Come For The Banter - Stay For The Disappointment
Nucks Fan Rebuild & Retool Center - Come For The Banter - Stay For The Disappointment
I'm not all that interested in the physical results of the NHL draft combine. Sure, kids that age are going to grow a little bit between the end of their seasons and June 5th, but not THAT much. It's fun to compare, and maybe catch a name you aren't already familiar with, but otherwise? There might be the occasional story ("Sam Bennett couldn't do a single pull-up!"), but there's rarely any actual news.
I'm a little annoyed that Oscar Hemming has rocketed up the draft rankings when I was hoping the Canucks could grab him in the second round. I'm a little more annoyed that my favourite at three, Keaton Verhoff, is getting disrespected lately on those same lists. But again, I don't put a lot of stock in the NHL combine. Though did you hear that Vancouver was the only team Gavin McKenna had a dinner date with...? And Alexander Command is looking pretty great, huh? It would be so cool if they could land Mathis Preston!
Anyway.
It was interesting reading Thomas Drance's report, though. He talked to the potential picks who interviewed with the Canucks to see how they felt it went. I hadn't considered Jaxon Cover's history, but it is intriguing. Shades of Ed Jovanovski, joining organized hockey very late but being something of a prodigy. If he's good enough to be a potential first-round pick after just five years of league hockey, how good will he be with a few more under his belt?
More than that, though, was the universal description of the interview process. Not everyone they talked to has a chance of being anywhere the team will be picking - dreaming of Ryan Lin at 24, here - but there's always the chance of movement. I don't think they should bundle picks to move up, but there are other ways to change the order. They might drop down, or move veterans to build their prospect arsenal. In the teens is generally where you find teams wanting to improve sooner rather than later, so maybe an opportunity is there.
It's probably a better idea to see if they can bulk up their 2027 draft selections, if they manage to get another first-rounder. By all reports, it's going to be a very good year, but also not having all the best options being the exact same age wouldn't hurt. Players that reach the NHL can stay there a while; where they need room is breaking in. The fans have indicated they'll give the team time, no need to rush anyone.
But back to the interesting bit about the Canucks at the combine. Of the nine players Drance highlighted, all of them had some variant on the theme of chill. They were calm, easygoing interviews. You'll hear the players and teams give generic "Yeah, it was great" answers, so that isn't a surprise. The addition of "calm" or "relaxed" or "fun" to the descriptors was good to see.
It looks like AGMs Cammi Granato and Émilie Castonguay took the lead when GM Ryan Johnson flew back to Vancouver for the Manny Malhotra presser. By the sounds of it, and by the general feel around the week, the pressure is way down. They aren't asking these players if they think they can make the team this season. That's good. The fewer illusions management is carrying around with them, the better.
Picture getting interviewed by the manager of Forever 21, and they're talking about the company's bright future. That probably wouldn't impress you much, would it? We expect players to be head down and working hard at improving their game, but they're going to know what last year's standings were. Vancouver's lousy results might get them a few free agent signings, implying there is plenty of spots open. But no one wants to work for the delusional.
Speaking of which:
Allow me to add a personal note that AI continues to suck. How the hell does this thing pronounce "eyes"? Or "nicks" for that matter? Yeesh.
(It's NYZE. Lunatic frikkin' machine.)
Well, the inevitable happened: the Vancouver Canucks made a major announcement at an awkward time for media and fans. A bit surprising it wasn't another "Friday night after five" call, but the middle of Monday is bad enough. Don't tell me that's when you're at YOUR best, bucko.
The 2011 Reunion Tour continued apace, with the expected hiring of Manny Malhotra to work the Canucks bench. This comes a year after he was one of two finalists to take over for Rick Tocchet, losing the job to Adam Foote. That they've come back to Malhotra now tells you how well that went.
Malhotra joins Canucks alumni GM Ryan Johnson, Presidents of Hockey Operations Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin, and player development coach Mikael Samuelsson. Former Canucks defenceman Alexander Edler has been asked to join the team in player development at this year's training camp, so will likely be working with/for Samuelsson.
For an added kick, the team needs a new coaching staff for Abbotsford with Malhotra's promotion. Alexandre Burrows just happens to be quite well thought of as a future head coach. He worked the bench as an assistant with Laval and Montreal, recently moving into player development. Know a team that might be interested in player development? And in former 2011 Canucks Alums?
At a glance, it looks like a mediocre Happy Gilmore-produced Netflix special, where Adam Sandler has hires his buddies to vacation somewhere and they'll work out the plot as they go. Fortunately, the new management has more than a paycheque as motivation. They also have anger.
While Malhotra didn't leave the team on good terms, he came back because he wanted to. His eye injury left the Canucks with a hard decision to make, and then-GM Mike Gillis put him on injured reserve a month into his final contract year in 2012-13. Malhotra continued his playing career through sheer force of will before finally retiring in 2016. The Canucks hired him as a development coach almost immediately upon his announcement.
