Canucks notebook: Benching J.T. Miller and is there a fix for the second-pair defence?

J.T. Miller benched

Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau benched forward J.T. Miller for the final 14 minutes of Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Miller had two giveaways that led to scoring chances for the Penguins in the third period.

Boudreau said after the game that he benched Miller because he was "not happy with his compete level."

Fix for the second-pair defence?

The Canucks have struggled to find a consistent second-pair defenceman to play alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Quinn Hughes and Ekman-Larsson have been the Canucks' top pair all season, but the team has used a variety of players on the second pair, including Tyler Myers, Jack Rathbone, and Ethan Bear.

Myers has been the most consistent of the three, but he is a stay-at-home defenceman who doesn't provide much offence.

Rathbone and Bear have both shown offensive upside

Rathbone has two goals and four assists in 20 games this season, while Bear has one goal and three assists in 15 games.

However, both players have also been prone to defensive mistakes.

The Canucks may need to look outside the organization for a second-pair defenceman.

Some possible options include

Some possible options include Connor Murphy of the Chicago Blackhawks, Vladislav Gavrikov of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Ethan Bear of the Carolina Hurricanes.

All three players are under contract for next season, so the Canucks would need to trade for them.

Murphy is a right-handed defenceman who has averaged over 20 minutes of ice time per game the past three seasons.

Gavrikov is a left-handed defenceman who is known for his physical play.

Bear is a right-handed defenceman who has played on both the first and second pairs in Carolina this season.