If ownership wants the Canucks to be the best team in the league, they need to start operating as such.<\/p>\n
Get the latest from Patrick Johnston straight to your inbox Sign Up <\/p>\n
Published Apr 18, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 4 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n Once again, Jim Rutherford is steering the car.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events.Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account.The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events.Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account.The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Account<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Last fall, with GM Patrik Allvin looking a little lost, the veteran president took charge of the Quinn Hughes<\/a> trade.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n It was an unusual choice for Rutherford \u2014 at least, as he\u2019d been operating in Vancouver \u2014 but not that unusual for his career. In Vancouver, his intention had been to be a senior statesman, guiding his staff into self-sufficiency, and leave after a couple years.<\/p>\n Rather than drive off into the sunset with his team coming off a second-round playoff exit, he stuck around in 2024. Two years later, he\u2019s left standing in the carnage<\/a>.<\/p>\n Of course, the word now is \u201crebuild.\u201d As in: Eyes forward; go young; end up with an exciting, contending team in a couple of years.<\/p>\n If I know anything about hockey managers, they can\u2019t stop because they like winning too much. It\u2019s an addiction.<\/p>\n And so when we heard Rutherford say, essentially, \u2018Patrik screwed up, not me,\u2019 that was him saying he\u2019d have done it a little differently.<\/p>\n But that\u2019s still a tough claim<\/a> to make. He\u2019s the top boss, in the end. He may feel let down by those below him, but he did the picking. And now, apparently, he\u2019ll get another chance.<\/p>\n Canucks Report<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n All those signings<\/p>\n It\u2019s pretty hard to square the rationale behind making all these signings to show Quinn Hughes<\/a> you\u2019ve got a serious commitment to the roster, while also being pretty convinced he was going to leave.<\/p>\n But Rutherford did make that claim. And then guys like Conor Garland<\/a> were traded.<\/p>\n What was the desired outcome in all this? Keeping Hughes? There was never much hope of that.<\/p>\n What does ownership want?<\/p>\n Do the Aquilinis have a clear vision for this team? What do they want, here?<\/p>\n The plans don\u2019t have to be all that complex, but they do have to be clear and coherent, with smart people hired for the right roles, all pulling in the same direction.<\/p>\n The quality of your results are determined by the quality of your questions. It also comes back to your own ability to sit back and recognize what you don\u2019t know \u2014 and, crucially, how you bridge that gap. The solution may not be trying to figure everything out yourself. It is very likely finding someone who is better at it than you.<\/p>\n Is ownership truly committed to building up the organization?<\/p>\n It is pretty damning that the Canucks finished bottom of The Athletic\u2019s poll of NHL agents. They\u2019re the worst organization in the league, the agents agreed.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cThey really don\u2019t have the infrastructure that the players need to remove excuses,\u201d one agent said in their survey.<\/p>\n Rutherford can spend all the time he wants chasing after his ideal candidate, but the truth is that other players and teams can see the setup in Vancouver; and they don\u2019t see a setup that\u2019s optimized towards winning. Meanwhile, season-ticket holders are frustrated by how they are treated, and some are walking away. Going forward, ownership needs to take a look inward: If they want to be the best, they need to operate as such.<\/p>\n The Forbort thing<\/p>\n It may have flown under the radar for most of the season, but the lack of on-going detail about Derek Forbort\u2019s health was wild given what the veteran defenceman revealed Friday. He said he had a labrum tear that eventually needed surgery. He had hoped, when the season started, he could manage it with cortisone injections and other less invasive treatments, including platelet-rich plasma injections in his hip.<\/p>\n The Canucks\u2019 lack of detail in their communication was a little bizarre, even for them: He was day-to day-to start, then week-to-week, then was on long-term injured reserve with no reason given.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Boeser as captain?<\/p>\n I\u2019ve mused about it before, but of all the Canucks\u2019 veterans under contract, he\u2019s the most articulate and considered in his responses.<\/p>\n \u201cNobody should think they had a good year,\u201d was a very strong response from him on Friday.<\/p>\n The Canucks should just go with a group of alternate captains next year, not roll with a C, but Boeser is certainly the best spokesman.<\/p>\n Whither Kane<\/p>\n The Evander Kane experience was truly a strange one. A big personality, but one no one ever really had any sense of what to make of him.<\/p>\n He scored some goals, threw some hits. Took long shifts.<\/p>\n Apparently, late in the season, he tried to be a good older-brother type for the Canucks\u2019 younger players, taking them out for dinners and the like.<\/p>\n But he also was nowhere to be seen in the final week of the season. He wasn\u2019t around for exit interviews on Friday.<\/p>\n And it really wasn\u2019t a story.<\/p>\n pjohnston@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n![\"Jim](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/png0417-rutherford_302642360.jpg\")
President of hockey operations of the Vancouver Canucks Jim Rutherford at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC, April 17, 2026. Photo by Arlen Redekop \/PNGArticle content<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/21.0.2\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-vp.svg\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\n![\"Canucks](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/21.0.2\/websites\/images\/newsletters\/icon-vs-canucksReport.svg\"\/){kind=icon}
<\/p>\n
![\"Canucks](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776577921_516_png-0131n-patrickallvin-161_281659276.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Vancouver](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0415-canucks-scouts-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n