He's worked his way up the coaching ranks since then, being an assistant coach with Vancouver and Toronto before succeeding Jeremy Colliton as head coach in Abbotsford. We all know what happened then, winning the Calder Cup in his first year coaching the AHL team. And now, here he is as the big club's bench boss.
So when we say the new management is angry, we don't mean at the team itself. For the past decade, Johnson, Malhotra, and the Sedins have watched their former team fail, repeatedly and spectacularly. They've stumbled from panic to crisis to tire fire, with apparently little care for what made the team worth cheering for. PR disasters, personnel disasters, and management disasters bounced off each other like diseases in a hot tub.
They weren't pleased with what they saw. It was, frankly, embarrassing. And they decided to do something about it. The Sedins volunteered to return to the club in a typically low-key way. And now that they're in charge, they're bringing in others who not only remember the team they played for, but want to get that feeling back.
There is no one here who will brook fools lightly. Malhotra dragged his career back because he wasn't finished with it yet. Johnson played through 15 pro seasons and a ludicrous number of injuries, and despite peaking at 21 points in a full season, he kept finding work for a reason. And as for the Sedins, well, anyone who wants to pretend they were ever "soft" can keep thinking that right up until they break the 1300 NHL game mark.
So here's the thing: the team they're managing isn't looking to make the playoffs next year. That, paradoxically enough, means they don't need to tolerate someone who is disruptive, however they choose to interpret it.
Highest scorer on the team? Big deal! You didn't hurry back to the bench, so you're missing a couple shifts. Being a dick to teammates? Take the next game off, you won't be missed. Don't want to be part of the community service the team does? Maybe this isn't the place for you.
But they can also be more patient with players who are working hard, but don't have the experience to go with it yet. A defender who's missed his check might get a reminder, but shouldn't miss a shift if it's not a regular thing. A kid taking a bad penalty because he got emotional, well, it sucks, but that happens.
There's a saying that the NHL isn't a development league, and that's mostly true. Players shouldn't be in it without a basic toolkit they can fill elsewhere. But the Canucks are also starting from the bottom up. They can afford to be patient with young guys learning the league, especially when the entire team is pretty dang young.
Malhotra has coached a team that was frequently stripped for parts last year. A constant influx of new players rotating in only to have them bumped out of place by returning vets is a juggling act. Trying to find a place for prospects while encouraging veterans just added to the puzzle. One message he and Johnson gave their players was this: our job is to get you out of here.
That goal going to be different now, with longer-term players and no help coming from the parent club. You won't find guys who are "too good for the league" joining the team for a injury rehab. This is as good as it gets.
But the method is the same: it's guessing who has another gear and how to find it. Using the parts provided in the place they're most appropriate. Convincing someone who's always played one way that they'll last longer playing another. It's going to take patience, honesty, and clarity of vision at every level, from White Collars and Blue ones alike.
So, sure, the NHL isn't a development league. But for the next couple seasons, the Canucks - and Manny - are probably best served by pretending it is.
[Editing note: There HAS to be a better way to say that. Think of one later.]
Still no sign of Manny Malhotra reaching an agreement to coach the Vancouver Canucks, but Elliotte Friedman isn't worried. So, for now, we won't be either. There's a lot of other stuff to do before Draft Day, so it's not like the Sedins of Johnson are bored. I'll be generous and guess that the holdup is about who else Manny will be bringing onto his staff.
We're going to run down the folks on the ice - even if it was just part-time - and have a quick look-see at the free agents here. Some sort of decision needs to be made on them before the 2026-27 season starts, and we thought we'd help. By definition, these aren't in-depth looks, here. We have almost a month to go before the first deadline (trading for this year's picks), so expect a bit of filler between now and then, yeah? Let's go.
Trying to categorize free agents is always a bit odd. Different players have different applications, so blanket terms rarely apply comfortably. Fortunately, the NHL has done that for us, and it's too warm to take anything but the laziest of options.
I don't really expect Vancouver's unrestricted free agents to return. Curtis Douglas is a Group 6* free agent, and the players are pushing for him to get re-signed. He was an instant fan favourite as fighters tend to be, and Canucks fans are going to have little to cheer this season. He probably has the best odds of a new deal of any UFA NHL player from last season.
Guillaume Brisebois may get another one-year deal, but given his miserable luck with this squad, maybe he'll feel a little snakebit. Wouldn't blame him for looking elsewhere by now.
Outside of those two, it's tough to see where the advantage lies with either the team or the player trying again. Jiří Patera, far from re-establishing his prospect potential, has cemented himself as a capable AHL netminder. Vancouver's already got a log jam in goal at every level, and they'll need to decide what to do with Aleksei Medvedev soon.
