The tone around the Vancouver Canucks has been changing.

Go back to the end of the season, and the news was that general manager Patrik Allvin had been removed. It was...odd, given that the coaching staff remained in place. The excuse at the time was that the new general manager, whoever that might be, should make their own decision. Rational enough. So, presumably, the GM would be named quickly to see who is where and what plans need to be made. Right?

28 Days Later

Eh, not exactly, but close enough.

The thing about figing Allvin is that we aren't completely sure what decisions he may or may not have made with the team. The weird, two-headed ettin at the top of the Canucks' administrative food chain left those who observed it a little confused. And those who had to interact with it more so. There are reports of other teams not knowing who they were dealing with for trade proposals. That broke containment when Jim Rutherford announced he had taken the Quinn Hughes trade "off Allvin's plate," as if that were a favour to him rather than an elbowing aside.

Dear Abby

Vern put up a post about how this particular group has treated its employees, and it's hard not to agree. It'll come up again when we get around to talking about Elias Pettersson the Forward*, but it's correct to point to Ryan Johnson getting jerked around recently. He was recently given a new contract with Vancouver because of the job he's done in Abbotsford. He has been the heir apparent for a few years now. And yet.

Johnson was not only given an expensive new deal, but was also stopped from interviewing with the Nashville Predators. They are apparently living up to their mascot's image by waiting patiently for the right moment to pounce. It's been literal months without any apparent movement down there. Most likely guess is they have someone in mind, but that person is still involved in league play. Or they're still under contract...

Johnson brought the Canucks their only league-wide trophy of any kind, winning the AHL's Calder Cup in 2025. The team has been generally competitive, though all minor teams rely heavily on their parent clubs getting the draft right, signing good free agents, and not needing 50 skaters and five goalies in any given season. For many, the assumption was that Johnson and coach Manny Malhotra would step up to the NHL level at the next opportunity. That hasn't happened yet, and why not is a bit of a mystery.

Knock Knock

There is one rival remaining for the position, and that's Evan Gold. Currently with the Boston Bruins, Gold is known as a "power behind the throne" kind of guy. Not that he's a potential assassin or any such, of course. I think. I'm not going to pretend I know a lot about him, so perhaps murder is a pastime of his. But probably not. He is very well thought of by other people in the business, though. By all accounts, he would be a fine choice.

Rutherford likes Ryan Johnson for the job. But Rutherford has also said he is essentially leaving the club while holding a nominal position with a full paycheque. Moving back to Carolina is quite the work-from-home power move, but how much influence will he have? If the team only hires one replacement, it probably won't be the one the guy they just ghosted likes.

As an added bit of weirdness, it sounds like the Sedins might be getting a... promotion? Henrik and Daniel Sedin have been around the team in various positions, most recently in player development. If you've watched any practices, you've likely seen them working with young players, with veterans, with anyone who wanted to take advantage of their experience.

They were hired five years ago, and made one thing clear: they wanted to learn everything about the team. This isn't going to be a Mats Sundin situation, where he has lived in Sweden for several years and will likely need to get brought up to speed in Toronto. What power Sundin will have with the Leafs is unclear, as he and John Chayka were announced at the same time.

The Sedins have planned their move into the Canucks organization very carefully and deliberately. They control everything about how they get promoted, and both have made it clear they will quite happily walk away if they have to. If they feel like they are ready to assume a new job, they will.

Funny story: apparently, they also like Ryan Johnson for the next general manager. So that's something to consider.

The Shape of an Org Chart

Neither of the Sedins will be named general manager, and they probably don't want that job just yet. Wherever they do end up, it's hard to picture them away from the ice and the players asking for their advice. It certainly wouldn't hurt for them to have better-defined duties among the white-collars, though. Who knows what that will be, though.

With Rutherford fading out, Allvin gone(?), the Sedins ambiguously promoted, and the coaching staff on tenterhooks, getting some answers would be handy. The draft is coming up, and the team needs to have a plan in place soon. Either Johnson or Gold can head the team up, but they need to know who the team is, first.

Oh, did you notice that question mark? Patrik Allvin has been offered a new spot with the Canucks, according to Donnie and Dhali recently. He has a tremendous amount of scouting experience, and let's face it, another general manager position is unlikely for a few years yet. No one knows how much credit/blame to give him for his tenure with Vancouver. And the paycheque is great. It would be weird, but maybe he will still be in the "About Us" section of the Canucks website.

Rumours are circulating of a complete overhaul of the scouting department, so maybe he'll end up there. Assuming he even wants to be with the team, being on the road for most of the year can soften the blow of losing his previous job. And add to the unending weirdness that is the Vancouver Canucks.

But why the heck are we hearing that Dax Aquilini is sitting in on the GM interviews...?

*Oooo, foreshadowing!