Vancouver Canucks ownership's confidence in management brought into question
Photo credit: The Sporting News
There have been questions and concerns circling around whether ownership of the Canucks has faith and confidence in the team's management, as things spiral.
The Canucks are currently at the bottom of the league standings, with hope nowhere in sight. J.T. Miller and Rick Tocchet are already gone, and Quinn Hughes is set to join them. If Hughes follows suit, then what's left of this squad?
There are major changes on the horizon, and questions are being asked about those running the ship. President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford has been at the helm of Vancouver for four years.
What the Canucks have done since Jim Rutherford has been in charge
During that period, Vancouver compiled the 15th-best record in the league with 167 wins, 121 losses, and 43 overtime losses.
The supposed GM of the team is Patrik Allvin; however, rumor has it that Rutherford has been making trades. There are even local rumors of a potential overhaul of management despite support from ownership for Rutherford.
"There's a curiosity that exists around the league in terms of how things work in general Jim Rutherford still manages a lot of the trade calls," NHL insider Frank Seravalli said in an interview with Mike Halford and Jason Brough on Sportsnet 650 Wednesday morning.
The memories the current regime evokes
The atmosphere evokes 2013-14, when Roberto Luongo and Ryan Kesler demanded trades. GM Mike Gillis was prepared with offers, but some of those were nixed, which limited his leverage.
The extent to which the Aquilini family, if a Hughes trade becomes available, will delegate to Rutherford remains uncertain.
The Globe and Mail's Gary Mason said that he believes Rutherford has the "complete support of ownership on whatever moves he ends up making."
Rutherford has never been young for this role, as the HOF'er turns 77 in February. If ownership wants a new voice in charge, a stand-out candidate would be Brendan Shanahan.
Shanahan, as a current member of the NHL, has experience from a transformation project in Toronto, where he established a successful regular-season franchise with the Maple Leafs in a challenging Canadian market.
Whether he makes his way out West remains to be seen.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 11 | 179 ANSWERS Vancouver Canucks ownership's confidence in management brought into question Do you have confidence in the team's management? | ||
| Yes | 31 | 17.3 % |
| No | 148 | 82.7 % |
| List of polls | ||