Last year, Rutherford said in an interview with the Globe and Mail that Quinn Hughes would be gone if the Canucks had to rebuild. That Hughes’ trade indicated that rebuilding was underway in Vancouver. Despite veteran players signing long-term deals with trade protection, the direction was to rebuild and have continued success, as they did when Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin were there.
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Well, that’s the direction Vancouver is heading. Not only Rutherford says it, but Allvin too. As NHLRumors.com documented in two separate interviews earlier in January, Rutherford spoke with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre about rebuilding the Canucks and how everything is on the table in terms of trade. Later in the day, Allvin told Canucks.comthe team was on its way to a rebuild.
However, that was only the first time it was mentioned this week. Rutherford spoke to Patrick Johnston of the province And Gary Mason of the Globe and Mail and detailed the plans for reconstruction.
“It’s our duty to call everyone,” Rutherford told Johnston. “When we started the process… the initial intention was not to approach any core players. It could very well remain that way. But it certainly wouldn’t make any sense for Patrik (Allvin) not to listen to anyone.”
That means Vancouver will be calling on not only Elias Pettersson (year two of an eight-year contract for $11.6 million per season), but also Jake DeBrusk, Tyler Myers, Conor Garland, Nils Hoglander, Filip Hronek, along with pending unrestricted free agents Kiefer Sherwood (traded to the Sharks yesterday afternoon), Evander Kane, David Kampf, Derek Forbort and Teddy Blueger. It sounds like the Kings are interested in Evander Kane.
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The Canucks have to be very smart here. The big hesitation is breaking it down to the studs and not having the veterans there to help the young players. However, the Canucks also have a habit of getting in their own way. Before the Canucks traded JT Miller last season, he was in hot water two seasons earlier, in a contract year. But instead of moving them, they signed him to an eight-year extension.
The following season, Elias Pettersson, in a contract season, was on the trading block. The Canucks knew the history between the two players. However, the Canucks were ready to make a deep run. Once again they signed the player to a long-term deal. Yes, centers are hard to find, but Vancouver has prevented themselves from acquiring assets for Pettersson and Miller several times.
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The same goes for Conor Garland and Brock Boeser. Both signed extensions to stay and help the Canucks win. But Vancouver was nowhere to compete. Again, if Pettersson is traded, it will feel like Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo all over again. That was a difficult time for the Canucks organization.
But they have to do it right and be patient. Most teams don’t do that because they don’t want to be the next Buffalo Sabers or Detroit Red Wings. Teams want to do this quickly, like the Washington Capitals. The Capitals took flyers on players and drafted very well. So Rutherford and Allvin will have to be patient; it’s about the future, not the now.
“We have to have the patience to survive where we are,” he explained. “Be careful about what moves and what the return is. Stay committed to acquiring young players, 25 or younger, or acquiring draft picks,” Rutherford continued with Johnston.”There are deals that could make our team better today, but will it work for us over a three-year period? I would like to think based on the number of young players we have, that we have been able to pick up in recent years, with a high ceiling, that this rebuild could take two or three years, and not six to 10.”
But that’s been the problem for the Canucks lately throughout their history. Vancouver immediately tries to turn things around when it starts to rebuild. These things take time, and Rutherford may not even be there to see it through. to Mason of the Globe and Mail.
“At the end of the day, I’m going to have to do what’s best for my family, but also what’s best for the Canucks,” Rutherford told Mason of the Globe and Mail. “I am committed to this rebuild. I am committed to this job today and as long as I am here.” However, when asked about next season, Rutherd told Mason, “Right now, I am.” But he went on to say, “He didn’t know.”
For a rebuilding team, you need the President of Hockey Operations to buy into the plan. While still in place, he must start the transition process and turn things over to Allvin, a respected hockey mind.
The key for the Vancouver Canucks is to get the key positions right. As Rutherford has made clear, the NHL is based on having a number one goalie, a number one defenseman and a number one center. And two number one centers lately. If the Canucks get that right, it could speed things up, but drafting and development are still critical.
But make no mistake: the Vancouver Canucks are a bad hockey team, and the results show that they are a young team that is rebuilding. There will be some suffering, and getting a high draft pick will help, but sticking to the plan is key for Vancouver. If they follow the Montreal Canadiens model, everything will be fine; if not, they will be the next Sabres.
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