The Vancouver Canucks haven’t exactly been a dream destination in recent years, with chaos looming both inside and outside the organization, and the on-ice product struggling to find consistency. So it wouldn’t be surprising if some players started eyeing the exit. As Conor Garland heads into a contract year in the 2025-26 NHL season, he made sure to tread carefully with his words—avoiding any comments that could come back to haunt him once Elias Pettersson’s Canucks hit the ice.
The Canucks are coming off a turmoil of an NHL season, which was greatly hindered by drama off-the-ice involving Pettersson and J.T. Miller. While the players diminished the impact of the reported rift, it was made clear once Miller was traded out of Vancouver.
Now, there should be no distractions left in Vancity, though they are still missing some key pieces to the puzzle: a head coach to replace Rick Tocchet, for starters. Vancouver will ride into the 2025-26 NHL campaign with the expectations of a fanbase anxious for their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
However, there are some big concerns around the locker room as several players will be entering contract seasons. Among those is Conor Garland, who signed a five-year extension valued at $24.75M in 2021.
Conor Garland #8 of the Vancouver Canucks looks on before Game Seven of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Arena on May 20, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Now, as he enters the final year of his lucrative contract, yet has won only one playoff series with the Canucks in the past four seasons, sidestepped a question about his future, making something clear to Pettersson and the rest of his teammates.
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“I love Vancouver. I think it’s a great city. I really warmed up to it. But, you know, I’ve got a great agent, he handles that stuff.,” Garland stated, via Donnie & Dhali on X. ” I just play hockey, that’s what I love doing, and I enjoy doing. That’s how I look at it, [contract negotiations] are up to him.“
Tocchet’s closing in on new team
After announcing he wouldn’t stay behind the bench in Vancouver, Rick Tocchet has drawn interest from several NHL franchises who are in the coaching market. According to insider Darren Dreger, it won’t be long before an official announcement is made about Tocchet’s future, and he might be signing somewhere really close to Vancouver.
“Strong indications this week Rick Tocchet will soon land another NHL head coaching job. Philly, Boston, Seattle believed to be among the top contenders. The Flyers want to be aggressive. Good fit,” Dreger reported on his X account.
Rick Tocchet of the Arizona Coyotes speaks to the press during Media Day for the 2020 NHL All-Star at Stifel Theatre on January 23, 2020 in St Louis, Missouri.
Tough pill to swallow
The Canucks’ front office accepted Tocchet’s decision to move on from the organization after two seasons, despite holding a club option which would’ve automatically sign the coach for the 2025-26 NHL campaign.
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However, if Tocchet ends up signing with the Kraken in Seattle, it’s safe to say the Canucks won’t be too pleased. A budding rivalry is forming between Vancouver and Seattle due to their geographical proximity, and Tocchet heading south of the US-Canada border to join the Kraken could feel like a stab in the back to the Canucks organization.
