The year we lose our legends continues with vigour. On the day of Muhammad Ali's funeral, we get news of the passing of Gordie Howe at age 88 after a long illness.

I didn't get to see Howe play live, but I witnessed the rapturous ovations that he'd get when he visited Rogers Arena as part of the Vancouver Giants ownership group.

Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe, shown on the Rogers Arena screen, and receives a standing ovation which causes a delay in the game. Awesome.

— TFV Communications (@TFVCommunicates) November 15, 2013

Great to see Mr. Hockey Gordie Howe get a standing ovation here at Rogers Arena during tv timeout. One of the classiest acts in the sport!

— Joey Kenward (@kenwardskorner) February 3, 2012

Mr. Hockey was an icon of our sport in so many ways—tough as nails on the ice, generous with his time and energy off it. He had a tough fight over the past couple of years. RIP.

Now, back to Canucks news.

Ben Kuzma of the Province got in touch with Jim Benning during his scouting meetings at Whistler this week, to ask him about the rumours that he might be interested in trading the fifth-overall draft pick.

Benning didn't say no. And he did outline his thought process:

We’re not looking to move the pick, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if teams call and make offers for the pick and we didn’t consider the offers.

We’re doing our due diligence. If we can move down and get a top-six player and a second-round pick, we have to keep our options open. I’m not saying we’re going to do anything, but we need to be prepared for any situation that may come up. But at the end of the day, if we go in and pick at No. 5, I’m real confident that we’re getting a piece that will help us win and be part of our future for a long time.

So—trading down is a possibility. And Benning's main target is a player who can help the team now. That lines up with what we heard yesterday from Darren Dreger, that Benning is still determined to do what he can to help the team get back into the playoffs as soon as possible.

As far as his impressions from the 70 interviews that the team conducted at the draft combine?

“It made me feel that we’re going to get a good player and a solid person,” added Benning, who noted that Tkachuk was really impressive in his interview with the Canucks.

With the idea that it may still be possible to acquire a second-round pick—even if it means giving up a first—here's what the scouting group is up to at Whistler this week:

The Canucks have first and third-round picks this year, but not a coveted second-round pick. They have identified their top 60 players for this draft and it’s imperative that the sixth through 30 picks are figured out in order of preference in case the round turns into the trade show.

Next week, the pro scouts will start breaking down the team's future plan for its long list of unrestricted free agents and decide whether or not to take advantage of the buyout window, which will be open by next Friday at the latest.

Conn Smythe Debate Takes a Twist

That was a wild first period last night in Pittsburgh, with the Sharks jumping out to an early 2-0 lead, then seeing it erased by the Penguins before the game was six minutes old.

Despite once again being outplayed and outchanced, San Jose hung on for the 4-2 win, sending the series back to the Shark Tank. It wasn't a great night for Matt Murray, who may have let the pressure get to him, but North Vancouver's Martin Jones was phenomenal at the other end of the ice, stopping 44 of 46 shots.

I won't run another Conn Smythe poll unless the Sharks also win Game 6. The options get much more interesting if the Cup gets decided in Game 7. Jones has certainly made a case for himself, as has Logan Couture.

Martin Jones' 44 saves are most in a regulation win when facing elimination in Stanley Cup Final since expansion in 1968 (via @EliasSports)

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 10, 2016

#SJSharks Logan Couture ties #StanleyCup Final record for most points in a period (Most recently done by Danny Briere: Game 1, 2010)

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) June 10, 2016

Couture's now the runaway leader in playoff scoring with 29 points. That ties Jonathan Toews' performance from 2010 and leaves him behind only the 2009 performances of Sidney Crosby (31 points) and Evgeni Malkin (36 points) among active players, according to Hockey Reference.

Also worth noting—Pittsburgh's leading scorer, Phil Kessel, drew more votes in yesterday's Conn Smythe poll than either Sidney Crosby or Matt Murray. Depending on what happens from here on out, he's still very much in the running.

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