Joseph Labate has provided some shelter for the prospects coming up through Abbotsford, which is great, but he's not someone who can keep up an NHL pace. Nice story for a draft pick coming home, but he's found his ceiling.
Defenceman Derek Forbort - remember him? - played two games for Vancouver before injuries kept him out for the year. Thanks for the effort, but we filled that spot. Evender Kane was tired and bored on the ice, whatever his behaviour off it was like. The universal embarrassment of his hitting 1,000 NHL games in a Canucks jersey says it all.
Teddy Blueger, as much as he's said he wants to return, probably can't find a proper fit in Vancouver. He earned his two-year, $1.8-million-per contract and was good value for it. But it's now a very different team with a very different goal. They need the space for younger players to fill in low in the lineup, and he's just not a top-six guy.
There's only one restricted free agent at the NHL level, and that's spare defenceman Pierre-Olivier Joseph. If Victor Mancini sticks around, I expect he'll take that role instead. Neither Jack Thompson nor Cole Clayton seems destined for a breakthrough, but they can both play on the right side. Having a few who can be called up in an emergency won't hurt the contract limit, but the NHL team probably hopes never to need them.
Moving to forward, there are some curious cases here. Chase Stillman is a very interesting guy, willing to engage with whoever is in his way. He's a "drag your team into the fight" type. He'll never be a scorer, but if your team needs a bulldog, he brings it.
Jaden Grubbe is almost the opposite of Stillman, thinking the game through and looking where he can make the most impact in the next five seconds. He looks to kill opponents' plays as much as make his own.
A great story for a sixth-round pick, Nils Åman is probably at the end of the line with Vancouver. He was a great free agent pickup, but he's also gone from 68 games with the Canucks in 2022-23 to 43 games to 19 to 2 last year.
As for Danila Klimovich, what can you say? He's fun to watch, as long as you don't care who scores next. After five seasons in the AHL, it's hard to see much in the way of progress. He still has his NHL-level shot, but that's not enough. Maybe another team thinks they can bring him out and believe in him enough to make an offer. But walking away is also an option.
*Group 6 free agent: over 24 years old; three or more years in a professional league with an NHL contract; fewer than 80 NHL games as a skater, fewer than 28 games over 30 minutes for goalies.
The Vancouver Canucks didn't win first overall, as you may have heard. They didn't even finish second, with two teams taking their place on the board ahead of them. But what they have is still very, very interesting. We have a month to go, and a lot of screen space to fill between now and then. Fortunately, this is the Canucks we're talking about. We never know when this team will set its own hair on fire.
Here's our best guess at what they're thinking, and how they should be thinking, about this year's draft class.
Marshmallows at the ready.
The talk around this season's draft has been how weak it is. Gavin McKenna has been a runaway favourite for the past five years, but otherwise, 2026 lacked star power. No one's projected to be a regular 40-goal scorer or an All-Star defender. Goaltending is pretty much its own category, teams knowing they should draft one without knowing when. As the saying goes, Once Bitten, Once More Bitten.
If there's a single maxim that teams, scouts, and fans repeat to themselves and each other, it's this: Best Player Available. Nothing else matters. If the best player available happens to be in the position your team is strongest, well, that's irritating, but not fatal. Even teams built through the draft usually have just a handful of their own picks on them. The rest have been acquired through free agent signings or trades, and you can only make trades if you have something worth trading.
But it's not a maxim that sticks through every round. By the time the picks reach triple digits, anyone making it is an extreme long shot anyhow. Why not take three left-side defencemen, just to see who gets through? Look for the kids with a single NHL-possible trait, and see if the rest comes along with time and training.
The risk in a modest draft year is that some positions suddenly look better than they are. Rarity brings value, earned or not. You can probably see where we're going with this.
Caleb Malhotra looks like a solid, NHL-bound player. Every report about his character is exemplary. The work he's put in has shown on the ice, and his draft position has skyrocketed this season. And if either Ivar Stenberg or Gavin McKenna is available, the Canucks shouldn't draft him.
I want to be absolutely clear on this: scouts love Malhotra, and he justifies the affection. If he does get drafted by Vancouver, there's going to be a lot of thinkpieces referencing Bo Horvat. Horvat is an excellent second-line centre and a low-end first-line one. Is that what you spend the third overall pick on? If a team is picking Malhotra because he is the best centre available - a debated argument - then you're picking for position, not best player available.
In a draft year very strong in centres, Horvat was the fifth one chosen. Picking a different position because you are chock-full of centres is how you get Seth Jones, Rasmus Ristolainen, or Darnell Nurse instead. Perfectly good defencemen, but I'd rather have the fifth-highest rated centre that year.
Similarly, Malhotra could very well be the best centre from 2026. And there could be a half-dozen defencemen you'd rather have instead.
