Patience is a virtue. That’s what it comes down to now for the Vancouver Canucks and their fans.
Ownership picked the classiest, hardest working pair, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, to run the hockey operations department. Check.
They in turn chose Ryan Johnson to be general manager. He knows the prospects, he knows the organization, and he’s a class act in his own right. Check.
And as of Monday they have Manny Malhotra as head coach. Ditto on some of the Canucks qualifications and a champion at the American Hockey League level in 2025 within the organization. Check.
A former NHL Canucks assistant coach for three seasons, a year after his playing career wrapped up in 2016, Malhotra comes full circle.
There’s no guarantee he works out in the long run as head coach, but with what looks like a strong, unified, principled approach from hockey op’s, his odds at success are greatly improved.
Moving forward there will be a lot of hand wringing about whether or not the club should draft the coach’s son Caleb with the third-overall 2026 NHL Draft pick. There shouldn’t be. They’re big boys, they’ll be able to handle that dynamic should it occur.
There’s no guarantee that scenario will unfold, but if the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks pick highly touted wingers ahead of Caleb, it would be a no-brainer for Vancouver to take the lefty center. The Canucks are among a majority of NHL teams looking for star power and increased productivity up the middle.
The wild card is Vancouver’s 24th-overall pick, acquired from the Minnesota Wild. That could be a bonus that pays dividends for years to come if the Canucks hit on it.
Let the rebuild begin.
Congratulations to the club and its fans.
Earlier Canucks:
— Canucks PR BS; Don’t Blame Ullrich
Earlier Kraken:
— Kraken Reader Beware; Some Trade Rumours Thinner Than Kleenex
