How can we describe the 2025-26 season for the Vancouver Canucks? With just eight home wins on the season, and one home game remaining, that is a mark of unprecedented failure. The last time a team had just eight home wins in a full 82-game season was the Ottawa Senators in 1995-96. Womp, womp. The hardest thing to swallow is that this catastrophic failure was not fully by design either. The decision to enter a rebuild did not start until the Quinn Hughes trade in December. Consequently, after the trade, the bottom has fallen out.
The Fate of Canucks Management Remains in the Air
Now, with such a disaster within the organization, the biggest question is whether the management will remain the same. With shocking management and coaching changes already happening in the NHL, the Canucks will be under the microscope in the offseason. There is no shortage of rumours going around, but there are some consistent findings worth discussing.
Firstly, the more certain topic. Jim Rutherford, the current president of hockey operations, is very likely to continue in his role. Rick Dhaliwal of Donnie & Dhali mentioned that there was no indication that Rutherford was going to leave. “I haven’t had one person tell me, Jim’s gone,” said Dhaliwal during Wednesday’s Donnie & Dhali program. The 77-year-old veteran will likely not want to have a dismal season like this be his swan song. Whether or not he will be present for the entirety of this rebuild remains in question, but he will likely be there for the start of it. Rutherford has one more year left on his contract after this season.
Credit Image: © Alex Cave/ZUMA Press Wire
Where things get more muddled is the general manager position. Patrik Allvin, along with Rutherford, has been with the Canucks organization since January of 2022, and also has one more year left on his contract after this season. Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet mentioned last week that Allvin did not expect to return after this season. One constant talking point about Allvin has been the amount of autonomy he has in the organization. Is Rutherford the one calling most of the shots? Based on an important example, the Quinn Hughes trade, Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin notably did not mention Allvin’s name in his interviews following the trade, only Rutherford’s. As the upcoming NHL Entry Draft could be one of the pivotal points in Canucks history, is Allvin the right man for the job?
Coaching Also In Question Amidst Rebuild
Adam Foote‘s coaching has been hard to judge this season, due to the significant number of injuries that decimated the team early on. Thomas Drance of The Athletic mentioned that “Foote, in particular, is the one to monitor with greater urgency than Allvin.” The largest pain point about Foote’s coaching is the lack of defensive structure. Under Rick Tocchet in the 2024-25 season, the team allowed 3.06 goals per game and had the third-best penalty killing in the NHL at 82.6%. Under Foote this season, the team is on pace to allow close to four goals per game, and could finish dead-last on the penalty kill in the league. Notably, until the Quinn Hughes trade, the defensive core had remained the same, outside of the long-term injury to Derek Forbort.
Foote’s job will be in jeopardy, even in a rebuild, if young players do not develop. The inconsistencies and poor defensive structure cannot be helpful to young defenders like Zeev Buium, Tom Willander, and Elias Pettersson. Drance’s article also mentioned that Foote’s future and its timing have not been made yet. However, it could be a separate decision from the fate of the general manager, and could come before that decision.
Internal Promotion Very Possible For Potential New Candidates
If Vancouver does indeed move on from Allvin, Foote, or both of them, the Abbotsford Canucks management regime would likely be the next in line. Abbotsford general manager Ryan Johnson and head coach Manny Malhotra have been heavily discussed as of late. Rick Dhaliwal discussed on Wednesday that Johnson, when asked for an interview for the Nashville Predators’ general manager position, was denied permission for the interview. Could that indicate that Johnson is the favourite to succeed Allvin in the GM position? Time will tell.
Malhotra could be a hot commodity amongst rebuilding teams looking for their next head coach. He has strong experience in working with younger players, as he led Abbotsford to a Calder Cup championship in 2025. He also has assistant coach experience in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Vancouver Canucks. For a rebuilding team, Malhotra is an excellent pick.
"I am not hearing that he has a job lined up in Vancouver or is even talking with the #Canucks about a promotion right now.."@DhaliwalSports shared what he is hearing about Ryan Johnson's future in Vancouver.https://t.co/GAYm4jT6bu pic.twitter.com/ULIwUaWcsi
— Donnie & Dhali (@DonnieandDhali) April 8, 2026
There is certainly pressure for the Canucks to retain the services of Johnson and Malhotra, but does that fit into owner Francesco Aquilini’s plans? Whether they do or not, these decisions will be critical to the Canucks’ rebuild going forward.
Main Photo Credit: Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