Here's the thing: if the team is absolutely set on getting Malhotra, I won't cry too much about it. It looks like he's going to be a fine player, and I look forward to him being in the league. That goes double if he's in a Canucks jersey. But if they pass over Stenberg to draft him, we're going to have words.
Now, the odds are against that possibility, as it looks like there is a definite tier separating the two. But, as we've all seen, drafts don't always go as scripted. San Jose doesn't strictly need another forward, and maybe they're happy to drift back a little to take their chances while picking up some extra talent. But a team moving up to second overall isn't likely doing it for Malhotra. They should be going after Stenberg, leaving Vancouver in the same position if San Jose doesn't move.
Maybe whoever's in that second slot is convinced Chase Reid is their guy. Beautiful! Stenberg, it is, thanks for coming, we'll see you in another twenty picks or so. And if there's a team that is certain Reid (or whomever) is their One and Only, then pick up the phone. I'm perfectly happy to drop a half-dozen spots for a first-rounder next year, even if it's top-10 protected. There are a lot of defenders I like this year, and I'd be perfectly happy to get any of a half-dozen of them. If all of them happen to get taken, well, okay, I guess we'll have to make do with Malhotra after all. Plus the extra draft capital in 2027.
Yes, I like Liam Ruck and his twin, Markus Ruck. They're a fine story, and twins obviously have resonance in Vancouver. I also think 24th is probably too high to draft either of them, especially with nine spots to go between picks. Unless someone pulls off the Brian Burke back-to-back picks, can you imagine how many teams are going to call after the first brother goes?
Yes, any other team that drafts Markus will be the Villain of the Day, and the media will talk of little else but potential trades for the rest of their careers. But why would you expect them not to draft someone on their board? Kindness? It hurts to say, but if any team manages to pull off getting them together, it'll be Calgary. They have two first-round picks and four in the second, so if they really want to move up, they have the ammo to do so.
Awesome though it would be to start the Sedin's presidential tenure by drafting twins, they can't afford to spend future assets to do so. Unless they're really, REALLY sure about them being NHL players. Then yeah, give us the storyline, baby!
What would we get if I got what I wanted? The absolutely perfect first two rounds? I mean, the scenarios listed would be pretty great, but you can't simply assume teams will be fools. I'd love to see either of the top two fall into Vancouver's lap, but that's probably not going to happen.
I'd like to drop down and pick up a 2027 pick and, say, Keaton Verhoff. Then, there has been a fair bit of movement - usually with players coming up with little mention of those falling. In my dream world, Ryan Lin continues to move down the boards (sorry, Ryan!) until the Canucks can take him. If not, there is a small pile of centres around 24th that are worth consideration - Alexander Command, Maddox Dagenais, Yegor Shilov. It gets a bit blurry quickly this year.
Past that? Getting the Ruck twins would be hilarious. But if not, I'm all for getting defenceman Ben Macbeath with the 41st pick. Sure, he has talent, but the real reason is that I'm a total theatre nerd and I'm trying to picture the broadcasters not saying his name in the arena.
"That guy doesn't deserve to wear the crest."
-One of the Sedins, according to Rachel Kryshak, when she appeared on Sekeres & Price earlier today
Now, Ms. Kryshak deliberately didn't say which Sedin it was, but does that distinction matter? It's not just splitting hairs; it's arguing the difference between orange juice and the juice you get from oranges.
If we're talking about coaches, why am I bringing up the twins being annoyed about a current player? Because of some criticism the team has received about hiring them. Specifically, the belief that hiring someone already close to the team doesn't change enough of the management level of the team. It's not a bad criticism, frankly. The team still needs to flesh out the administration and will bring in "outside people" anyway, so it's not as bad as people think.
But the biggest advantage that the trio of Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, and Ryan Johnson bring is pride. They don't WANT the team to be a comfort zone for aging players. They don't want people with weak character anywhere near their room. And now they are empowered to do something about it. Whatever frustration, irritation, or even anger they've felt about their team, they can now act on.
Just imagine how satisfying that must be. Ask anyone in Vancouver what they would do if they were running the Canucks, and odds are you'll get an answer. Or six, depending on how long they've been a fan.
Can we just cut to the chase and stick Manny Malhotra behind the bench, already? No? Okay, he could say no to the offer and see who else is interested out there. Despite the season Abbotsford had last year, he's still highly thought of around the league. He probably wouldn't be interested in taking an NHL assistant's job again. Doing that twice starts managers thinking of you as a perpetual assistant, not a head coach.
If he doesn't outright refuse the job, he's a solid bet to be there next season. It was hilarious hearing Johnson say they haven't hired Malhotra, but if you want to know what they're looking for in a coach, it's Malhotra. They aren't even calling it a "search" but a "process" to find their next coach.
