Vancouver Canucks – Kraken in Spokane, Line Combos, Benning Contract Talks

The excitement is palpable in Spokane, particularly among the hockey staffers and others who made the trip over from Seattle for the Kraken’s first ever exhibition game. The Vancouver Canucks meanwhile will ice a youngish roster for this preseason tilt, saving most of the more recognizable characters for Monday evening’s game in Abbotsford against Calgary.

— Vancouver Hockey Now (VHN) talked with Canucks General Manager Jim Benning upon arrival and learned that he and the agent for un-signed free agents Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes could be speaking as early as this evening about furthering along contract talks. Benning couldn’t confirm a time-table for completion but at this point it’s “as soon as possible”. The team’s top centre and top defenceman have already missed the three on-ice training camp sessions and will miss the first two preseason games.

The Canucks then have three days off before a road exhibition game in Calgary on Friday night. That date might be considered the next “pressure point” in the negotiations timeline, as the club would love to figure out deals and have the two players back in the line-up for the weekend.

Home exhibition games at Rogers Arena follow on Sunday October 3rd (Winnipeg) and Tuesday October 5th (Seattle). Again, no guarantees but the talks will ramp up.

— Here are the Vancouver Canucks lines for tonight’s game in Spokane:

Nils Höglander     Nic Petan     Brock Boeser

Phil Di Giuseppe     Jason Dickinson     Danila Klimovich

Sheldon Dries     Matthew Highmore     William Lockwood

Vincent Arseneau     John Stevens     Sheldon Rempal

Jack Rathbone     Luke Schenn

Olli Juolevi     Kyle Burroughs

Brad Hunt     Madison Bowie

Arturs Silovs

Spencer Martin

As VHN reported early this morning “as likely”, Will Lockwood is in the line-up. Read about his training camp development, his thoughts, and the 4th-line battle here.

Silovs and Martin will split the game in net.