The early years of Jim Benning’s tenure yielded some of the leanest seasons in Canucks history.



Vancouver watched as the beloved core from the 2011 Stanley Cup Final team succumbed to Father Time, enduring years of pain and patiently waiting to see light at the end of the tunnel.



That light has finally emerged, and it appears brighter than ever.



Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes have given the Canucks three consecutive rookie All-Stars. Boeser’s been a first-line winger since Day 1. In Pettersson, the organization has found its franchise centre — a slam-dunk top-10 player in the NHL and very likely the best skater from the 2017 draft class.



Meanwhile, Hughes, selected in 2018, gives the Canucks a chance at owning the best player in two consecutive drafts. You see, while Rasmus Dahlin was billed as a generational defenceman a full year before the draft, it’s Hughes who has been the best defenceman from that...