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Benning and Oilers fourth-round pick Carter Savoie are linked, of course.
“He’s my best bud and we’re rooming together,” said Benning.
The teenagers are practising with the University of Denver right now, not knowing when the NCAA season will start, but assistant coach Dallas Ferguson says they are not normal freshmen who are going to play sporadic minutes as first-year players.
“Dallas sent me a text and said, ‘Your boys are big-time,’’’ said Crusaders general manager Kyle Chase.
“They told those two players they’re going to live and die with them on their power play. Mike’s going to run it and Carter is replacing the kid (Emilio Pettersen) who just signed with Calgary Flames.”
BATTLE OF ALBERTA
It’s on the ice and around the negotiating table for Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom if Vancouver can’t sign him. It’s no secret he’s been at the top of Holland’s list for weeks, but it’s the same story with Brad Treliving in Calgary.
Six years at $6 million annually for Markstrom, even if he’s 30, might have to be the play here.
“If you want to land a player and he’s in demand, you either have to give longer term than you want or give a higher cap than you want,” said Holland. “If players have multiple teams after them, they can use that leverage to get some length to their contract.”
If Markstrom’s in play, Holland has to have a team he can trade Mikko Koskinen to, along with his $4.5 million cap hit for the next two years. Ottawa was a possibility before they got Matt Murray. The Oilers were kicking tires but weren’t trading a first-round pick and had no second-rounder, which the Penguins got from the Senators.
