Canucks’ Benning on Pouliot: ‘We want him to regain his confidence’

Pittsburgh-Penguins'-Derrick-Pouliot-celebrates-his-first-NHL-hockey-goal-during-the-first-period-of-a-game-against-the-Florida-Panthers-in-Pittsburgh,-Saturday,-Dec.-20,-2014.-(Gene-J.-Puskar/AP)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Derrick Pouliot celebrates his first NHL hockey goal at home Dec. 20, 2014. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)

Derrick Pouliot is the kind of puck-moving defenceman who is the future of the NHL, said Canucks general manager Jim Benning.

Vancouver traded for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ eighth-overall 2012 draft pick in exchange for Andrey Pedan and a fourth-round draft pick in 2018.

“I don’t want to put so much pressure on him that he has to be the saviour back there,” said Benning. “He’s a guy that we want to work with, that we want to keep developing. We want him to regain his confidence in the things he’s really good at. And of he does that, he can help us.”

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Jim Benning on Derrick Pouliot: 'A gamble worth taking'
October 03 2017
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Pouliot will start in Vancouver and is expected to arrive in time for practice Wednesday.

The 23-year-old skater played last season in the AHL for Wilkes/Barre-Scranton and put up 23 points in 46 games.

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