Ryan Johnson made his first front office hire since being appointed as the general manager of the Vancouver Canucks on Friday, when he announced former player agent Daren Hermiston as Director of Player Personnel and Player Development. And that hire came with some high praise from NHL prospect experts around the league.

EliteProspects Cam Robinson shared this message following the announcement:

“I’ve known Daren Hermiston for some time,” said Robinson. “And I can say without a moment’s hesitation that the Canucks have brought in an extremely bright, hard-working and talented person. He was a rising star in the agency game and will bring a lot of important skills from that side of the table. Tremendous hire.”

Shortly after, the Athletic’s Scott Wheeler chimed in with some kind words for Hermiston:

“Daren is one of the smartest people I know in hockey and this is a smart, smart hire by the Canucks,” Wheeler said. “One unique role I’d expect he plays in this position: Helping kids navigate the decision they have to make. Teams should have a dedicated person who helps players make tailored choices on next steps factoring in level, role, coach, opportunity, etc. A liaison with the team for agents, families and players with a feel for lower level and what’s out there.”

Wheeler’s Athletic colleague, James Mirtle, had a few words to say as well on the hire:

“Another agent joining a team’s staff,” Mirtle said. “Sharp hire by the Canucks.”

Hermiston has served as an NHLPA-certified agent since 2009, beginning his career with Points West Sports & Entertainment. That agency was later acquired by The•Team – formerly Wasserman Hockey.

While Hermiston’s list of clients wasn’t as prestigious as that of some of his The•Team co-workers, the agency has the third-highest total contract value in the NHL. Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Zach Werenski, Roman Josi, Evan Bouchard, Kyle Connor, Jordan Kyrou, Roope Hintz, Alex DeBrincat, Nick Suzuki, and Jaccob Slavin are just a few of the high-profile clients for The•Team. Even a few Canucks (Zeev Buium, Victor Mancini, and Arshdeep Bains) are with the agency, including two players traded from Vancouver this past season (Conor Garland and Kiefer Sherwood).

The Kamloops, BC, native will now join the Canucks front office with something in common with assistant general manager Émilie Castonguay: both former NHL player agents turned executives working in the Canucks organization. And with the high praise from Robinson, Wheeler, and Mirtle, Canucks fans should be excited for what’s to come.