Vancouver Canucks forward Radim Vrbata had himself a heck of a night on Monday, netting a hat trick and looking very much like the player who led the Canucks in scoring just one season ago. But barring a miraculous turnaround for Vrbata and the rest of the Canucks squad, it's likely they'll be on the outside looking in come playoff time. They've appeared both inconsistent and, ultimately, soft thus far in 2015-16. And while they're certainly not out of contention yet at 10-11-8 - they're actually tied for the second spot in the Pacific with the San Jose Sharks, though they've played three more games - it's looking more and more like that transition that the team is attempting to undertake will eventually undermine this season. As such, talk has already begun to swirl that older players like Vrbata may no longer be part of the team's future plans and could potentially be dealt ahead of the trade deadline.
Not so fast, says TSN NHL insider Bob McKenzie.
"Well, I don't think there's any question for now they're keeping him," McKenzie said Tuesday, while appearing on Vancouver's TSN 1040 on Tuesday, per Today's Slap Shot's transcription. "Obviously, come February 29th, if they're in dire straits and not in the playoffs, then you've got to contemplate all of the options open to you - whether it's Vrbata, Hamhuis, or anybody you don't have signed for next year.
"But let's make no mistake. The ownership group in Vancouver - as well as Trevor Linden, Jim Benning - the goal is to be competitive. The goal is to try and make the playoffs. And you're not going to do that if you just dump all your assets for future considerations."
Prior to Vrbata's offensive outburst and the Canucks' resulting 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday, Vancouver had been riding out a five-game losing streak.
The decision to keep young players like Jared McCann and Jake Virtanen at the NHL level has almost certainly contributed to the inconsistent nature of the squad. Transitioning while simultaneously remaining competitive is a pipedream in the NHL. Young players must take lumps and a season like this one is invaluable for the hard-learned lessons they'll hopefully receive. Should they play important roles as McCann has and as Virtanen was prior to his injury that almost certainly means some frustrating nights for fans.
The good news for the Canucks is that they likely saw this coming. They have a fair amount of young talent in the pipeline, led by McCann, Virtanen, and Hunter Shinkaruk. And they reportedly avoided contract extension talks with a guy like Vrbata, set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, this offseason.
So Canucks GM Jim Benning, as frustrated as he probably is by another wasted season of stellar play by the Sedin's, probably is keeping his eye firmly on the future as McKenzie suggests, even as he attempts to keep the team in playoff position.
