Canucks add grit, toughness with free agents Beagle, Roussel: Benning
Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning believes his team will be tougher to play against next season after signing a trio of free-agent forwards on Sunday.
The Canucks inked centre Jay Beagle and winger Antoine Roussel to four-year deals worth an average of US$3 million per year. They also added forward Tim Schaller on a two-year contract, worth an average of $1.9 million annually.
Benning said Vancouver was looking to round out a group of young talent with experience and grit when the NHL’s free-agency period opened.
“We want to be a harder team to play against and I think the players we added make us harder,” Benning told reporters Sunday. “They’re experienced players, they’re going to help out in the locker room. They’re guys that have been through the wars before.”