Canucks' Benning couldn't find trade partner for Loui Eriksson

Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning tried to find a new club for forward Loui Eriksson this offseason but failed to do so.

"We tried to get him a new team, a new opportunity, a fresh start. That didn't happen," Benning said Thursday on Sportsnet 650's "Starting Lineup."

"As of right now, Loui is under contract with us. When he plays he can still kill penalties for us, he's a good defensive player.

"We wanted him to score more when we signed him, that hasn't happened. But he's still part of our team, part of our group. He's an experienced guy."

Since signing a six-year, $36-million contract with the Canucks in 2016, Eriksson has failed to find his footing and produce at the level that he did earlier in his career.

Eriksson was a six-time 20-plus goal-scorer before joining the Canucks, including two seasons where he notched 30 or more goals. He's totaled just 38 goals in 245 games during the four seasons he's spent in Vancouver.

The 35-year-old was a healthy scratch on numerous occasions during the 2019-20 season and managed six goals and seven assists in 49 games. Last offseason, Benning confirmed he would look into trading Eriksson after the forward said he and head coach Travis Green "don't really get on 100 percent."

Eriksson has two years remaining on his contract, carrying an average annual value of $6 million.

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