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News and notes: Canucks’ Jim Rutherford says no quick-fix trades coming, and the Rick Tocchet rumblings

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David Quadrelli
1 year ago
There’s never a dull moment when it comes to the Vancouver Canucks, is there?
Fresh off the — still not officially confirmed — news this morning that Oliver Ekman-Larsson could be a healthy scratch for the Canucks’ Thursday night matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning, we’ve got even more Canucks related notes coming down the wire today.
First, let’s start with the president of this team, Jim Rutherford.

Rutherford speaks

In a conversation with Rick Dhaliwal of Donnie and Dhali — The Team, Rutherford took the opportunity to clarify his comments that were published in the Pittsburgh Tribune earlier this week.
“His interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune had nothing to do with Vancouver,” said Dhaliwal. “It was taken out of context. His number one focus is turning the Canucks around. He knows this was never going to turn around in one year. He knew coming to Vancouver there’d be lots of work to do. He’s going to continue to work at it 24/7, and he’s not going to retire. He didn’t move his family to Vancouver to quit in one year. He’s not going to quit, barring a health issue, and right now he’s in great health.”
Dhaliwal also shared what he and Rutherford talked about when it came to the Canucks’ plans moving forward.
“I’m going to tell you right now, the trade deadline is coming up… no panic moves by the Canucks,” said Dhaliwal. “Any trades will be thought through with an eye on the long game, the future — not a quick fix. If you’re thinking that the Canucks are going to make a move here with a quick fix, it’s not going to happen. They’re going to think it through.”
Now, our job is just to bring you the facts — and we’re not going to blame you if you say “I’ll believe it when I see it” when it comes to the Canucks making moves with the future and “the long game” at the forefront.

On Rick Tocchet

Rick Tocchet’s name has been thrown around for a while now. He was first linked to the Vancouver Canucks back in November, and although things have quieted down, his name was brought up by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman today on the Jeff Marek Show.
“I think that Vancouver and Rick Tocchet had some discussions a while ago, and they didn’t go anywhere,” said Friedman. “I think Vancouver talked to a few coaches who were available, and I think they re-engaged with Tocchet. The best way I can put it right now is that it’s in the Canucks’ hands. Do they want to do it or not? I don’t think it’s imminent, I think if they make a change it’s still probably a couple of weeks away — and again, I want to say if they make a change it’s still a couple of weeks away — but I think when it comes to Rick Tocchet it’s a decision that’s up to the Canucks.”
Now, Tocchet is just one of the potential names, and the rumour mill can’t seem to definitively decide if a Canucks coaching change will take place in season or in the offseason, as Darren Dreger made an appearance on Sekeres and Price yesterday in which he said he believes the Canucks will make a coaching change in season. Dreger added it could be an internal option — potentially someone like Mike Yeo — getting bumped up to take on head coaching duties the rest of the season.
Whatever the case, it seems like a certainty that the Canucks will have a new head coach next season after Bruce Boudreau’s contract expires at the end of this campaign, and it will be interesting to see how this new management regime goes about selecting a new voice to lead this team on the ice.

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