The Canucks finally made the definitive statement last month that they are, in fact, rebuilding.
On Tuesday, another proclamation, this time from general manager Jim Benning: Jacob Markstrom will be the team’s starting goaltender.
Benning, in conversation with Pierre LeBrun of TSN, again admitted that he continues to talk with Ryan Miller’s camp. Miller turns 37 years of age on July 17, and is a pending unrestricted free agent, having spent the last three seasons in Vancouver. The last two have certainly been difficult, with the team plummeting near the bottom of the NHL’s overall standings.
“We’re in conversations with [Miller’s] agent and with him,” Benning told TSN.
“Jacob Markstrom’s going to be our No. 1 goalie going forward. We feel like Ryan -- he had a really good year last year, and he can help Jacob in that transition to being the No. 1 guy. We feel with where we’re at, we need good goaltending every night to be competitive with these young players up front.”
Oh, wait a minute. . .
Just talked to Jim Benning to clarify his Markstrom quote about "being the starter moving forward." He meant eventually, not now. #Canucks
— Ben Kuzma 🇺🇦 (@benkuzma) May 31, 2017
Benning on Markstrom: “We’ve been grooming him to be at some point our No. 1 goalie. I don’t know when that happens, but that’s our goal."
— Ben Kuzma 🇺🇦 (@benkuzma) May 31, 2017
This past season, Miller was actually pretty good considering how bad the team in front of him was, as they went through a rapid fall that culminated in the Canucks trading away veterans Alex Burrows and Jannik Hansen for talented forward prospects Nikolay Goldobin and Jonathan Dahlen.
In a bid to keep the Canucks -- as they further the transition of younger players into their roster -- “competitive,” Benning has expressed his interest in keeping Miller in Vancouver. However, that same transition will continue in goal. Markstrom, who is about to enter the first year of his three-year, $11 million extension, played only 26 games last season, with a .910 save percentage, and eventually had to undergo knee surgery.
Goalie prospect Thatcher Demko saw improvements as his rookie AHL season continued, and he could be the future in net for Vancouver. At 27, the need to get Markstrom more playing time was a hot topic of conversation during the season in Vancouver.
It appears the Canucks are finally going to allow him that opportunity.
At some point.