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When Jim Benning acquired J.T. Miller from the Tampa Bay Lightning in late June, there were two distinct reactions in Vancouver.

The first, and most visceral, came from a large chunk of the fan base who wondered aloud if Benning had lost his mind. Miller, they conceded, is an NHLer. But the price the Canucks’ general manager paid — a first-round pick which is lottery protected for this year only and a third-rounder in last summer’s draft — was outrageous for a team supposedly in rebuild mode.

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Juxtaposed against that informed opinion, however, was a second reaction from the Canucks’ locker-room which wasn’t as loud but was more relevant. Miller was a player who could help the team win right now, the Canucks’ players said. That was the only point up for discussion.

First-rounder? Third-rounder? Who cares. That’s in the future. We need help today and this guy makes us a better team today.

“I thought we had enough prospects in our pool,” is how Benning explains his rationale. “(The first-rounder) is still three years away from helping your team and that’s if he hits. I just thought the time was right for this deal.”