There are many fires for management to put out, and finding the future coach of the Vancouver Canucks is burning the hottest. Given just how much can change between last season’s team and what will take the ice in 2025-26? Coordinating with the most hands-on member of the white-collar staff is vital.
Working With What’s There
It was a shock when Rick Tocchet decided to leave Vancouver. He has many destinations to choose from now, with only the New York Rangers filling their need so far. According to Vancouver’s president of hockey operations, Tocchet wants to play in the East. The Philadelphia Flyers would seem to be a good fit, but a deal hasn’t happened yet.
There’s no obvious reason for the Flyers and Tocchet to postpone a deal. There aren’t any coaches in the way, and his history there is extensive. But it shows how complicated things can be behind the scenes. Tocchet should be in demand, given the names available. The Flyers should be looking for a strict systems coach who’s an excellent communicator. And yet.
We don’t know why the two haven’t shaken hands yet. But Philadelphia is probably not a team on the way up just yet. General manager Danny Briere said they’ll start “bringing in players,” but they haven’t seen the playoffs in five seasons. They finished 11 points lower in 2024-25 than they had the previous year and had plenty of drama to go with it.
It wouldn’t surprise anyone if Tocchet hesitated to follow former head coach John Tortorella.
Of course, the same can easily be said of Vancouver. Tocchet’s decision not to return has led to speculation that superstar Quinn Hughes plans to leave when his contract expires. With no comment from Hughes, it’s impossible to say, though it seems very unlikely. Still, this being Vancouver, there is no story that can’t be overexposed.
What Vancouver has to offer matters. The team has their preferences, but that doesn’t mean they have carte blanche. Whoever the Canucks hire needs to fit the team as much as much as the team needs to adjust to a new coach.
Future Coach, Present Canucks
Familiarity is a common theme whenever a team changes head coaches. That could mean a new coach bringing his assistants with him so they are familiar with each other, or already being familiar with the team. Assistant coaches being promoted isn’t uncommon, though it’s usually an interim position rather than a permanent one.
Two names cropping up right now are NHL assistant Adam Foote and AHL head coach Manny Malhotra. There are advantages to either choice. Both have extensive NHL experience as players, and neither got those jobs through skill alone.
Athletic Foote
Foote was responsible for Vancouver’s defence corps. And if you think that was just handing Hughes the keys, you are sorely mistaken. His work on the penalty kill has been exemplary, and the 2024-25 season had a massive turnover of talent as well.
Eleven different defencemen played double-digit games this season through injuries, trade, and promotion. And yes, Hughes’ opinion matters, not only as the captain but as a defenceman himself. He spoke highly of Foote’s preparation and attention to detail. Veteran Tyler Myers also likes the job Foote has done, and he does have the ear of the Canucks’ locker room.
If Vancouver decides to continue Tocchet’s defence-first system, Foote could continue the job. Tocchet didn’t necessarily want to return to a low-event system, but injuries and a sputtering offence forced his hand. Whether Foote – or a coach like him – could bring more to the attack is an open question.
As a player, Foote’s focus was on stopping opponents for his 1300+ game career. That continues in his bench work. Foote could still take a job elsewhere, continuing to work with Tocchet or taking another team’s offer, but he’s a good example of a defence-first coach.
More Manny, No Problems
Manny Malhotra has been an unqualified success in his first professional head coaching job. Abbotsford has made the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs, but the AHL Canucks also had their most successful regular season ever, finishing 44-24-2-2. The team has a short history, but that’s still an impressive debut for a rookie coach.
However, wins and losses aren’t the most important feature of an NHL farm club. Yes, organizations want their prospects to develop on a winning team to get playoff runs and feel what it takes to succeed. Give them the taste for winning championships, and they’ll always want more. So the theory goes, anyway.
Only one team can win a trophy, though, and no organization wants to keep their prospects in the AHL. So, more important than championships is development. And the players who have come up to the Canucks from their farm have earned their spots. It wouldn’t be a bad thing for the future coach of the Canucks to have seen some of that future already.
As many as three players who spent the majority of their time in Abbotsford in 2024-25 could start in Vancouver next season. Forwards Aatu Räty, Linus Karlsson, and rookies Max Sasson and Jonathan Lekkermäki left very good impressions in their NHL games. Elias Pettersson is the only defender to spend substantial time with both teams, but he’s a good bet to stick in 2025-26.
Bit players were ready to go when they had their shot. Their coach had them prepared so they could step into expected roles with as little risk as possible.
Coaching Tiger, Hidden Wagon
None of this means the future coach will be one the Canucks already have. Or had in the case of Foote and his now-expired contract. As we mentioned, Tocchet didn’t necessarily want to play a strong defensive style this season, mentioning early that he wanted to open play up a little. That didn’t exactly work out, but it doesn’t mean the team doesn’t want it to happen.
Management acquired speed last season, even when their hands were tied. Drew O’Connor and Filip Chytil easily outpace the players they were traded for. Free agent Kiefer Sherwood uses his skating to get in on forechecks in a way they hope Nils Höglander will emulate.
Eight teams scored fewer goals than Vancouver did last season. That was a considerable drop from 2023-24, and something they don’t want to repeat in 2025-26. A big part of getting some offence back rests on the shoulders of Elias Pettersson bouncing back. And yes, he should absolutely be part of the team next season.
Is there such a thing as a “petey whisperer”? No, of course not. But getting him to perform up to his own standard is vital for the coming year. A big part of that is having a system he can work in. Not everything needs to go through him, but it wouldn’t hurt to make him a primary driver with Hughes.
Jay Woodcroft and Todd Nelson are known for quick-attack teams if that’s the direction Vancouver wants. But both are relatively untested.
Clampdown Canucks
The drama surrounding the Vancouver Canucks isn’t exactly welcoming to a young or inexperienced head coach. Even Tocchet, a man who loves talking the game at every opportunity, got tired of it. So bringing in someone who has a long resume and a little patience might be management’s preference.
Dave Hakstol has over 500 games as an NHL head coach. His preference is for safe, low-event, dump-and-chase hockey. Similarly, Gerard Gallant is more about counter-attacking than creating offence. Either of these old-school coaches can improve Vancouver’s chances of making the playoffs through their strict control game. But it’s not a great one for ticket sales.
Still, playoffs are playoffs, and that’s one way to get fans excited. The question is whether that’s enough. The opportunity to dazzle isn’t available, and Vancouver does have at least two players who can hit highlight reels. It’s also hard to picture Quinn Hughes being happy to play under extreme restrictions. He wouldn’t complain, but he’s not here to play safe.
Communication Recreation
The last time Vancouver needed to lighten things up, they brought Bruce Boudreau in. His relaxed demeanour and open play systems were a breath of fresh air after years of increasing tension. The public relations disaster that followed wasn’t his fault, but Boudreau is known as a successful regular-season coach for a reason.
Still, a similar coach might be what the team needs right now. Dan Bylsma has a reputation as a players’ coach and good communicator, but has a lack of success recently. He does have a Stanley Cup ring from 2009, and that carries some weight.
Todd Nelson might be a better choice for a team with a disrupted locker room. He hasn’t had a great record in the NHL, but has an excellent one as an AHL head coach, being a three-time Calder Cup winner. It could certainly be worth seeing what he can provide.
Whoever the future coach of the Vancouver Canucks ends up being, they’re in for a tough job. It’s a fan base that demands more than ownership does, and he’ll be answering to both.
Main Photo: Bob Frid- Imagn Images
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