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We assembled a list of GM candidates for the Canucks to interview: Canucks Conversation
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Clarke Corsan
Apr 21, 2026, 09:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 21, 2026, 01:22 EDT
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On Monday’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Harman Dayal put together a list of potential general manager candidates the Canucks could consider after announcing the departure of Patrik Allvin a few days ago, casting a wide net that goes beyond just the usual names from top teams.
Harm opened by pushing back on the idea that candidates must come from winning organizations to be worth considering.
“Sometimes the best candidates don’t come from the best-run organizations; take Bill Zito for example,” Harm said. “He was assistant GM in Columbus – what had they achieved? You can have a genius in a front office, but he won’t run the show if he’s not in the right role, so you can’t tie the team’s success to that exec unless it’s a GM. You don’t want to limit your search to the top-team contenders.”
From there, the guys worked through a mix of internal and external options, starting with current Canucks assistant GM Ryan Johnson, before diving into names around the league.
One that stood out to Harm was long-time Washington Capitals executive Ross Mahoney.
“He’s been there for 12 seasons and when you look at the Caps’ drafting record – the amount of gems these guys find is insane,” Harm said. “Alex Ovechkin – whether he retires at the end of this season or next – the Caps should be in this position of a barren prospect pool and heading into a rebuild. Their post-Ovi window actually looks quite promising.”
Harm pointed to Washington’s ability to continually find talent throughout the draft.
“Some of the talent they’ve accumulated like Cole Hutson in the second round, both Protas brothers, Ryan Leonard, Connor McMichael late in the first,” Harm said. “Going back further, they drafted Filip Forsberg, Tom Wilson, Chandler Stephenson, Evgeny Kuznetsov, John Carlson – they’ve just been one of the best drafting and developing teams in the NHL. Mahoney stands out to me as a sharp mind.”
Another name tied to Jim Rutherford was Sam Ventura, currently with the Buffalo Sabres.
“He was the director of analytics under Jim Rutherford in Pittsburgh, so it’s someone Rutherford knows well,” Quads said.
“He’s exceptionally regarded and should definitely get an interview,” Harm added.
The Capitals pipeline came up again with Tim Barnes, another analytically driven executive now serving as an assistant GM.
“Another analytics guy with an engineering degree who has been with the Capitals for all their gem finds,” Harm said. “I don’t know which specific moves Barnes advocated for, so this is where you need to do more background research, but he’d be high on the list to interview and pick his brain.”
Harm also highlighted Martin Madden Jr., pointing to both his track record and his connection to Rutherford.
“He has a Jim Rutherford tie – he spent three seasons as an amateur scout for Carolina when Rutherford was there and won the Cup,” Harm said. “Since 2008 he’s been the director of amateur scouting in Anaheim. Since the Ducks have been mismanaged for a while at the GM position, it’s easy to overlook just how many elite scouting finds the Ducks have had.”
The conversation also included some less traditional candidates, including former players now working in front offices.
On Jason Spezza, Harm noted his rapid rise in Pittsburgh’s management group.
“He’s been Dubas’ right-hand man and would have seen everything up close for the Penguins’ moves over the last 12 months,” Harm said. “He’s regarded as a bright, up-and-coming executive. He’s a student of the game and maybe not somebody at the very top of the list, but someone I’d want to interview.”
Another intriguing name was former Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo, who has been involved behind the scenes with the Florida Panthers.
“He’s been the architect of the goaltending department in Florida as an advisor,” Harm said. “I can’t tell you how involved he is in Florida, so it’s hard to make an evidence-based argument, but I’d want to give him an interview.”
Harm also pointed to Luongo’s growing résumé internationally.
“He’s also been part of Team Canada management for World Championships, so he’s not this hands-off guy in Florida with no ambitions.”
With additional names like Cam Lawrence, Laurence Gilman, and Ryan Bowness mentioned as part of the broader list, the overall takeaway was this: if the Canucks are serious about finding the right person to lead their next phase, the search should be thorough and open-minded.
Watch the full replay of the show below:
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