Linden: Canucks won't mortgage future to make playoffs

The Vancouver Canucks are staying the course.

Despite sitting one point out of a Western Conference wild-card spot, team president Trevor Linden confirmed the club won't deviate from a plan designed around sustained, as opposed to short-term, success.

"There's no question we won't be in the rental-player market, regardless of what (the playoff picture) looks like," Linden said Tuesday on TSN 1040. "If there's an opportunity ... with a young player that we feel is an upgrade, we'll certainly look at that. But there will be no situation where we'll go and mortgage any future pieces to make a playoff push."

That said, general manager Jim Benning could still be active in advance of the NHL's March 1 trade deadline.

"If it make sense on the whole philosophy of getting younger and developing then we'll do that," Linden said, "but we'll see how the second half plays out."

The Canucks have posted a 23-21-6 record through 50 games with a minus-21 goal differential, and are already without their fifth- and sixth-round draft picks in 2017.

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