It has to be said that Canucks general manager Jim Benning backed himself into a corner when it came to negotiating with Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson. It also has to be said that he did just enough to work his way out of that corner, but that the relief, such as it is, might only be temporary.

Last night, the two best players to come into the organization in some time re-upped with contracts simultaneously similar and starkly different. Both will reportedly carry roughly the same cap hit — about a $7.75-million AAV for Pettersson, and $7.75 million for Hughes — but the defenceman will be around for twice as long as the centre — six years and three, respectively. The money's probably a smidge high in both cases, given that the players are coming off rotten seasons, but it's clear that a