Will the Canucks resign GM Jim Benning?

Francesco Aquilini, Vancouver Canucks' owner, gave a rare public interview earlier this week as he appeared on Sportsnet 650 radio in Vancouver to talk about many things including current Vancouver general manager Jim Benning.

Jim Benning is in his final year of his contract and there haven't been any reports of a future agreement coming in place between the former Canucks' player and the club after this season.

With Jim, those contract talks are private, Aquilini stated. It's not something I was to discuss here.

Reporter for the Vancouver Province, Tony Gallagher, picked apart Aquilini's statement as he was on TSN 1040, which would be meaning that Jim Benning is not in the team's future plan.

If Aquilini was perfectly fine with Benning, he would've renewed already, Gallagher said. I think Jim Benning is an enormous asset to the team, I really do. Even if you have to pay him massively to keep him around, you're well advised to do so, based on the Boeser experience, what he's come up with at the draft. But he's not a guy to run your team, and I think he demonstrated that over and over again. They need a guy to come in and actually manage the team. Should they keep Jim Benning? They should probably go through  a wall to try and keep him. But is he a general manager? I don't know.

As interesting as it may be, if Jim Benning isn't resigned for next season, who will take his place?