The coach - whoever it is, wink wink - will need to work well with young players. Development of players, wherever they've been drafted, is arguably the most important factor in returning to relevance. Everyone needs to be coached, the young players the most. So, a coach who has worked with players trying to break into the league, who has given them a chance to find their game, would be best.
They're also going to need the patience of Job. Young players make mistakes, and this team won't have the talent to cover up for them. Yes, there will be some veterans, but that's not the point of having a young team. The coach needs to be ready to put those players back on the ice. Too many mistakes and it could mean a scratch later, but that's a conversation for after the game.
Speaking of mistakes: one of the maxims now-former coach Adam Foote liked was not compounding mistakes. If you make a mistake on a play, fine, those happen. But you'd better do the right thing next. That's the right idea, but too often the players would make a mistake, then not know what the "right thing next" was.
The systems the next coach brings will have to be communicated clearly and cleanly, so those skills are vital. They should be quickly explained to newcomers who are, say, filling in for players who have suddenly left the team.
And finally, it wouldn't hurt if the coach they bring in has experience with the city. They don't need playing experience specifically, but some idea of what happens in a town of two million coach/GMs. Now, if he does just happen to have a thousand NHL games under his belt, building a 16-year career despite a severe injury, and has seen the best and worst in the league? That's probably a mark in his favour, too. And if other players described him as a general on the ice, directing players when he was out there, that's not bad, either.
Folks, it's Manny. Just hire him already. There's a LOT more to do this offseason, even after the draft. Get this easy one out of the way and move on to the rest while you're on a roll.
"Foote gets the boot as the Canucks take a step forward."
- Petrishriekandgo on Bluesky
RJ made his first 'tough call' today by firing Adam Foote. We knew that he knew that it had to happen as there was no point keeping the Traitor Hughes pick for coach behind the bench. Foote wasn't the sole reason Nucks stinky season stank like month-old hockey socks, however he did Footey his way to successful tank commander. We tank him for his excruciating-to-watch 82 games of service. Also the associate tank drivers, Scott Young, Kevin Dean and Brett McLean have been relieved of service.
Foote was tripped up early in the season by the Faeries who kicked the Canucks square in the Nucks. By December with what's-his-name getting traded, there was no way the team could be retreaded in time for a playoff run, despite Foote giving Kane prime minutes all the freaking time. We're not putting our Foote down. That was Ryan's job.
Despite being 'right there' game after game, Foote's overarching strategy was to overplay the vets - especially Kane - at the expense of the youngins. Kane got the most 5v5 minutes - even after the basement rent had been paid. Karlsson, Nucks best 5v5 player, was ranked 17th for TOI. As a rookie NHL coach, Foote heeled it. And the rookies paid for it.
Flat-Footed Defense System
So obtuse and incomprehensible were the Footenotes, no amount of Footesplaining could convey the D-process to fans and worse to pro hockey players. Nucks PK finished last in the NHL at 71.5% — the second-worst penalty killing percentage in franchise history and the tenth-worst in the NHL ever. D-zone got off on the wrong Foote and couldn't step up until late in the season. After the team purged some more toxins from the locker room, Canucks exchanged the fancy Footework for better self-coached defense.
Adam's Footeprint will linger on with us whenever the Nucks pull the goalie late in the 3rd and give up a Footey. Or two.
Here's how secure Nucks coaching position has been since 2021:
Now going for the 5th coach in 5 years. In reality only the 2nd or 3rd. Bruce replaced Green, but JR couldn't abide the guy who scored his 1st NHL goal on him - so hired TraitorToc who went off the rails to Philly, getting a Foote in the door.
For a couple more years, Franny has to Foote the bill for another couch coach. Good thing Franny doesn't know how many unpaid couch coaches NM employs deploys. Doesn't matter.
What matters is...
THE NEXT COACH
Will it be Manny Malhotra or Torts or Berube or Bruce - our Bruce or the other Bruce no one can talk to or Manny Malhotra?
As RJ said to day: “It’s hard to be ignorant of an internal candidate that we obviously have, so I’m not going to deflect that Manny has shown his ability to develop young players, to build a connection, and obviously win a championship with a very young group... I won’t be ignorant to the fact that I am going to speak with him, sit down with him, and talk about the future.”
Canucks new braintrust will cast the coach net wide and then select... Manny.
While we're not hoping Foote feels defeeted, even if we were month after month, he proved to be a terrible coach for young player development and old fan engagement. That game is no longer aFoote.
Hank and Danny will be passing off Franny so RJ can get some work done.
At least we hope so.
Canucks announcing today the Sedins are co-presidents of hockey ops. Ryan Johnson becomes the Canucks GM. The Vancouver Canucks.
Our thoughts...
jimmi:
This is great news! Or could be if the micro-managing owners can get out of the way for a few seasons... it's possible, isn't it?
