Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning made a couple things quite clear on Wednesday.
"That's a non-starter. I'm not trading next year's draft picks," Benning said, according to TSN's Jeff Paterson.
It's worth noting that the 2019 NHL Draft will take place in Vancouver.
Benning's statement came hours after a report that Erik Karlsson trade talks are heating up. Connecting the dots, the Canucks are seemingly out of the running, assuming draft picks are on the Ottawa Senators' wish list in a return package for their superstar defenseman.
While speaking to Sportsnet's John Shannon, Benning said there's no truth to the Canucks being in on the Karlsson trade talks.
Karlsson is heading into the final year of a contract that has a 10-team no-trade list.
The Canucks finished second-last in the Pacific Division during the 2017-18 season with 73 points. Though the front office made some minor ripples on July 1, Vancouver didn't make any significant splashes this offseason to catapult the team from rebuilders to playoff contenders. Which is why hanging on to their prospect- and draft-pick capital seems logical.
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