The Vancouver Canucks have been the worst in the NHL this season and by a large margin. With two games left, they currently have 56 points, 14 behind the next worst, the Chicago Blackhawks.
As a result, there was no doubt that the Canucks were voted as the worst-run organization in all of the NHL in a poll conducted by The Athletic, published on Sunday. The poll featured more than 20 top NHL agents. The Canucks received seven votes, three more than the New York Rangers.
On the Donnie and Dhali show, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman was asked about whether the team is actually looking to make changes in the offseason. Friedman pointed out that Elias Pettersson was one player that the Canucks will have an extensive discussion about in the offseason.
“I think the biggest offseason question there is going to be—I would suspect there’s going to be a sit-down with Elias Pettersson after the year and there’s got to be a real conversation about where this is going and what the options are,” Friedman said. “They have to have a lengthy meeting, put it all on the table and just say, ‘We can’t continue to have this conversation around our team for another year.’
“You’ve basically cleaned everything out that you had to clean out. It’s sort of like the last thing: ‘Are you committed? Are we here? What can we do to get you back to being the player you were a couple years ago?’ Or does everybody really believe that the right time is to talk to—’Are there places you’re willing to go?'”
Pettersson is arguably the biggest piece remaining from the iconic 2023-24 team that won the division. He has been unable to replicate the same scoring ability that saw him record 191 points in the two seasons prior to his eight-year, $92.8 million contract.
Trade rumors have surrounded the 27-year-old since his public feud with J.T. Miller, which led to the latter getting dealt to the Rangers instead. Those rumors intensified after former captain Quinn Hughes was traded to the Minnesota Wild last December.
“I think that is to me probably the biggest offseason thing now: an honest conversation with Pettersson, his representative, and the Canucks,” Friedman said. “What are our options here? And if we don’t think they’re here, where do we go? Because you’re moving on from everything that was hanging over you.
“I think the last question, Rick, is: do we think this can still work in Vancouver? And if we all do really believe it, how do we get there? How do we fix it so that Pettersson can be the Pettersson we saw a couple years ago?”
Pettersson has 15 goals and 49 points in 72 games this season. The size of his contract and his recent form have pushed away any possible suitors. If the Canucks are to
Elliotte Friedman states Canucks unlikely to make management changes
Elliotte Friedman was asked by Rick Dhaliwal if there’s any indication that the Canucks are rethinking the president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford or general manager Patrik Allvin’s positions. Currently the answer seems to be no.
“There’s a saying I really like and it’s: ‘The surest predictor of future behavior is past behavior.’ When you look at the history of this team’s management changes, they never made a change without having the next guy, right?” Friedman stated. (9:30) “Dave Nonis, Mike Gillis; Mike Gillis, Trevor Linden; Trevor Linden eventually went out, but Jim Benning, Jim Rutherford—it was always ready.
“Now, Rick (Dhaliwal), I would say you are the most plugged-in man in Vancouver by far. And do you have any reason to believe that they have somebody waiting there to take over? So, that’s the thing like it’s just maybe they would do it differently, but to me it’s always been the Aqulini way: ‘We don’t make a change unless we know who’s taking over.'”
One thing is certain, if the Canucks don’t make any changes, then Rutherford and Allvin have a mammoth task on their hands to fix the organization while simultaneously begin their rebuild as they look become contenders in the near future.
Edited by R. Nikhil Parshy
