltender
Jacob Markstrom (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)
The team wants to re-sign�their All-Star goalie, who could become a UFA this
offseason.�Markstrom had a great 2019-20 season, posting a 23-16-4 record, a
goals-against-average of�2.75, and a save percentage of .918 in 43 games.
During the postseason, he helped lead the team on surprising run into the
second round with an 8-6 record, a goals-against-average of 2.85, and a save
percentage of .919 in 14 games.
Markstrom is coming off a three-year, $11 million contract and deserves a
raise. However, it';s a complex situation. The Canucks, like all NHL teams,
face a flat salary cap for the next two seasons and the team's two young stars
- Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes - are headed for much bigger contracts
soon.Related: Vancouver Canucks News & Rumors: Hughes, Pettersson & Miller
In an interesting way, the upcoming expansion draft might offer a chance for
the Canucks to see both Demko and Markstrom play together. If Demko is as good
as he seems, Benning could expose Markstrom - and his huge salary - in the
Seattle draft. At that point, who knows what the Kraken might do?What';s Next
for the Canucks?
As the Canucks left for home, it was interesting to read the players' social
media posts. Antoine Roussel spoke directly to Canucks fans and invited them to
hang in there because they would be a factor in the Stanley Cup race going
forward.
View this post on Instagram We had some ups and downs, we had some
cheers, we had some hard fought battles, we even added a new fan �! At the
end, we were close to our ultimate goal. Stick with us Canucks fans we will be
back stronger! A post shared by Antoine Roussel (@rouss_ant) on Sep 8, 2020 at
6:56pm PDT
His confidence is well-founded and I can't wait to see where the Canucks are
headed. This wasn';t their season, but their time might be soon.
The post Canucks News & Rumors: Motte, Virtanen, Markstrom & More appeared
first on The Hockey Writers.
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