Canucks GM: 'I'm not looking to make a coaching change'

Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning says head coach Travis Green's job is safe for now.

Green is in the final year of his contract and has guided the Canucks since 2017-18. Vancouver currently sits second last in the North Division at 10-15-2 while having played more games than all of their Canadian opponents.

Benning also addressed the possibility of making a trade to improve the club Friday. He added his team has to "figure this out from within," as new players would have to quarantine for two weeks and then get their conditioning back, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

The GM said in November he'd begun negotiating a contract extension with Green but the COVID-19 pandemic was limiting their ability to finalize it.

Vancouver missed the playoffs in Green's first two seasons behind the bench but made it in 2020, bouncing the Minnesota Wild out of the qualifying round before knocking out the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in the next stage.

The Canucks came within one win of reaching the Western Conference Final, losing their second-round series to the Vegas Golden Knights in seven.

Green has a record of 112-118-30 behind the Vancouver bench.