VANCOUVER B次元官网网址� For months, Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning has stressed the need for his club to beef up their blue line over the off-season.
He did just that on Monday, adding a trio of defencemen in free agency.
The biggest signing was former Winnipeg Jets D-man Tyler Myers, who agreed to a five-year deal with an annual average value of US$6 million.
Benning, a former scout, said heB次元官网网址檚 been watching the 29-year-oldB次元官网网址檚 career since Myers played junior hockey for the Western Hockey LeagueB次元官网网址檚 Kelowna Rockets.
B次元官网网址淚 just felt like heB次元官网网址檚 a great fit for our group going forward,B次元官网网址� the GM said. B次元官网网址淏ecause he can play todayB次元官网网址檚 style of game because of his skating and heB次元官网网址檚 six foot eight. So weB次元官网网址檝e seen in the playoffs with St. Louis some big defenceman who can skate and move the puck. So I think TylerB次元官网网址檚 a piece to the puzzle for us going forward.B次元官网网址�
Myers had 31 points in 80 games for the Jets last season.
The inside scoop on Tyler Myers: he's excited to see Petey play, he's not a country music fan and he jumped on the bandwagon pretty hard this summer. 馃懡馃幐馃弨 Thanks for the questions!
B次元官网网址� Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks)
Originally from Houston, he was raised in Calgary before being drafted 12th overall by the Sabres in 2008. He played five full seasons in Buffalo before he was dealt to the Jets in February 2015.
Vancouver was one of B次元官网网址渢wo or three teamsB次元官网网址� Myers spoke to prior to the start of free agency on Monday, but an in-person meeting with the teamB次元官网网址檚 management swayed his decision.
B次元官网网址淣ot only am I very excited with where the team is at, you take a look at the jump they made last year, that was exciting for me when making my decision,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 going to be a piece thatB次元官网网址檚 going to try and help them ultimately take the next step forward. So it was very exciting for me in that aspect.B次元官网网址�
Where, exactly, Myers will land in the Canucks lineup remains to be seen, but Benning said he could play a match-up role with the teamB次元官网网址檚 veteran defenceman Alex Edler or skate alongside rookie Quinn Hughes, who officially joined the franchise at the tail end of last season.
Myers played a depth role on the Jets blue line and acknowledged the posting had been frustrating at times. To cope, he said he tried to focus on the things that made him his best, such as his skating.
B次元官网网址淎s my careerB次元官网网址檚 gone along, I feel IB次元官网网址檝e got better and better at focusing on the things I can control,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淣o matter if a lot of change happens throughout any particular year, you just go into each day focused on playing your best hockey, whether itB次元官网网址檚 in practice or in a game.B次元官网网址�
The Myers signing was long rumoured and drew questions from Canucks fans worried about the contractB次元官网网址檚 term and the teamB次元官网网址檚 cap hit.
But the veteran defenceman said the chatter of an intensely loyal fan base doesnB次元官网网址檛 phase him.
B次元官网网址淭he thing that solves any negativity is winning. And thatB次元官网网址檚 the ultimate goal coming into the group, being a puzzle piece to help this team win,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淓verybodyB次元官网网址檚 happy when weB次元官网网址檙e winning. So thatB次元官网网址檚 what weB次元官网网址檙e going to try and do.B次元官网网址�
Vancouver has also signed defenceman Jordie Benn, 31, to a two-year deal with an annual average value of $2 million.
The six-foot-two, 199-pound left-shot defenceman put up 22 points for the Montreal Canadiens last season.
B次元官网网址淚 just felt like heB次元官网网址檚 a steady, safe guy thatB次元官网网址檚 going to fit in,B次元官网网址� said Benning. B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 a good two-way player thatB次元官网网址檚 going to fit into the way (coach Travis Green) wants to play.B次元官网网址�
Benn went undrafted before he was signed by Dallas in July 2011. He spent six seasons with the Stars before being dealt to Montreal in February 2017.
The Victoria native said the Habs offered him the same deal as the Canucks, but he couldnB次元官网网址檛 pass up a chance to come back to B.C.
"It's been a long journey since I attended Camp in 2008 and it's pretty cool that it has come full circle. Now I'm coming home to play for the team I grew up watching." - Jordie Benn, when speaking with the media earlier today.
B次元官网网址� Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks)
B次元官网网址淲hen you have a chance to go home and play in front of your friends and family and for a team you grew up watching, those are things IB次元官网网址檝e always wanted to do,B次元官网网址� Benn said in a call from his off-season home in Dallas.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 ecstatic to come home and play for the Canucks.B次元官网网址�
BennB次元官网网址檚 first opportunity to play for Vancouver came in 2008 when he attended Canucks training camp.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been a long journey, thatB次元官网网址檚 for sure,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 pretty sure thereB次元官网网址檚 a picture of me at camp with no beard and zits all over my face. ItB次元官网网址檚 pretty cool that itB次元官网网址檚 come full circle and IB次元官网网址檓 coming back to play for a team that I grew up watching.B次元官网网址�
The Canucks also inked defenceman Oscar Fantenberg to a one-year contract worth $850,000. The six-foot, 206-pound defenceman split last season between the L.A. Kings and Calgary Flames, registering four points in 61 games.
A native of Ljunby, Sweden, Fantenberg went undrafted by the NHL and played a season in the KHL before he signed on with the Kings in May 2017. He was traded to Calgary in February.
READ MORE:
Benning said he would have liked to add another forward to the Canucks roster, too, but was limited by cap space after former goalie Roberto Luongo retired last week.
The move will leave Vancouver paying $3 million for each of the next three seasons because the club signed Luongo to a 12-year, $64-million contract extension in 2010.
B次元官网网址淚t was a kick in the shins, IB次元官网网址檒l be perfectly honest with you,B次元官网网址� said Benning. B次元官网网址淲e knew it could come, it happened. It kind of stopped us from maybe adding one more piece to our team this year.B次元官网网址�
The Canucks still need to work out a deal with restricted free agent Brock Boeser, the teamB次元官网网址檚 third-leading scorer last season.
Vancouver also signed a pair of two-way deals on Monday, adding centre Tyler Graovac and goalie Zane McIntyre to the roster.
A native of Brampton, Ont., Graovac spent last season playing for the FlamesB次元官网网址� American Hockey League affiliate, the Stockton Heat, where he notched 50 points in 65 games.
The 26-year-old was originally drafted 191st overall by the Minnesota Wild in 2011 and has nine points in 62 career NHL games.
McIntyre, also 26, joins the Canucks franchise from the AHLB次元官网网址檚 Providence Bruins where he posted a record of 25-14-7 along with two shutouts, a 2.59 goals-against average and .898 save percentage last season.
Drafted 165th overall by the Boston in 2010, the netminder eight NHL games for the Bruins in the 2016-17 season.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
Like us on and follow us on
