The Vancouver Canucks leave the 2016 NHL trade deadline as the league’s biggest loser and it’s not even up for debate, really. They entered the day eight points out of a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference playoffs, battered by injuries without a hope in hell of making the playoffs. They had trade chips. Four impending unrestricted free agents on their roster, another in the AHL and two restricted free agents.

Canucks general manager Jim Benning entered the day with as many chips on the table as anyone and a need to cash out. They left the casino empty handed. Hard to describe today as anything short of an unmitigated disaster. 

There’s plenty of blame to go around. And yet, it’s hard to know where to start. We have a good enough idea where it finishes though and therein lies the problem.

It shouldn’t have taken the Canucks until mid-February to realize they aren’t a playoff team. They made some significant downgrades in the off-season, aged their core another year and tried to infuse two nineteen-year-olds. Nothing about this roster indicated they could crack the playoffs, healthy or otherwise. Not even in the ultra-forgiving Pacific Division. 

This season should have been a building block year from the start. That meant taking the necessary step to not lose Frank Corrado on waivers. Building trade value on players heading to unrestricted free agency. Shedding salary in the short and long-term and accruing futures for your troubles. Don’t think of it as selling assets, think of it as investing in the future.

The Canucks fell short on all fronts and made moves to the contrary to build on the margins. Whether it was sacrificing the Canucks most developed offensive prospect for a player widely regarded to have a third-line ceiling or surrendering a draft pick for what will likely be a third-pairing defender that will join the club next season. Two steps back for a half-step forward.

Their reluctance to dive head first into a full-fledged rebuild makes this another lost season. Vancouver’s wheels keep spinning and they’re no further today than yesterday. If anything, they took another step back. 

Benning’s inability to find a suitor for Dan Hamhuis is especially damning. To the best of my knowledge, Hamhuis agreed to waive for two clubs within the Western Conference. It’s been confirmed that one of these clubs, the Dallas Stars, made an offer. That’s where the conversation should end. Hamhuis was willing to waive, Dallas was willing to part with assets. Done.

Vancouver balked at what they considered an inadequate package. They now run the risk of losing Hamhuis on July 1st and not recouping an asset for their troubles.

The same scenario applies for Radim Vrbata. Low-value or not, getting nothing for a player one season removed from a 31-goal season seems unfathomable. Retain salary, absorb a bad contract. Make it happen. Get creative.

They didn’t and it’s going to cost them. Publicly and as a team. Confidence in management is shaken and can you really blame anyone?