"I tried to have a longer vision": Linden speaks on Canucks management career

Trevor Linden hasn’t exactly been an open book since parting ways with the Vancouver Canucks nearly five years ago.

The former president of hockey operations has repeatedly taken the high road, despite reports from various sources indicating Linden preferred a slower approach to rebuilding the team than perhaps Jim Benning and Francesco Aquilini wanted.

Needless to say, Linden was proven right, as the Canucks have missed the playoffs in four of five years since his departure in 2018. But he hasn’t jumped back into the spotlight to say “I told you so.”

Speaking with Mike Halford and Jason Brough on Sportsnet 650 this morning, Linden once again took the high road, though the 53-year-old Canucks legend did appear to confirm some things many people already assumed.

“When I look back at my time… it was a very, very difficult situation to come into,” Linden said. “It was a bit of a mess.”

Linden was hired the day after Mike Gillis was fired as general manager, with John Tortorella still employed as the team’s head coach. Roberto Luongo had just been traded a month earlier, and Ryan Kesler had already requested a trade.

The Canucks were an aging group, with Henrik and Daniel Sedin about to turn 34 years old.

But Linden was not without fault. He hired Jim Benning as GM and Willie Desjardins as head coach. And while he preferred a more patient approach than others in the organization, he did resist a full rebuild, at least initially.

Ultimately his preference for patience was likely the reason he was ousted from the organization. And he’s ok with that.

“I loved my time with the club. I’m proud of the work that I did… I’m proud that I said what I felt, not necessarily what they wanted to hear. I felt that that was my job. I’m proud of that.”

One of the reasons Linden has referenced in the past for his reluctance for a tear-down rebuild was the presence of Henrik and Daniel Sedin.

“It was a tough spot because there was a lot of players on contracts that were difficult, that weren’t really moveable. There was a lot of [players with no-trade clauses]. There was a lot of difficulty there. Obviously, you’ve got two iconic players, Hall of Fame players, that I wasn’t prepared to ask them to move.”

You have to wonder what could have been if the Canucks had embraced a full rebuild sooner. They acquired just one additional first-round draft pick during Linden’s tenure, selecting Jared McCann with their second pick in 2014, but traded him less than two years later. They didn’t draft in the second round in 2015 or 2016, right at the start of what should have been a youth movement.

It was clear to nearly everyone watching that the Canucks weren’t totally committed to rebuilding, and in the end, it stunted the team’s growth.

“We were probably trying to play both sides of it too much,” Linden admitted. “Someone in my spot, I tried to have a longer vision, but at times that didn’t work for people.”

🗣️"I tried to have a longer vision, but at times that didn't work for people."

▶️@MikeHalford604 (he's there, trust us) & @SadClubCommish are joined in-studio by #Canucks great Trevor Linden on his time as team president.

— Sportsnet 650 (@Sportsnet650) June 13, 2023

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