The next eight hours could prove the most formative such time span to date for Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning’s roster.

For all their gusto, a playoff team the Canucks are not. This reality has taken it’s time to set in at Pat Quinn Way, but it’s starting to hit home. If the Canucks have their way, they’ll set their stamp on the franchise, overseeing the first deadline purge they’ve had in a decade-plus. Begrudgingly or otherwise. 

If the Canucks are going to follow through with this, they’re going to do it their way. That means bringing in young players and prospects while steering clear of draft picks. It’s hard to fathom given Benning’s reputation as a master scout, but this approach falls right into his wheelhouse as a talent evaluator in its own right.

Now that we’ve laid the groundwork for the Canucks going into these final hours, let’s look at what’s happening and what we can expect down the home stretch.

To the chagrin of Vancouver, Dan Hamhuis and Radim Vrbata don’t appear much closer to being dealt than when the week started. There was traction between the Canucks and Blackhawks involving the crown jewels in their rental crown, but that fell apart the minute they acquired Andrew Ladd from the Winnipeg Jets. There’s speculation over Hamhuis waffling on his no-trade as a determining factor, but nothing has been confirmed to this point.

After the Blackhawks backed off, consideration elsewhere reached a feverish pace. In the course of a day, it was reported that the Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals all had varying degrees of interest in Hamhuis. To his credit, Hamhuis appeared willing to, at least, consider a trade to the Lone Star State. Nothing has come of it since, although the Stars are reportedly still interested in the veteran blue-liner.

All is quiet on the Vrbata front. The most we’ve heard to date involves speculation on the part of Joe Haggerty connecting the Boston Bruins to the Czech winger. The fit makes sense, given Benning and assistant general manager John Weisbrod’s knowledge of and familiarity with the pieces Boston would be willing to part with. In some cases, these are players they played a role in drafting.

It was reported earlier this week that the Canucks had made seven players available for trade. The list includes Linden Vey, Matt Bartkowski, Ronalds Kenins, Brandon Prust, Chris Higgins, Yannick Weber and Adam Cracknell. Given the nature of the players involved, they’ve been coined the “Garage Sale Seven”.

There hasn’t been much movement on that front, to the surprise of absolutely nobody. Cracknell was placed on waiver yesterday, although, given that he played against the San Jose Sharks that night, it’s likely a paper transaction to qualify Cracknell for the AHL playoffs with the Utica Comets.

Speculation ran wild yesterday when Bartkowski was a last-minute scratch against the Sharks. The move was originally presumed to be trade related, but it’s since been revealed that he was suffering the flu. Of the seven, one might reasonably expect Bartkowski drawing the most interest. Won’t surprise me if he’s dealt at some point.

The Canucks don’t envision themselves as sellers in the traditional sense. They’re not looking to part ways with everyone over the age of thirty. That isn’t to say there hasn’t been interest in some of their less mentioned properties. 

It was reported a month ago that Alexandre Burrows would be willing to waive his no-trade clause if management approached him with a trade. That report was later rebuked, as Burrows changed his tone, suggesting he would consider such a move. That’s not nothing. Could be an appealing option for a budget team, as his contract has a higher cap charge than actual dollar value next season.

Next on the list is Jannik Hansen. Hansen’s value has never been higher, as he approaches the 20-goal mark on the season. Hansen’s contract carries a $2.5-million AAV for this season and the two that follow, which is an absolute bargain given his experience and ability to slot anywhere in the lineup. His contract carries a modified no-trade clause, although the details aren’t specified on www.generalfanager.com

If the Canucks can finish tomorrow with a couple new prospects and picks in the fold, that’s a win for Benning and co. They’ll have to find a suitor for Vrbata and Hamhuis to do so, which could prove difficult given the no-trades their contracts carry. If they can pull a surprise trade and move one of Burrows or Hansen, it’s a coup. The Canucks have to keep both eyes fixed on the future when they approach the bargaining table. No half measures.

Vancouver finishes tomorrow with Vrbata and Hamhuis still on their roster. If they can expunge one of the two for futures, that’s fine. If they can’t deal either, that’s an unmitigated disaster. Good luck explaining that to the fan base that’s screaming daily for a rebuild.

The fine folks over at www.Reddit.com/r/Canucks will be hosting us for the day. You’ll be able to ask us questions, interact with the staff and discuss the day’s events as they unfold. I’ll be there at 5 am sharp, joined by Ryan Biech. Thomas Drance will be there periodically throughout the day as well.