Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford enters COVID-19 protocol

The Vancouver Canucks say their president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford has entered COVID-19 protocols.

Rutherford, 73, is working from home through his quarantine period, the club said in a statement Wednesday.

He, along with the rest of the Canucks front office, are hard at work days ahead of the NHL’s trade deadline Monday. The Canucks sit with a 30-24-7 record and are just three points back of the second wildcard spot.

Undoubtedly, this is a year the Canucks would love to make the playoffs — like virtually any team — after a year and a half of hockey without any fans in the stands. The added revenue from just one playoff series would be nice, I would imagine.

That pursuit leads to some difficult decisions ahead of the deadline. Should the team look to maximize the potential return on J.T. Miller or Brock Boeser with the rebuild in mind? Or are these key cogs in the Canucks wheels players the team wants to keep around?

Miller has exploded this season scoring 24 goals and 73 points in 59 games becoming a true leader on a team that has been clamouring for one. The market on the veteran forward is there, no doubt, it’s just up to Rutherford and co. to decide on if now is the right time to deal him.