The Canucks are finally reuniting after a long off-season of training, rehabilitation and roster transactions for training camp. Players and management are getting swarmed by fans and media alike, hoping for the opportunity to get something out of the Canucks as they embark on their year-long journey.

A lot can happen in four months. For the players, they’re afforded the time to work on their game and improve on individual skills. For Canucks General Manager Jim Benning and co. they get the time needed to try and add to what they feel is a playoff bound roster.

This new season brings a new opportunity for the Canucks organization to prove they have the ability to contend for a playoff spot. Since the Benning era’s start, management has been firm in their philosophy and expectations for the team: develop young players and make the playoffs.

With the likes of Bo Horvat, Sven Baertschi, Jake Virtanen, and Ben Hutton having made the 2015-16 roster, one of those tasks has been partially ticked off. I say partially because one year does not constitute full development; there are still numerous questions surrounding the young group.

If you discount the arguably overachieving 2014-15 team that advanced to the post-season, they’re not there yet. Jim Benning had maintained the expectation that the Canucks can play out to be a top 8 team and make the playoffs. If last year’s team could not do it, he is hoping that his off-season moves will bring the team to the next level.

Notable additions and subtractions:

In: Loui Eriksson, Erik Gudbranson, Anton Rodin, Philip Larsen, Jayson Megna, Borna Rendulic, Michael Chaput

Out: Dan Hamhuis, Radim Vrbata, Jared McCann, Chris Higgins, Brandon Prust, Matt Bartkowski

Jim Benning: “I realize we have a lot to prove to ourselves, to each other, and to our fans. But I’m real excited to get started here because we’ve added more depth to our group this year. In adding Loui Eriksson who I feel is a real good player, a healthy Brandon Sutter, and adding Erik Gudbranson. We’ve added leadership in the room to help our young players along.”

Willie Desjardins: “[Winning] is the biggest thing, the number one thing. The road is a clear road. The stage our team is in… it’s a touchy subject. Whenever you get into that discussion between development and winning, those are such polarizing subjects for everybody. I think they key to winning is having a vision and a straight line. This year, our road is way straighter, way straighter. Our vision now is in a line and all the players, all of us, are accountable to that vision. As much as people thought last year was a wasted year, there were a lot of good things that came out of that.”

If the exact same team from last season remained, it may be hard to meet management’s expectations. As exemplified throughout that season, the lack of depth in the organization had its impact. This year’s team looks far different from the one just a few months ago, and one could argue that this new team, on paper, looks much better now.

Radim Vrbata’s disappointing 27-point season is being replaced by Loui Eriksson, who will very likely thrive with the Sedins. That swap is one that most will find hard to argue against. In the back end, the loss of Dan Hamhuis was a hard one to take. Although playing a style completely opposite to Hamhuis’, the hulking 6’5, 216 pound Erik Gudbranson will look to replace the defensive void left by the newly-turned Dallas Star.

Florida Panthers fans were livid to hear he had been traded; but in the eyes of Canucks management and potentially Canucks fans, Florida’s loss is Vancouver’s gain. As part of the new make-up of the team, Ben Hutton will be paired with Gudbranson instead of the flip-flopping Luca Sbisa. Both believe that Hutton’s two-way, puck-moving style should compliment Gudbranson’s stay-at-home, physical play.

Ben Hutton on Gudbranson: “We had a lot of 1-on-1 battles today. He was giving me tips on how to use my stick, how to use my hands, and control my hips – little things that are refreshing to me. I’ll give him the first star today. I don’t think I saw him lose a 1-on-1 battle, which is good to see. A guy who wins his battles is someone you want on the ice and in the corner. If he’s winning his battles, I might be able to jump up and fly in the rush a little more.”

Erik Gudbranson on Hutton: “Getting on the ice together is the biggest thing, I thought it went really well. It’s about working out each other’s tendencies, figuring out the communication and what works for the two of us. I’ve learned from some really great defenseman over the years, so bringing good habits to the table and instilling them in Hutton is a responsibility of mine, especially in his stage of his career. He’s a heck of a hockey player and I’m going to help him out as much as I can, and I expect that from him my way.”

With Gudbranson playing in Florida, what he brings to the Canucks is somewhat unknown. This video gives you a look at the defensive, physical style of game that the Panthers and Jim Benning covet so highly.

Anton Rodin and Philip Larsen are two players in very similar situations. Disappointing seasons in North America caused them to leave and join their respective teams in Europe. Both have had personal success and growth, stamping themselves as invaluable, star players in their respective leagues. Now, they both return to North America a few years older, more mature, and more confident that they can become NHL regulars.

