Canucks’ Management Under Fire for Missteps Amid Struggles
As the Vancouver Canucks stumble into 2025, criticism is mounting—not just for the team’s underperforming stars and coaching staff, but also for the management’s role in the team’s struggles. While GM Patrik Allvin has been vocal about the need for players like Elias Pettersson to elevate their game, many are questioning whether management’s decisions have set the team up for failure.
Allvin’s Criticism of Players and Coaches
In an interview with Sportsnet, Allvin made headlines by suggesting that trading Elias Pettersson—a player he signed to an eight-year, $92.8 million extension less than a year ago—was a possibility. He also pointed to inconsistent play from other stars like J.T. Miller, Thatcher Demko, and Brock Boeser, while placing responsibility for the team’s inconsistency squarely on head coach Rick Tocchet.
Allvin’s tough-love approach is not entirely unwarranted, given the team’s slide to a 17–10–8 record and a precarious hold on the second wild-card spot. However, the lack of self-reflection from management has drawn sharp criticism.
Management’s Role in the Struggles
While Allvin points fingers at players and coaches, many argue that management’s offseason moves are the root of the Canucks’ issues. The team invested heavily in forwards and third-pairing defensemen, neglecting to secure a true top-four defenseman to bolster the blue line.
Key Missteps:
Signing Tyler Myers to a three-year extension and overpaying Vincent Desharnais in free agency, tying up $5 million in cap space.
Adding depth pieces like Derek Forbort ($1.5 million) instead of targeting a high-caliber defenseman.
Injuries to Filip Hronek and Quinn Hughes have further exposed these shortcomings, forcing players like Noah Juulsen—who is better suited as a seventh defenseman—into top-four roles. The result? A defense corps ill-equipped to support Tocchet’s system or give star forwards the freedom to generate offense.
Coaching and System Limitations
Rick Tocchet, last season’s NHL Coach of the Year, has been tasked with replicating the structure that propelled the Canucks to the top of the standings in 2023-24. However, without Hughes and Hronek, and with a blue line that struggles to move the puck under pressure, Tocchet’s options are limited.
The lack of a functional defense has hampered Tocchet’s ability to implement a rush-oriented offense. Instead, the team is forced to play grind-it-out, low-event hockey that minimizes mistakes but also stifles creativity and scoring opportunities.
What Needs to Change?
Critics argue that if management expects the team to compete, they must take accountability for roster construction and address the glaring holes on defense. This includes:
1. Investing in a Reliable Top-Four Defenseman: A true puck-moving defenseman is essential for unlocking the team’s offensive potential.
2. Strategic Cap Management: Avoid overpaying for depth players and instead prioritize high-impact acquisitions.
3. Better Injury Contingency Planning: Depth signings must be capable of stepping into larger roles when injuries occur.
Final Thoughts
The Canucks’ struggles are multifaceted, stemming from injuries, underperforming stars, and questionable roster decisions. While Allvin’s criticism of players and coaches might be justified to an extent, his unwillingness to acknowledge management’s role in the team’s woes is glaring.
Until management takes accountability and makes smarter personnel decisions, the Canucks risk wasting the prime years of their stars—and another season in which they had hoped to contend.
