The Vancouver Canucks are falling out of the Western Conference playoff race. With the St Louis Blues surging through the finish line, it is looking like another spring without the playoffs in British Columbia. Combine that with the recent firing of Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella, rumors are swirling. But the Canucks are committed to keeping Rick Tocchet around next year, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
“Over the past few weeks, the Vancouver Canucks — particularly GM Patrik Allvin — have made it very clear they want Rick Tocchet to return,” Friedman wrote.
He continued, “The Canucks are believed to have made one offer already to Tocchet to start the conversation. Of course, term and dollars will be a major factor, but so will direction of the franchise. Tocchet, management, and ownership will need to make certain they see the future the same way. ”
The Canucks won the Pacific Division last year and were expected to compete for the playoffs this year. But injuries, locker-room drama, and losses piled up. That has not changed the management’s commitment to the coach. They have a team option on his contract for next year, but want to extend him long term. Even with the Flyers’ job open, it appears that Tocchet will stay in Vancouver.
What went wrong for the Canucks this season?
Last season was Tocchet’s first full year behind the Canucks’ bench. They won 50 games, competed for the President’s Trophy, beat the Nashville Predators in the first round of the playoffs, and took the Edmonton Oilers to Game 7. They brought back everyone looking to capitalize on what appeared to be a championship window. The Canucks will look very different next year as a result of a disastrous season.
The train went off the tracks early, when conflict between JT Miller and Elias Pettersson boiled over. Miller took a leave of absence, they were both on the trade block, and eventually Miller was traded to the New York Rangers. Losing a key center was always going to be tough for the Canucks but they never responded to the drama ending.
Pettersson is finishing off the worst season of his career, with only 15 goals in 64 games. He had 32, 39, and 34 in each of the last three years. Thatcher Demko and Quinn Hughes both missed chunks of the season, hurting their defensive statistics. And the trade deadline did not bring back many key pieces.
Tocchet will get another shot with the Canucks next year and may be around for a while. But the team needs to put this season in the rearview mirror quickly.
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