The Canucks currently have Barb Aidelbaum, a highly-respected skating instructor, with them at training camp. She pointed out Larsen’s ability to open up his hips and transition the offensive blue-line, and his quick and effective movements as a whole are “extraordinary.” Pierre McGuire went out on a limb yesterday, calling Larsen “A poor man’s Erik Karlsson”. That statement should be taken with a grain of salt because Karlsson is a very rare defenseman. Nonetheless, Larsen’s offensive mindset is certainly welcomed by the Canucks, who have not had a true power-play quarterback in quite some time. Although his previous years in the NHL did not turn heads, Willie Desjardins believes that he is a different person and player today.

Willie Desjardins: “I thought he was good when he was in Dallas as a young player. I know he did it in the KHL, he’s been good. But we have to see where he is at this level. We have Hutton and Edler who can play on the power-play. We’re hoping that he can step in and add something to it.”

Philip Larsen: “I’m not trying to be a saviour, it can tear you apart pretty quickly if you think you have to do that. I’m older now and I didn’t have it in my mind that I was going to go back (to the NHL) because I knew Edmonton had my rights. I feel ready for another chance. It’s different in the KHL. You’ve got to play a smart game and stay on the right side of picks. And I know I have to use my body in front of our net, but I’m not looking to kill someone.”

Anton Rodin, like Philip Larsen, is a wild card. He is skating on a line with Alex Burrows and Brandon Sutter – foreshadowing the potential second line? Coming back to North America as the Swedish Hockey League’s MVP is definitely a confidence boost for Rodin, but the NHL is a different game. However, by no means does that degrade his abilities. He was named MVP for a reason, and hopefully he can show why at camp. He’s coming off a knee tendon laceration that kept him off the ice for eight months, but he says he will be 100% soon. There is a roster spot waiting for him, but on which line remains to be seen.

Anton Rodin: “I know what I’m capable of doing and I’ve been doing it in Sweden in the past few years. I’m confident in myself and I know what I can do. Right now I’m pain free with the knee. It will probably take a bit of time to get to full speed with the cardio. Knee itself, it feels good. I should be good in a couple days, I’m at 97% right now.”

Willie Desjardins on Rodin: “It’s hard to be the MVP of the Swedish Elite League. Does it translate? I dont know, but you look at a guy like (Artemi) Panarin who had such a big impact for Chicago. So we’re hoping Rodin can maybe surprise some people and have a good year for us.”

Finally, although not an true newcomer, Brandon Sutter will provide a big boost to the Canucks. As he played just 20 out of 82 games last season, he was never able to create a name for himself amongst fans. The Canucks were decimated with injuries last year, and Sutter’s injury was arguably the hardest hit. Their second-line centre was out for 3/4 of the season, and that clearly took its toll on the team. Calling Sutter a forgotten player would be hard to argue against, but part of this new team is the healthy Brandon Sutter that was absent last season.

Brandon Sutter: “If people are picking us for the bottom, that’s perfect for us. That’s great. Our expectations in the dressing room are very different. I think we’ve got a core group that looks at last season and thinks we’re very underrated coming into this year. You start with Hank and Danny and look down the list, there’s eight or ten of us with experience who can play at a high level, and we’re all two-way players. The young players have come a long way, and the things management did in the off-season to make us better now really sends a message of what we’re about. We’re here to win and there won’t be excuses for what happened last year.”

Another player who will be playing his first full season as a Canucks is Markus Granlund. Having been traded for a player like Hunter Shinkaruk, one would expect good potential from Granlund. He has solidified himself as a bottom-6 forward, and more potential development remains to be seen. Most would pencil Granlund in to be the fourth-line centre, but he believes that he has more to give.

Markus Granlund: “I have to show I can play. I know I can bring a good two-way game. I think I’m pretty smart on the ice. I can play with the puck and they can use me a lot. I knew they traded away a first-rounder, so obviously they trust me. That’s a good thing, but I have to keep pushing and battle hard here now. Everybody wants to get better, and my goal is to get better and make a difference.”

Willie Desjardins on Granlund: “He’s a guy who’s pushing. He doesn’t want to be a fourth-linie guy, he wants to be a first or second-line guy. If you want to be that, you’ve got to prove some things. He’s a good penalty killer. He can play wing if he needs to, so he gives us flexibility and I think we’ll see a different Granlund this year.”

This season’s roster is re-vamped from top to bottom. The only duo that is assumed to be unchanged is the first defense pairing in Alex Edler and Chris Tanev. Everyone from the Sedins to Ben Hutton will have a new linemate, it is just a matter of who plays where. Lines will be sorted out throughout training camp and the pre-season. With the organizational depth that has been added, expect heavy competition, especially for a bottom-6 spot. The new faces are in and ready to show Canucks fans what they bring to the table. Jim Benning’s playoff expectations remain unchanged, but will the team’s on-ice performance change for the better?

Sources: Canucks media availability, Vancouver Sun – Desjardins, Vancouver Sun – Sutter, The Province – Larsen, The Province – Granlund, TSN 1040 – Hutton, Gudbranson, Rodin

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