Two Stanley Cup champion forwards have been linked to the Vancouver Canucks in free agency this summer. The Vancouver Canucks did not have the season they had hoped for after making it to the second round of the playoffs last year. While the club is not mathematically eliminated, they remain eight points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and with just 14 points left up for grabs it is extremely unlikely that they will get in. Their chances of going on a hot streak have been further limited <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/vancouver-canucks/vancouver-canucks-give-injury-updates-on-several-key-players-including-elias-pettersson' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>due to a series of key injuries the team is still struggling with. </a> As a result, the focus from the team's front office has already begun to shift towards next season. One key position the club will look to fill will be the second-line center spot. The Canucks have seen a rotating cast of centers in the position since they traded JT Miller to the New York Rangers in January, with Filip Chytil performing the role most regularly. However. Chytil has just 2 goals and 6 points in 15 games since joining the team, which is not good enough for a top-six role. As such, the team will likely look to replace him in free agency. Two free agent centers in particular have been linked to the club. The first is Panthers veteran Sam Bennett. Bennett has become a huge part of the Panthers identity and success, with 25 goals and 50 points, a career high this season. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/RonoAnalyst/status/1902075868698026162'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> The 28-year-old has enjoyed much success since joining the Panthers but with a career high in points this season at 50, he may be seen as a risky option for a top-six role. What if he regresses back to his career averages? Another player linked to the Canucks is Tampa Bay Lightning forward Yanni Gourde. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/JFreshHockey/status/1897367901184909691'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> Like Bennett though, Gourde does not exactly have the scoring history of a steady second-liner. His career high in points came all the way back in his rookie season with 64 points. This year the 33-year-old has just 6 goals and 26 points split between the Lightning and Kraken. Granted, Gourde would be a welcome addition to any club, but a top-six role may be a but much for him at this stage in his career.