Hours after the Vancouver Canucks announced a multi-year extension on Wednesday, GM Patrik Allvin made it clear the team is happy where they are, but there’s “lots of work still to do” to get the team where it needs to be.
The Canucks currently sit tied with the Boston Bruins for first in the NHL with 71 points, far beyond most preseason expectations. The team didn’t qualify for the playoffs the past three years, and have only made it out of the first round since the Stanley Cup final once back in 2020.
“I didn’t anticipate that,” Allvin told reporters about the team’s success this year. “But I did anticipate that our younger players could take a big step with (better) structure around them.”
Allvin made it clear he didn’t want to shake up things just to make moves ahead of the March 8 NHL trade deadline. He’s happy with the team’s depth, something that has greatly improved since Allvin took over from Jim Benning back in 2022.
“What I like with the group we have is that we’re having the next-day mentality,” Allvin said. “How do we get better? What can we learn? I think that’s what the coaches have done a really good job. Part of that will dictate the outcome of the rest of the season.”
The club isn’t willing to sacrifice long-term potential for short-term gain, either.
“Do we go all in? It’s something we always discuss because any short-term decisions will impact the long-term.”
The team has relied on star players, such as Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, J.T. Miller, Quinn Hughes and Thatcher Demko, among others. But as Allvin pointed out, getting the full buy-in from everyone – especially after a difficult season last year – has been huge for the team’s success.
“The players deserve the credit for where we are,” Allvin said. “You go back to where we started. Dakota Joshua was a healthy scratch. Now, he’s probably our best wall-play guy, because he worked on it. To his credit, he listened to the coaching staff.
“Same goes for Nils Hoglander. He had a tough time early on to stay in the lineup. They trusted the coaches to help make them better. I think that shows the character of our group here, the team is growing together.”
But with the deadline creeping up, Allvin is keeping his options all on the table to do whatever it takes to lead the Canucks to their first Stanley Cup.
“The big puzzle is to see where our needs are in terms of improving,” Allvin added. “If it makes sense, then we’re definitely going to look at it.”
No matter what happens, Allvin is hoping this isn’t just a one-off. The Canucks have a good young core with some key players locked up long-term, but they’ve got to prove this isn’t just riding a high, and that this club can be taken seriously for years to come.
“You don’t want to be a one-year hit,” Allvin said. “You want to sustain it.”
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