Sitting two points out of Wild Card spot entering Thursday night's action, Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning says the team's goal is still to make the playoffs.
Benning told TSN Radio 1040 Vancouver that the team has no current plans to sell at the trade deadline, unless the team is blown away by an offer.
"We want to make the playoffs," Benning said. "Unless somebody phones us and knocks our socks off with something we can't say no to. But our goal is to make the playoffs and be competitive."
As for defenceman Dan Hamhuis, who is set to enter unrestricted free agency this summer, Benning said the team has not approached him about waiving his no-trade clause.
"He's a big part of our team. With Alex Edler out, he's been excellent for us. So we'll have to decide in the next five or six games and talk to him and monitor the situation and if something makes sense, we'll look at it. But we want to make the playoffs and he's a big part of that.
"We haven't talked to him about that (waiving no trade). We're concentrating right now on staying in the race and being competitive. We might sit down with him here in the next little bit and see where he's at, but we haven't done that yet."
As for adding a player of the team's stretch drive, Benning would not rule out making a move.
"We're going to see where we're at in the next five or six games, but I would even look to add if we can to make our team better so we can compete for a playoff spot."
The Canucks sit two points behind the Colorado Avalanche – with two games in hand - for the final Western Conference playoff spot. Vancouver sits three points back of the Anaheim Ducks for the final Pacific Division playoff spot, but the Ducks have two games in hand.
The NHL's trade deadline is Monday, February 29 at 3pm et/Noon pt.
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