Why The Vancouver Canucks Cannot Afford To Miss The Mark In Hiring A New GM
The NHL's GM carousel continues to turn, and while the Toronto Maple Leafs moved relatively quickly to hire a replacement for GM Brad Treliving – hiring John Chayka as GM on Monday – the Vancouver Canucks are still in the process of hiring a replacement for GM Patrik Allvin.
The choice for Vancouver's next GM falls to Jim Rutherford, who, following Tuesday's draft lottery, announced he's stepping down as the Canucks' president of hockey operations before next season.
While you can debate and discuss what the best moves Rutherford has made in his four-and-a-half years on the job, there's no debating the fact that Rutherford must hit a home run in picking a new GM, which will be his final consequential act in Vancouver.
'Going Back Home Would Be Really Cool': Caleb Malhotra Speaks On Potentially Being Drafted By The Vancouver Canucks
Caleb Malhotra could be drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
But the GM business is the epitome of a ‘what-have-you-done-for-me-lately' business, and all Canucks fans care about right this minute is what Rutherford does with this next monumental decision.
This isn't to say Canucks fans can't be reasonable and be somewhat patient with their expectations that the franchise has turned the corner and is building to something that will be legitimately impressive.
Short of a draft miracle – which has been hard to come by for Vancouver in the draft lottery – the Canucks will have to ask for some time to implement a new strategy. And so long as Canucks fans can make out an early impression of what the new management team is trying to do, they may be patient and understanding.
Rutherford: Third-Overall Pick Will Be ‘A Great Building Block' For The Canucks
The Canucks will select third-overall in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
However, if Rutherford chooses the wrong person to be Vancouver's visionary for the next decade or longer, Canucks fans will be as angry as you'll ever see a fan base be. And that's if that person even gets to a decade as GM.
Allvin had only four full years on the job before Rutherford fired him. So if we don't see some semblance of progress sooner than later from the new GM in Vancouver, we're going to see rage on a new level in Canucks Land.
Rutherford may be winding down his NHL career, but Gold or Johnson could be about to start up their days running a team. The success they may or may not have as Vancouver's next GM is going to dictate how pleasant Canucks fans are going to be for the foreseeable future.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Hockey News
This story was originally published May 9, 2026 at 10:53 AM.