Canucks GM Jim Benning, seen last summer with the NHL depth chart behind him, is unlikely to make significant trades ahead of the Monday deadline, preferring to hang on to his previous draft picks. Photograph by: Jenelle Schneider , Vancouver Sun

Two days before the National Hockey League trading deadline, the Vancouver Canucks are closing in on a couple of major acquisitions that could determine whether the team makes the Stanley Cup playoffs or gets a ticket for the draft lottery.

The Vancouver Sun has learned that Canuck general manager Jim Benning is planning to add two first-pairing defencemen and a gritty third-line centre. He has been eyeing these transactions for weeks and the Canucks are close to adding the players, according to multiple sources.

And all it will cost Benning is patience. That’s a lot less than previous Canuck general managers have spent the last 10 years at the NHL trading deadline, which is noon Monday.

The players the Canucks are adding are defencemen Alex Edler and Chris Tanev, and centre Brad Richardson. Benning should get them and others off Vancouver’s injured list in the next couple of weeks.

Sorry to disappoint everyone.

The chances of the Canucks making a significant trade are slim because Benning isn’t willing to surrender draft picks or good prospects, no longer has an extra goalie to deal and wants to keep his three pending unrestricted free agents.

“That’s a fair assessment,” Benning said before the Canucks scuffed up a sparkling road trip with a 6-3 loss Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres. “But the other thing is we’ve been really happy with our group, how on any given night they show up and compete. I really do like our team.”

Benning said he likes the Canucks a lot more than he did five weeks ago, when the current injury crisis began with defenceman Kevin Bieksa’s broken hand and Richardson’s deep ankle bruise. The number of injured Canucks peaked at eight in Sunday’s 4-0 win against the New York Islanders when starting goalie Ryan Miller sprained knee ligaments that will keep him out 4-6 weeks.

Yet the Canucks, missing three of their top four defencemen since Edler and Tanev were hurt two weeks ago, just went 3-2 on a road trip and are 6-3 since Feb. 9. All of the victories were against strong teams, four of them on the road.

Thursday’s loss left the Canucks at 35-23-3 — on pace for 98 points — and clinging to a playoff spot in the Pacific Division.

“You don’t really know what you have with your group until you face adversity,” Benning said. “Losing our top two defencemen plus Kevin Bieksa, who’s an emotional leader on our team, and losing two of our top three centre-icemen for a period of time ... was really tough.

“Our guys have stepped up. Young players bring energy to your room every day, and I think that has energized the whole group. You see the way (rookies) Bo Horvat and Ronnie Kenins are playing every night, and Bulldog (Alex Biega) on defence ... these guys are working and competing so hard for us. Right through the team, players have bought in. In Boston, you could see the Sedins (Henrik and Daniel) standing up for themselves, pushing back in the scrums. It’s a really good group.

“That’s not to say I’m not going to be active. I’m going to continue to talk to teams and stay involved so I know what’s out there, but I’m less inclined to do anything.”