Canucks Coffee: So, who is going to be the GM?

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Allvin? Johnson? Somehow someone else? Either way, they need to keep adding stuff to this roster and depth chart.

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Published Apr 10, 2026 • Last updated 1 hour ago • 3 minute read

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Ryan Abbotsford Canucks General manager Ryan Johnson and Vancouver Canucks GM Patrik Allvin during Canucks practice at Rogers Arena in 2024. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNGArticle content

What a remarkable 24 hours it was between Wednesday and Thursday if you’re a Ryan Johnson watcher.

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First, we had Rick Dhaliwal reporting that the Predators asked to talk to Johnson and that this request was rejected.

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Then a day later we have Darren Dreger saying, no, the Predators never asked to speak with the Nashville native.

So which is it? Both are good reporters, with good sources.

One suspects there’s a semantic argument going on. Obviously, I’ve spoken with Jim Rutherford many times over the years, and in general he has always said that if one of his staff is getting an opportunity to move up in theri role, he’s not going to block that.

A team will make a formal request, a discussion will have to happen between the president and staffer about what the role might mean for their future, and generally the talks happen.

Did a “formal” request happen? If there was one, would Johnson be happy about that if it were rejected? Seems likely.

But what if Rutherford is keeping his cards close? We do know there’s some doubt about Patrik Allvin’s future. The Canucks’ GM knows that things have not gone well, and ultimately the buck stops with him and Rutherford.

Does he take the hammer here? Is there an alternative move that ends with him being retitled as vice-president and assigned as some kind of super-scout? Or is he flat-out dismissed?

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One league source thinks if he gets outright fired he will wind up moving to Minnesota to work as GM Bill Guerin’s top scout, superseding Judd Brackett. That would be quite the move as the Wild have been excellent in finding prospects during Brackett’s six years there.

Either way, that would seem to open the door to Johnson, who has done just about every job in Canucks management. He knows the place inside and out. Will he be a good NHL GM? The truth with most is that they don’t work out. There are only a handful of truly outstanding GMs and you can probably name them: Jim Nill, Julien BriseBois, Bill Zito, Chris MacFarland, Eric Tulsky for sure. A couple others such as Kyle Dubas and Kent Hughes could yet prove to be great.

None of these guys had been NHL GMs before, although all had worked in hockey one way or another. The point is that you’ve got to give a guy a chance. I saw a stat last week that 11 of the 16 teams in playoff positions at that point had rookie GMs.

Holding assets

Speaking of Dubas, and I’ve made this note before: half of the job is picking up cards you can play later, like Dubas has done in Pittsburgh. Just this season alone he added second-round picks in trades that saw him flip an often-injured goalie (Tristan Jarry) for a goalie that people had doubts about (Stuart Skinner) while also adding a useful defenceman (Brett Kulak), then flip Kulak for another useful defenceman (Sam Girard) who had a cap hit too big for his original team (Colorado).

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In each trade he got a second-round pick in the deal and now has a stack of them to use on future prospects, or even adding players who will reinforce his NHL squad, which is now back in the playoffs.

Catch your breath?

Dubas is now positioned to pick up a guy like Jason Robertson this summer. He’s been at this three years and has repositioned his team in impressive fashion. He had aging superstars and no prospects when he took over from Ron Hextall and Brian Burke three years ago.

This is the task of the GM: Nail your moves. Add stuff you can use later on actual prospects or in trades to make your already-good team better.

Good coaches

It’s worth noting how Travis Green and Rick Tocchet both have their teams fighting for their playoff lives.

You want an A-plus coaching effort? Look no farther than what Green has accomplished despite having basically no NHL regular defencemen in recent weeks, while Tocchet has his team scrapping away despite having no top-line NHL centres.

pjohnston@postmedia.com

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