Report: Canucks GM Jim Benning makes a decision on trade target Alex Edler

Don’t look now but the calendar is about to roll over to February, 2019 and the Vancouver Canucks are still in a tight playoff race. Predicted by many fans and analysts to finish in the bottom of the NHL’s overall standings, the Canucks have managed to remain in the playoff picture thanks to some strong play from young players like Elias Pettersson, Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser, as well as some stellar goaltending from Jacob Markstrom.

Staying in the hunt and overachieving is obviously a positive thing for this young group, but is the team’s short term success hindering their longterm potential for success?  Before Pettersson arrived this season, detractors of Canucks general manager Jim Benning argued that the team lacked a true gamebreaking talent and that a bottom three finish was necessary for the team to land a future superstar like Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, which just so happens to be hosted in Vancouver.

Finish near the bottom and recoup assets and draft picks for veterans like Alex Edler, Chris Tanev and Brandon Sutter… that was the plan according to Canucks fans. Well… not so fast. Benning isn’t so keen on selling off veterans and, in fact, might look to acquire talent at the NHL’s February 25th Trade Deadline, rather than ship it out. In his latest column for Sportsnet, Canucks insider Iain MacIntyre catches up with Benning and goes over the GM’s plan for the deadline and, specifically, what he has in store for pending unrestricted free agent Alex Edler.

Check out some of these quotes:

VANCOUVER – The Toronto Maple Leafs’ trade for Jake Muzzin may set the market for defencemen ahead of the National Hockey League’s trade deadline, but it doesn’t change anything for the Vancouver Canucks and impending unrestricted free agent Alex Edler.

Canucks general manager Jim Benning reiterated in an interview with Sportsnet that the priority remains to negotiate a contract extension for Edler and that there is enough trust in the team-player relationship that a deal need not be completed before the Feb. 25 deadline for trades.

“…we have a plan in place and I’m not moving picks from this year’s draft to make the team better now. It’s going to be about the guys in that room pulling together and having a good run. And that will dictate whether we’re a playoff team or not.”

So Edler is staying… for now. But, is he in the team’s longterm plans?

Benning said he’ll meet this week with Edler and agent Mark Stowe to start discussions on an extension for the 32-year-old defenceman who has spent his 13-year NHL career in Vancouver and stated, unequivocally, his desire to stay. The Swede’s expiring six-year, US $30-million contract contains a full no-trade clause, so the Canucks would need Edler’s consent to trade him.

So Edler stays and the Canucks are now buyers at the deadline? Yes and no…

“Our team is healthy now and the (schedule) break came at a good time for us,” Benning said. “Talking to some of our players, our group was tired. But now we’ve had this break and we have almost four weeks until the deadline and we’ll see where we’re at. We’ll make decisions based on our long-term plan.”

Suffice it to say, the team’s performance over the next four weeks will go a long ways in determining what Benning elects to do at the deadline. Sit tight, Canucks fans.