"Say, do you know what the secret of good comedy is?"
"No. What is the se-"
"Timing."

-Very old joke I still do when I'm drunk enough

The Quest Continues

When last we left our intrepid heroes, they were on a Holy Quest for We're Not Quite Sure What. Lists of names have emerged, rumours have abounded (if that's a word), and the Merry Band of Misfit Toys has packed up and gone home. Or off to the World Championships, as the case may be. And the fans are left to speculate.

Some very interesting names have cropped up, most of which we riffled through last week. But we're still not clear on what positions are being hired for. Could be that only one hire is made in this round, that being a general manager to go through their rolodex and think of the future. But maybe not.

On a guess, Adam Foote isn't long for the world of bench-bossing, at least not here. That Jim Rutherford has said he'd leave the decision to the general manager is a positive sign for us, the fans. Less so for Foote, the coach. But whether it was because his plans were bad or his communication of them was, his coaching simply didn't work. Sure, the team changed what the objective was halfway through the season, but I'm agreeing with Vern on this one.

But found GM or not, there is more to this white-collar hiring spree than meets the eye.

Go! Go! Go!

Rutherford hasn't said, but has certainly implied, that he doesn't really want the job for much longer than he's had it. Fair enough, given his age and years at the job. Heck, when he was first hired, he brought along the one who would have taken over by now if things had gone to plan. But this is Vancouver, and Vancouver feasts on hubris. Patrik Allvine is gone, and the job title of Once and Future Manager remains.

The most interesting name to crop up last week was probably Shane Doan. He has an excellent reputation among hockey folk, even if his Curriculum Vitae is a bit thin. He's mentioned a disinterest in being a general manager, per se, but the Canucks aren't only looking for a GM. They are also looking for who can take over for Rutherford himself, and relatively soon. He has a local-ish interest as part-owner of the Kamloops Blazers, his old WHL team.

Anyone the team gets as an Assistant to the President (or whatever title they go with) will have a year or two with Rutherford to get their feet wet. That seems like a better plan than someone assuming the title of general manager only to get promoted when Rutherford decides to retire. The president has a different role from the general manager, and keeping the two distinct from the start is the best idea. Doubly so if Rutherford plans to leave soon.

What and When

The big empty space is still the GM's role. While the draft is still some ways away - June 26th, to be exact - there is plenty to do between now and then. The draft lottery is on May 5th, but that's hardly a vital moment. The team doesn't need a general manager in place to watch lottery balls fall into place. But somewhere soon after would be good.

Unlike most teams, Vancouver has few restricted free agents coming up on July 1st. Pierre-Olivier Joseph is the only one on the playing roster, and his best role is as a veteran 7-8 defenceman. Good to have around, but not the most important signing of the day. Danilla Klimovich is coming due as well, and there's a decision to be made there, but probably not a huge one. You get the point.

On the other hand, the Canucks have several other players they need to make decisions on. The trade deadline may have passed, but trades can be made year-round. Even as teams are eliminated from the playoffs, the opportunity is there to ask them if, hey, maybe if you had one of our guys, you would have made it a wee bit further? Strike while the iron is still crying from a lack of home game revenue, as they always say.

So yes, while the team doesn't strictly need a general manager to be named before the draft lottery, having one in place wouldn't go amiss. At the very least, interested teams should know who to call.