Following the dramatic, sour ending to the 2024-25 NHLseason, the Vancouver Canucks face much uncertainty heading into the offseason, as head coach Rick Tocchet has yet to make a decision on his future. Ahead of a pivotal week, General Manager Jim Rutherford stated Elias Pettersson and the rest of the team will learn about their coach’s future shortly.
The last thing in the Canucks’ order list is for more drama and anxiety after a whirlwind of a campaign last season. Coming off a strange year, marked by an ongoing rift between Pettersson and J.T. Miller, along with adverse outcomes, the NHL franchise in Vancouver is hoping for a smoother ride in the offseason and the years to come.
However, there might be one final chapter writing its last lines in Vancity, as Tocchet has yet to make a decision on his future. The 61-year-old coach’s contract is coming to its end when the league starts its new year on July 1, and while the club holds an option to automatically extend his contract for one more year, they wish to sign Tocchet to a multi-year deal.
The Canucks won’t excercise their option on Tocchet’s contract, as Rutherford stated during his press conference according to insider Elliotte Friedman. With that, GM Rutherford has made it clear the ball is now in Tocchet’s court, while also delivering a firm update.
“I would suspect sometime this week, we will have [Tocchet’s] decision,” Canucks General Manager Jim Rutherford said during his media availability.
Two Hughes in, or one Hughes out?
During his press conference, Rutherford dropped a massive statement on where things stand regarding Quinn Hughes’ contract extension talks. While Hughes is still under contract for the next two seasons, the Canucks would like to keep one of the best defensemen in the league around for longer than that.
Moreover, Rutherford made a bold comment, hinting at a possible move to acquire Quinn’s brothers, Jack and Luke, who both play for the New Jersey Devils.
“He has said before he wants to play with his brothers,” Rutherford commented. “That would be partly out of our control. In our control if we brought his brothers here.”
Strength in numbers
Easier said than done, to say the least. If anything, the Devils have a better shot at landing the final Hughes brother—completing the sibling set like Infinity Stones—than the Canucks do at acquiring both without parting ways with their best asset.
Quinn and Jack came painfully close to sharing the ice for Team USA at the 4 Nations, but an untimely injury forced the former to watch from afar in Vancouver. It’s clear that disappointment still lingers, as Quinn was stripped of what felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
SURVEY Will the Hughes' brothers ever play together in an NHL team?
Will the Hughes' brothers ever play together in an NHL team?
already voted 18 fans
With eyes now on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano, there’s hope the Hughes brothers can finally unite on the international stage. For that to happen, though, the youngest of the trio, Luke, will need to take a significant step forward to climb the depth chart and edge out a deep pool of American blueliners.