The Canucks Should Bet on Markus Granlund

Ever since the influx of free agent signings on July 1st (forwards Antoine Roussel, Tim Schaller, and Jay Beagle), a favorite pastime of Canucks fans has been the mental gymnastics of configuring an opening night lineup. While the possibilities seem endless, the common names thrown around as possible waiver-wire fodder have been Sam Gagner, Brendan Gaunce, and Markus Granlund. It is that last name that more should be finding eyebrow raising.

Just a season ago, coming off a 19-goal season, people were hyping Granlund as part of the next core. The Hunter Shinkaruk-for-Granlund trade was heralded as some of Benning’s best work, after having been widely criticized just months earlier. However,…