When this regime change was announced, the 'braintrust' at Canucks HQ put us through extended hell as they searched for a new GM... names like Kevyn Adams and Pierre Dorion were dangled over us on the media guillotine. Then the final four became the final two. Some Bahstoon re-tread became a threat to our post-traumatic Boourn Benning hire.
Fortunately, not only was RJ selected - Thursday's pick all along - JR found his best successor. Two of them. We've rolled in the dirt of this management rodeo before. Former beloved Nuck, Trev, was President and it worked out well. Until he managed up to get fired after advocating a rebuild.
This time it could be different, as the Sedins are inheriting a rebuild that JR/PA managed to create. So... that's good. Although... Vern warns us about performative changes.
Since the Twins are among my fav Canucks players, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. With a long and patient pathway to prove their vision. Until November at least.
Thursday:
What seemed like the obvious choice ended up being the obvious choice. But we got a dog-and-pony show first, which was considerate of them. Ideally, the owners heard enough from other potential hires that they are now aware of just where this team is and how long it will take to correct.
There are a couple standout things from their presser that I liked. An awareness of the situation from Johnson was mandatory, and it seems like he has one. That he was given a three-year contract is worth thinking about, though. I want the owners to know three years from now is a waystation, not a destination. That's going to be on them if they decide otherwise. Frankly, I don't want to hear from the owners again until he's up for renewal.
The Sedins getting the top job this soon is a bit unexpected, but it was inevitable. That, I think, was where hiring them was ending up. As I mentioned last time, they have been very deliberate in their choice to join the team, saying from Day One they wanted to learn everything about the team. They've been spending the past five years doing that. If there's one thing I'm never going to doubt, it's the Sedins working hard at whatever's in front of them.
But it's good to have the negotiating side being handled by the guy who has been a general manager before, even if it was in the AHL. There is a lot to run on a pro team, and I didn't want to see one person - or even two, if it was the Sedins - getting the whole job.
What it isn't is a clean slate. These three have been with the organization for a long time, and have a lot of pride in their work. But you know what was a clean slate? Jim Rutherford, Patrik Allvin, and Rick Tocchet. I'm willing to see where this goes, including the firing (or not) of head coach Adam Foote.
Right now, we have three guys who are very proud to be part of the team. Theoretically, that will sink in through the rest of the system down to the players. That's going to be essential for what will be some hard years ahead. So long as management is open and honest with their players, that will help build the culture. Johnson saying very clearly that he knows what the future holds.
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, however, reality has a way of creating whole new problems the theory didn't consider. We're just going to have to see what they do about it.
The Hockey Gods looked upon Vancouver and said: Meh.
Vancouver had the best chance of falling to third overall in the draft lottery, and the odds didn't disappoint. The Canucks have lost a LOT of draft positions over the past decade.
2013-15: No position change in three drafts
2016: Dropped two spots, picked 5th
2017: Dropped three spots, picked 5th
2018: Dropped one spot, picked 7th
2019: Dropped one spot, picked 10th
2020-21: No first-round pick, so who cares? We're FINE!
2022: No change, picked 15th
2023: No change, picked 11th
2024: First-round picks are for the weak. So are second-round picks.
2025: No change, but Utah, who finished in 14th to Vancouver's 15th, won and moved up to fourth.
2026: Dropped two spots, because it's been a while. Any chance we can get that whole "finishing last in the league by a wide margin" thing back?
So, yeah. We had a 55% chance of watching the team drop, and they did. Which sucks, but is still a third-overall draft position. That ain't a bad thing at all.
First things first, and Jim Rutherford announced after the lottery that he would be stepping away from his position. The President of Hockey Operations is keeping his title until after the draft proper happens in June. That gives the team plenty of time to fill at least one executive position, getting a general manager in place early enough to navigate the entry draft. There is still someone here to answer questions and maintain consistency among the white-collars.
That in itself isn't "good news" exactly, but it does show that they have a direction in mind. That part's good, anyway. And it makes the hiring of two people more likely, which I like. Splitting duties as the game gets more complex isn't a bad thing at all. Though perhaps give Dorion a miss for either spot, thanks.
Without getting into the players themselves, let's talk about why getting third this season is good news. And don't forget, the two teams that jumped ahead of Vancouver may well leave either McKenna or Stenberg available at third. The easiest pick could once again fall into the Canucks' lap through no effort of their own. If not, well, there are a half-dozen players I'd be more than happy to get, for a price. Seattle or Calgary want to toss in a pick in the 20s to get the guy they want? Does Winnipeg feel optimistic about its position next year? Let's talk 2027!
Personally, I don't want ANY of the players Vancouver takes this year to appear in the NHL. Training camp, sure, but not in the league. The Canucks are going to be a difficult team to win with, make no mistake. The fans have a long year ahead of them, and so do the players.
