Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning, right, signed goalie Ryan Miller this summer. (Darryl Dyck, AP)
If the voting was conducted today for NHL general manager of the year, wouldn’t Vancouver Canucks rookie executive Jim Benning have to be the favorite?
Benning is having a better rookie season than even Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg.
In the preseason, no one was projecting the Canucks to be one of the best teams in the Western Conference. After thumping the Chicago Blackhawks last night, the Canucks (14-6-1) are tied for the NHL’s fourth-best record.
Benning’s fingerprints are all over their success, including hiring the right coach in Willie Desjardins.
In addition, Benning signed goaltender Ryan Miller and Radim Vrbata, and those have turned out to be two of the NHL’s top free agent signings. Vrbata leads the team with 10 goals, and Miller has given the team consistency in net.
When Benning signed Vrbata, some analysts suggested that Vrbata would not perform as well when he left his comfort zone in Arizona.
Also, Benning received good value in trading Ryan Kesler to Anaheim. Considering Nick Bonino’s strong play (15 points, plus-7 in 21 games), both teams ended up being helped by that trade. Luca Sbisa, also acquired in the deal, has played regularly on defense.
In essence, Benning has treated the Canucks like a fixer-upper instead of a rebuilding project. He has done a superb job with his renovation project.
Of course, he’s not the only GM that has done a great job of preparing his team this season. Nashville’s David Poile has masterfully reinvented his team by hiring coach Peter Laviolette and changing his center collection.
Steve Yzerman’s offseason work – including signing Brian Boyle and Anton Stralman – has made the Tampa Bay Lightning a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow deserves consideration for the bold moves he made before the season to sign free agents Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin and then to trade for defensemen Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy.
Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford’s trade of James Neal for Patric Hornqvist and Nick Spaling, plus other moves, seem like they have made the Penguins a better all-around team, perhaps one that is more playoff ready.
But Benning’s work might draw the most attention because no one was expecting the Canucks to be challenging to be the top team in the Western Conference.
Your games tonight
Pittsburgh at Boston, 7
Philadelphia at N.Y. Islanders, 7
Ottawa at Detroit, 7:30
Minnesota at Florida, 7:30
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