News and notes from Canucks media day

Canucks GM Jim Benning, coach Travis Green and the players met with the media on the opening day of training camp.

Brock Boeser’s contract, the captaincy and player expectations were among the topics discussed.

Here are some of the main news and notes from the session.

Both Jim Benning and Travis Green believe it’s very important for Boeser to be a participant in training camp.

“The first three days of camp I think are very important,” Benning said. “The system work Travis is going to be doing with the team and practicing the power play. I’m hoping, but we’ll see. I’ll talk to Ben Hankinson [Boser’s agent] later and see if we can get somewhere.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever see this many players (RFAs] not in camp”, Green said. We miss Brock. “I want him here. I think training camp is really important. For the team and individuals. Missing the time is hard. It’s hard to simulate training camp, practises, games…it’s unfortunate that this is where it’s at.”

Benning detailed that the Canucks have talked to Boeser about a short-term and a long-term deal, but he’s going to keep that specific dialogue internal. When asked whether progress has been made between the two sides, he said progress will come when a deal is done.

“Nobody wants Brock here more than I do”, Benning said.

Elias Pettersson also expressed his desire to have his linemate Boeser at camp.

“Of course we want him here, but it’s like a contract thing”, Pettersson said. That’s why you have agents to try and sort it out. I want him here. I can’t lie about that so I don’t know what more I can say.”

“I can play hockey without him, even though I like to play with him [chuckles]. It would be a lot easier if he was here. Hopefully he gets here as soon as possible. Otherwise, I’ll play with some other good players on our team.”

Travis Green says he’s been asked a lot about Eriksson this offseason. Eriksson’s told a Swedish publication this summer that he and coach Green “didn’t really get on 100 percent.”

Eriksson told NHL.com on Wednesday that the comments were “overblown” and he didn’t mean any disrespect to the coach.

“I heard what Loui said yesterday,” Green said. “Him feeling that way, I can understand it. I don’t think Loui is a player or person who’s going to go out of his way to make a rift between a player and a coach. It did cause a big story over here. Obviously I heard about it alot. I’m not going to sit and say what Loui and i talked about. But we have talked. He seems to have a good frame of mind. He’s ready to go into camp.”

Green was asked about sticking up for Eriksson last season and if he was then surprised by Eriksson’s comments in the summer.

“I did mention a few times that Loui is a smart player,” Green said. He’s a good player. When I’m doing that it’s because people want 30-40 goals out of him. He knows that he hasn’t reached that yet. I’ve got respect for all the players in the room. I’m going to point out things that players do well. I don’t think I went above and beyond for praise for Loui.”

“We didn’t see eye-to-eye on some things,” Green added. That’s alright. That’s part of coaching. Every other team in the league has players that don’t agree with certain things that the coach does. That’s part of pro sports. It’s a new year. It’s a new season. We’ll see where it goes.”

Green explained that he didn’t think the Canucks were ready for a captain after Henrik Sedin retired. Green says a captain will be named eventually, but there isn’t a rush.

“I like the leadership group in our room, especially with the new players. Being a captain for an NHL team is a big honour. It’s a big decision. It’s nothing that you need to rush into. You need to be sure you make the right decision. We don’t have to decide today.”

“You have to get on the ice and see how your young players have developed and how the new players fit with the team. I want to see how everything looks on the ice and in the locker room and then we’ll make a decision.”

“We’re going to name a captain eventually,” Green added. We’re a year down the road and we’re definitely closer to naming one than we were a year ago.”

Antoine Roussel is on the training camp roster after suffering a season-ending knee injury in 2018-19.

Benning says Rousell is rehabbing and back on the ice skating, but his return to game action is still a couple months away.

“When he’s ready to play, he’ll be in the lineup,” Benning said. But it’s still a long ways out.”

Aside from Rousell, Benning said he isn’t aware of any health issues with any other players.

Both Green and Benning believe the Canucks are going to score more goals this season by going  to the net.

“I think our team’s better than we were last season,” said Green. We want to improve every year. Part of improving is adding players in the offseason. I think Jim’s done a great job adding players to our group. I think we’ll be better equipped in a lot of areas.”

“With the additions we made this summer, we have more depth,” Benning said. “For us last year we didn’t get to the net enough. We weren’t big and strong enough to get to the net. Signing Ferland and trading for J.T. Miller. These are bigger-bodies guys who are going to get to the net. When we talk to our analytics people and watch video, we need to score more dirty goals this year. Deflections, rebound goals…we added some guys with size and strength that can get to the net.”

“We need to score more goals and we’ve added some players that can get to the net and some defenseman that can get pucks through for them. That was kind of our plan.”

Miller talked about looking forward to a fresh start in the Western Conference with a new organization.

“I think what I can bring to the lineup is I can play up-and-down the lineup,” Miller said. I think I’ve always been able to do that and can fill in at either center or wing. I try to play physical and make a play when I get a chance. Gotta be hard on pucks and just play my game.”

Miller said naturally he’s more comfortably playing wing, but it’s a seamless transition when he’s asked to play center. He takes lots of faceoffs as a winger and is used to the situations that come with it.

Ferland talked about how he will be bringing physical play to the Canucks.

“I think they wanted to get bigger,” Ferland said. They wanted to get a little tougher. I thought it was a good fit for myself.”

Former Tampa Bay forward J.T. Miller and former Winnipeg defenseman Tyler Myers had a great reaction when asked about making the playoffs last season. Both the Lightning and the Jets were upset in the first round.

You can watch the full training camp media session below:

 

The Canucks first preseason game is on Monday Sept.16 against the Flames.