There are two possible results if they push their pick into the league this season, and neither one is what you want. The player could have a great year, helping them enough to worsen their draft position. Lovely, but that's not really what Vancouver needs. Or, of course, he doesn't, and you have an 18-year-old getting dragged by his hair through another bottom-ranked season. I can wait a year.
No one wants to work. I don't mean that as an indictment of The Youth Today, though I am the correct demographic. I mean that, literally, no one wants to work. That's why we call it work. You can enjoy what you do, that's fine, but it would be an ideal world where you could choose how much you did and when you did it. Right? Right. Hockey managers are no different.
When a bad team gets the first overall choice, and if they play really, really well, there is temptation. Say Vancouver gets McKenna, well, then what? Even if he blows the doors off, massively outperforming expectations, he might get 60 points for the season. Given the weakness of the division, that might even put them within striking distance of a playoff spot a week before the trade deadline. Hey, imagine if this kid had just a little more help...
That impulse needs to be snuffed out immediately. That little spark of hope can't be allowed to grow, not yet. Vancouver needs to be in this for the long haul, and that doesn't mean one or two bad seasons. We, the fans, will have plenty of young players to watch out there. Adding this year's pick is a bit of overkill.
Finishing third, there's no pretending that "We can do it quickly!" or "Go for it!" Put the chip-clip on the lips and grow some patience.
One top-three pick is great, don't get me wrong. But another would be even better, especially if a couple top-ten picks follow soon after.
Vancouver is going to get better. Probably. It's going to be tough to avoid, though talent alone isn't enough to win the Stanley Cup. Besides, the Canucks have finished in the mid-twenties often enough that it feels like home. Getting picks in the teens and watching those guys pass or fail is part of the fun of a rebuilding team. But it's so much better when you draft in the teens and don't put the weight of the world on them.
Fans are talking about Braeden Cootes and his potential to be a first-line centre, and that's lunatic. If he gets there, that's awesome! But to expect him to get there, or even to hope that he does, is ridiculous. He looks like a solid, middle-six player at centre or wing, and that's great. Teams need those. It'll be better when we draft a kid in that mid-teens position and add him to a pool that has three top-ten picks already working their way through the system.
Okay, call me greedy, but there's a lot more to talk about with the Canucks picking third than if they finished in the top two. If they won either lottery, then the choice is obvious. Pick McKenna or Stenberg, whichever is available. Finishing with the third, though? Now it gets interesting!
They could pick any of a few defencemen in a draft that's very good for them. There are a couple centres in the mix, and the team might stretch to grab one of them. Or - least likely but most fun to consider - they might successfully trade down and still get a solid prospect while adding another pick.
Hey, there are 50 days to go before the actual draft. We'll take what we can get!
NHL Entry Draft - May 5, 2026
Are you ready for #3?
Join our almost live coverage of another draft where the Nucks almost pick first!
Your or their Vancouver Canucks pick:
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As designed, Canucks pick 3rd. NHL lotto luck goes to CoTU and SJ. Because... reasons.
Tuesday, May 5th, is the Day of Reckoning.
Or a day of reckoning, anyway. Possibly a day that could lead to reckoning somewhere down the line in another 8-10 years, maybe. Should be an interesting one, anyway.
It seems unlikely that the Vancouver Canucks will announce a shiny new general manager hours before Tuesday's draft lottery. It seems like they want to make two hires: the GM and an "assistant to the president" or some similar title. It wouldn't be a surprise if both ot those are announced at the same time, at which point we can probably start a timer on Adam Foote's remaining time with the team.
By the sounds of it, the team has narrowed their search, culling a half-dozen names from their list. By the end of the week, they may have their choices, but there's no need for a full programme to watch lotto balls drop. They've got the Sedins for that. Everything they do immediately after the main event, however, needs a proper management team.
Let's make something completely clear, first: I am not a scout. Yes, I look at some videos, but I'm not looking at thirty videos of one CHL player. I'm not in the rinks live, I'm not paid to interview scouts. I don't have a scouting channel or website or a file folder with proprietary statistics painfully collected. All I'm doing here is reading, watching, and listening to actual specialists in the public domain and compiling it for myself.
I'm also forming opinions. THOSE I have.
While some depend on where the lottery balls land, that only involves the first few picks. It's pretty easy to form a blanket statement to cover the results, whichever direction luck takes us. And most likely, that's to the third overall pick.
Officially, Vancouver has an 18.5% chance of winning the lottery for first overall. But if you add in all of the teams that might win but can't move into first, that jumps to 25.5%. Far and away the best chance in the league, but still only happening a quarter of the time, give or take a groat or two.
If they don't win first overall, their odds of finishing with the second pick depend on who won first. Their number combinations are struck from the roll, and another draw is performed. If the team that won was over 11th overall and left Vancouver in first, or below it and bumped them to second, it makes a difference, but all told, their odds are around 19%. Don't think about it too hard.
