NHL Rumors: The Vancouver Canucks Need to Improve Their Top-Six

Sportsnet: Jason Brough and Jamie Dodd on the Vancouver Canucks potentially have some money available this offseason if they don’t re-sign Brock Boeser. Would Mitch Marner or Sam Bennett be options for the Canucks if they get to free agency?

** NHLRumors.com transcription

Brough: “Dan from North Van texts in. The way you’re talking about finding a playmaker, sounds like a Marner signing, slash overpay.

So Dan, I’ve, I’ve kind of been hesitant to talk about the idea of signing Mitch Marner, because I think another thing that the Canucks top six has to get is bigger and stronger and meaner.”

Dodd: “That’s like, so you need to get faster.”

Brough: “Yeah, yeah.”

Dodd: “You need more play-making ability. You need to get bigger and tougher. That’s true.”

Producer: “That’s all we need?”

Brough: “But the top six is not good.”

Dodd: “No.”

Brough: “It is easily the sore spot of the team, and someone texted in and said, you know, the one thing that’s encouraging is that the Canucks have three good or reliable defensive pairs. And, you know, I agree, the defense looks a lot better, but there’s a reason the defense looks a lot better. It’s because they robbe Peter to pay Paul, and they improved the defense at the cost of the forward group.

And you know, if you think about it, (Filip) Hronek is a product of (Bo) Horvat. (Marcus) Pettersson is a product of J.T. Miller.”

Dodd: “Yep.”

Brough: “And they drafted Quinn Hughes. You know that, they’ve got some young guys coming, and Victor Mancini was with another guy that was a product of JT Miller. So yeah, you’re feeling better about the defense, but at the same time, you’re feeling much worse about the forward group.”

Dodd: “Marner is a popular name. I’d be shocked if he signs with the Canucks.”

Producer (?): “Like I don’t think he’s the answer man. I’m not feeling Marner on the Canucks.”

Dodd: “Put that aside, put your evaluation of the player aside. Let’s say you thought Marner was the perfect player for the Canucks. The chances of him leaving Toronto to sign with Vancouver seem basically nil. Like I would be stunned if that happened.”

Brough: “Well, JDog the Carhog(??) texts in, and he says they need to offer (Sam) Bennett $10 million per year if he’s available. Do literally everything they get to him.

Interesting over the weekend, Elliott Freeman reporting that the Florida Panthers and Sam Bennett are talking contract. Now whether, whether or not they get that over the finish line remains to be seen. But if you’re Sam Bennett, have you gotten a little, have you enjoyed your stay in Canada with the Calgary Flames, or have you enjoyed your stay in Florida with the Panthers?

And if you were to kind of chart out your next move, would you be looking to go back to Canada, or would you look to stay in a place like Florida?

You know, like, I, I don’t know what, what, what if Bennett likes all the things that come with Florida? I don’t know. Maybe some of these guys do, do see a positive in playing in Canada and that they are, you know, playing where it matters the most, right? And I think those are the types of guys you really have to recruit and find the guys that want to come and play in Canada and want to want the pressure and want the excitement of playing in Canada.”

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