Canucks management don't seem overly confident in Boudreau's future

Vancouver Canucks

There was a telling non-answer from Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin yesterday.

He’s asked about a coaching change and he hard pivots to good teams and the Canucks’ best players.

Look, it’s obvious now that Bruce Boudreau would not have been this management group’s choice for head coach had they had their druthers. It’s also obvious that they don’t want to stoke the fires of a coaching watch just seven games into the season.

But I also think they realize their problems are bigger than coaching.

So here’s Allvin from yesterday — again, he’s asked about a coaching change — with a bigger picture message about the type of organization they want to build, and the type of leadership and performance they need from their stars.

PART 1: General Manager Patrik Allvin addresses the media at practice on Wednesday at Rogers Arena. pic.twitter.com/9HcVvgVoix

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 26, 2022

“If you want to be a good team in this league, you’ve got to have ‘next-man-up’ mentality,” Allvin said. “The players that have been coming up here have shown that they are capable of playing games. I don’t think that’s been an issue.”

PART 2: Media availability with General Manager Patrik Allvin. pic.twitter.com/X1ebvEd94u

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 26, 2022

“We need to have our top players to buy-in and be the top players every single day you walk in here to the rink. I think that’s the difference right now.”

In other words, he’s not pinning the tail on depth defencemen who have had to play because of injury carnage on the blue-line. He’s lighting a path further up the lineup.

Last year it was “practice habits,” and this year it’s best players needing to play like it on game-days, and act like it on practice days.

Some of that overlaps with coaching, but I think what we’re hearing here is a management recognizing that they have no Sidney Crosbys in the fold.

And I don’t mean Crosby the player. I mean Crosby the leader. The standard-bearer, the guy who upholds standards.

That probably has implications for Bo Horvat, who is an unrestricted free agent and has watched the organization take care of everyone before him (maybe that’s by design). But there have been persistent rumours about trouble in the Canucks room, that combined with Allvin comments makes you wonder if they just have the right mix in there.

Both in terms of leadership, and in terms of chemistry.

The Canucks, according to inside reports, appear to be at a stalemate with their captain in terms of extension negotiations, and given that dynamic, you have to think the next few weeks will be huge for Horvat’s future with the club.

That’s if he has one.

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