Take Gavin McKenna. It's not complicated. Yes, there is a good argument for Ivar Stenberg, but I think the higher upside is McKenna's, and upside is what the Canucks should be aiming for. Stenberg likely has the higher floor, and that's great, but Vancouver needs a star, and McKenna has the best chance of that.
Source: Gavin McKenna @ Elite Prospects
Take the other one. Whichever of McKenna or Steinberg didn't get drafted first, take the other. If both are available, see the previous section.
Source: Ivar Stenberg @ Elite Prospects
Now things get interesting! There has been a big push for Caleb Malhotra as a semi-local favourite. Hey, if we couldn't get Macklin Celebrini or Connor Bedard, let's go for Matty's kid! That makes for a great story, but I don't think it's their best choice, because I don't think he's the best player.
Look, I have nothing against Malhotra. He sounds like an amazing guy: fantastic work ethic on the ice, polite and considerate off it. Good with kids, loves puppies, etc. But his projections are for a middle-six centre. A good one, certainly, but a middle-six centre. Is that the guy to spend a third overall pick on? He has rocketed up the rankings lately, and his reputation has only improved in the CHL playoffs. I'm a little paranoid of late surges, but these are 17-year-old kids, and sudden improvement over the course of a year isn't impossible.
Judging from opinions around the (publicly available) scouting world, though, there are likely at least two top-pair defencemen waiting. Both Chase Reid and Keaton Verhoff are thought of very highly this season. Reid for his offence and skill, Verhoff for his size and intelligence. I like Verhoff a bit more of the two, given his handedness and his league. The NCAA is not an easy league, and he's playing in it at 17.
But if the Canucks are determined to take a centre, Malhotra's fine. Or they could drop down in the draft, assuming a willing partner.
It's one of those things that never happens, but we love to play with it. Heck, the last time Vancouver made a move in the first round, they got Bo Horvat, and that worked out pretty well. It cost them the excellent Cory Schneider to get that pick, but still worth it. Maybe dropping down a few - NOT trading it away - can produce a similar result?
Thing is, the centres in this draft frankly aren't great. Good players and good prospects, but if a star emerges, it will be a surprise. NEXT year's pool looks kind of incredible from this far out, with maybe a dozen primed to go in the first round. This year, the defencemen are just better (though I'm still going for one of the Big Two wingers first). If they want a centre, pick up the phone and see if one of the teams with a second first-round pick has their sights set on some Can't-Miss Charlie.
The Seattle Kraken are feeling the pressure, so maybe they want to climb from 6th (or 7th, or 8th) to third. Or Boston, after Toronto has some bad luck and gives up their fifth, really, REALLY wants Oscar Hemming and doesn't want to risk losing him. Well, then the surrendered pick doesn't need to be this season. I don't even mind a protected one from 2027 if they're willing to pay.
Even if crowd favourite Malhotra is snatched up before the Canucks can get him in their new spot, that's okay. There are a LOT of players who seem to be in a 5th-through-8th mix. That sounds contradictory, but after the top four, it gets a bit wild out there. Heck, if Malhotra's gone, they might go for a brother play with Viggo Björk. Put him in the system that already has Wilson. Speaking of which...
Things always get blurry after the first consensus picks. If Vancouver doesn't add - or lose - any more picks, then there is still plenty to talk about. Their pick from Minnesota would be a fine place to get a(nother?) centre, with a pile of them likely available. Brooks Rogowski might be gone just by virtue of his size, but the slightly older Ryan Roobroeck or Maddox Dagenais could be available. Heck, draft Alexander Command for his name alone and see if he's actually captain material.
In the second round, I would have no qualms about using both picks on the Ruck twins. I think that would be fun, and they have piled on the points this year in Medicine Hat. But there are some warning flags, and if another team wants to take one or the other earlier, let them. They are not the stockiest dudes, and their scoring is coming in a year when several of the best CHL players went to the NCAA.
Still, Vancouver's had good luck with twins, and getting a couple guys from Osoyoos? How doesn't that sell tickets, even when they're in Abbotsford, a mere four-hour drive away?
Beyond that, it becomes a case of "who caught your eye this week" for us amateurs. Filip Ruzicka - the goaltender with Brandon - looks interesting. And gigantic. And frankly, I'm looking forward to seeing what else comes up between now and June 26th. It sounds like the teams really miss having everyone in the same room together instead of the goofy Zoom calls, and so do I. It's weirdly exciting to see a middle-aged guy stand up from a table and totter his way across the floor while a clock ticks down.
But until they restore the drama of 200 teenaged athletes and their families herded together like it's a cattle auction, our drama will have to come from four ping pong balls and fluorescent lighting. Can't wait!
