Photo Credit: @mapleleafs / twitter.com

Vancouver Canucks General Manager Jim Benning made another one of his frequent appearances on TSN Radio 1040 on Friday night, touching on a variety of different subjects on the B-Mac, Donnie, and The Moj show. Perhaps the most notable, though, were his thoughts on Toronto Maple Leafs practice participant and former Canucks defenceman Frank Corrado.

“We didn’t want him sitting around and not playing. But we’ll see what happens. I’ve been watching what’s going on with him in Toronto, so we’ll see what happens with that,” said Benning, while noting that he and his staff would “look at things” if Corrado were to be up for grabs once again.

“I can’t comment on another team’s player, but usually, when you pick up a player you play him,” he added “But that’s their business and I don’t want to get into what they do.”

There are few points that are worth taking out of this.

In stating that the team would revisit the situation if Corrado were to hit the market, Benning could be admitting that the team could stand to add a defenceman if they’d like to win games. This isn’t overly shocking, with Luca Sbisa out for at least two more weeks and Dan Hamhuis’ outlook looking anywhere from a week to a lifetime awhile everybody waits for a doctor’s opinion.

Or, he could not be. After all, the Leafs aren’t allowed to trade or re-waive Corrado this season without offering him back to Vancouver first, at which point the Canucks could assign him to Utica without requiring a second waiver process. If Benning feels that Corrado is a depth addition, or, at least, is going to need another “conditioning stint”, then maybe it’s not a call to arms. Honestly, it could go either way.

The bigger issue I see with Benning’s words, however, are that they run the risk of being seen as public tampering. While the Canucks GM said that he couldn’t comment on another team’s player, he definitely did just that, to the point of mentioning that they’d like to take a look at his status if he were to re-enter the market.

That’s a very slippery slope, something that the NHL made an example of when the tables were reversed. The Leafs were fined by the NHL in October 2009 after Ron Wilson went on Toronto radio and confirmed interest in Daniel and Henrik Sedin if the Canucks were unable to sign them in the final hours leading up to July 1st. It worked out well for the Canucks; the statement was the push that Mike Gillis needed to close their deals before the clock ran out of time, but there’s precedent for potential repercussions to a team who has their mouth open.

If it’s just a fine, however, I bet Benning and Co. will be okay with it. even if the team doesn’t get Corrado back, they managed to get some of their feelings out there regarding a very unfortunate situation. Recognizing Corrado’s talent and upside, the Leafs claimed him from Vancouver at the start of October but have yet to play him in a game. His only action since the pre-season has been Leafs practices, a seven-game conditioning stint with the Toronto Marlies, and, according to the picture above, building houses.

That sounds like a good life for most of the other 22-year-olds from Woodbridge, but as one of the few of them who have a reliable future in something, you have to think that Corrado just wants to play hockey at this point.

You can listen to Benning’s full radio hit here.