The Vancouver Canucks want to draft a defenseman. Never mind, they just want the best player available. Drafting at No. 5? Oh they’ll take a D-man. No wait, the forwards are more likely.
After long months of speculation, we finally know the Canucks’ exact first-round draft position. No. 5 is worse than management and fans hoped for, but it should be enough to land a top-line player. Instead of providing clarity, however, falling to fifth overall in the draft lottery really complicated things for GM Jim Benning and his scouting staff.
As Benning told TSN 1040 radio in a Monday morning interview, he would use the club’s top-five selection to pick a defenseman, but only under one condition.