VANCOUVER (CP) - Pat Quinn refused to wither under the pressure of the NHL trade deadline Tuesday.
  When rival general managers demanded the youth of the Vancouver Canucks, Quinn elected to stay on course and look to the future.
  "We wanted to keep the core of good players we have and add to that without giving away the farm," Quinn said. "We kept our youth."
  For a GM known to pull the trigger on late trades, Quinn had a relatively quiet day. The 3 p.m. EST, deadline passed without a blockbuster deal for a team in danger of missing the Western Conference playoffs.
  Quinn traded minor-league defenceman Frantisek Kucera to the Philadelphia Flyers for future considerations. Wayward forward Josef Beranek, currently playing in the Czech Republic, was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins, also for future considerations.
  Vancouver's only addition was defenceman Steve Staios, claimed on waivers from the Boston Bruins.
  Boston reportedly wanted Staios to play in the minors at Providence of the American Hockey League after he was -26 for goals scored at even strength in 54 NHL games this season with the Bruins.
  Staios, 23, was drafted in the second round by the St. Louis Blues in 1991. He and left-winger Steve Sawyer were traded to Boston on Mar. 8, 1996 for right-winger Steve Leach.
  "We liked him his draft year," Quinn said of Staios. "He has a chance to grow into a decent player."
  Staios had been practising with Providence and will report to the Canucks before their home game Thursday against the San Jose Sharks.
  "We weren't particularly close to making a deal on any big names," said Quinn. "We had discussions with Toronto about Kirk Muller."
  Muller was traded to the Florida Panthers for promising forward Jason Podollan, who played minor hockey in Vernon, B.C.
  Quinn indicated most teams he talked with near deadline were interested in Vancouver prospects like winger Peter Schaefer of the Brandon Wheat Kings, centre Josh Holden of the Regina Pats and unsigned Swedish defenceman Mattias Ohlund.
  "We have a team we think is capable of a lot and can still make the playoffs," Quinn said. "We were looking for a veteran defenceman and a centreman, and that still continues.
  "We have kept some young guys who are playing pretty well on their respective teams. We weren't willing to part with that for an older, short-term fix."
  Quinn made his only major deal this season 10 days ago when he sent veterans Esa Tikkanen and Russ Courtnall to the New York Rangers for Sergei Nemchinov and Brian Noonan.
  Nemchinov has not yet skated for the Canucks due to a lingering rib injury. He could play Thursday.
  Vancouver has six players on the injured list, including forwards Pavel Bure (neck) and Trevor Linden (ribs) and goaltender Kirk McLean (finger).
  Kucera and Beranek, both veteran imports from the Czech Republic, did not make the Vancouver roster during training camp. Their trades are conditional to them reporting, Quinn added.
 

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