Will the Canucks' new progressive front office get along?

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Now comes the hard part.

Jim Rutherford has his new general manager in Patrik Allvin, and new assistant GMs in Émilie Castonguay and Derek Clancey. More hires, including one more assistant general manager (which might also go to a female candidate) are coming. But the core of hockey decision-making is at hand.

Now we see if they can all work together, if they can all get along.

Allvin made it clear in his press conference today that he does not know Castonguay, and really, Rutherford doesn’t know her all that much either.

We’re going to see how this new progressive front office gets along.

Are they cooperative? Collaborative? Do they communicate? Will they get territorial? Can Rutherford empower individuals and foster consensus?

“Everybody’s going to have their input,” said Rutherford. “Patrik has to gather all that information, make his decision. He certainly doesn’t have to come running me every time he’s making a decision. But when we get into some of the bigger decisions, I’ll be a little bit more involved. But it’s Patrik’s job. He’s the general manager. He has to work hard and he has to make those decisions.”

And while I don’t dispute that, those who know Rutherford — like Darren Dreger — suspect that Rutherford will have both hands on the steering wheel in the early-going here.

One, because there are many big decisions to make, they’re on him.

Two, because it’s going to take some time with younger people in new positions.

And three, because he’s the Aquilini’s guy, the buck stops with him.

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