Canucks ready to start fresh
with a new coach and GM
During the 2013-14 season, Jim Benning
studied the Vancouver Canucks from afar.
Months later, the former general manager
of the Boston Bruins is unsure what went
so drastically wrong for a franchise that
only three years before had represented
the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup
finals.
"For whatever reason," Benning told the
Associated Press, "last year things didn't go
as scripted."
Vancouver finished fifth in the Pacific
Division, 12th in the Western Conference, and
did not make the playoffs for the first time
since 2007-08.
The punishment for missing the playoffs
was harsh. GM Mike Gillis, coach John
Tortorella and his top assistant, Mike
Sullivan, were fired. In place of Gillis and
Tortorella are Benning and Willie Desjardins,
who are tasked with returning Vancouver to
the playoffs.
Senators * Ottawa has signed star winger
Bobby Ryan to a seven-year, $50.25 million
extension as well as naming defenseman Erik
Karlsson team captain, ESPN.com reports.
Ryan's deal is worth an average of $7.25
million per season.
Coyotes * It will be out with the new and in
with the old for Arizona this season.
After two fruitless years of trying to boost
their scoring punch, the Coyotes are going
back to the down-in-the-trenches, outworkyour-
opponent ways that had been the
cornerstone of their previous success.
"We may have lost a little on pure
talent, proven talent, but we brought in
some people who are going to fit into the
chemistry mix, that junkyard dog, hangaround-
games-find-a-way-to-win mentality,"
Coyotes general manager Don Maloney said.
"And that's how we have to be right now."
Since Dave Tippett was hired in 2009,
the Coyotes have fit the mold of their
defensive-minded coach, relying on a packit-
in-mentality, good goaltending and a
counterpunching offense.
Arizona ran Tippett's system well, earning
three straight playoff berths all without an
owner including a trip to the 2012 Western
Conference finals.
In the two seasons after that surprising
run, the Coyotes tried to find ways to boost
their offensive output, including the bigticket
signing of forward Mike Ribeiro before
last season.
None of it worked.
The Coyotes were inconsistent with their
defense-first approach and Ribeiro was a
bust, his contract bought out by the team
during the offseason after he struggled
with inconsistency on the ice and personal
problems off it.
This offseason, there were no splashy
signings like the Ribeiro deal. Instead,
Arizona picked up gritty, hard-working guys
who fit their system, like Sam Gagner, Joe
Vitale and former Blue B.J. Crombeen.
Ducks * Anaheim was the NHL's highestscoring
team during the best regular season
in franchise history last year, and general
manager Bob Murray couldn't wait to
make changes. That's because the Ducks'
impressive season still ended two playoff
rounds shy of their ultimate goal. …