Next move Canucks must make after hiring Manny Malhotra as head coach

After what was truly a miserable 2025-26 NHL campaign, the Vancouver Canucks made multiple changes at their executive leadership positions, starting with the termination of general manager Patrik Allvin. Allvin had executed several major trades for the Canucks during the season, the most notable of which was dealing captain and former Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild.

After hiring former Canucks forward Ryan Johnson as their new general manager, his first major move was the firing of coach Adam Foote, who had been on the job for only a single season after replacing Rick Tocchet. In Foote’s stead, Johnson hired another former Canucks forward and a former teammate, Manny Malhotra.

Malhotra had been serving as the head coach of the American Hockey League affiliate Abbotsford Canucks, where he led them to their first Calder Cup championship last spring.

While there is still ample work for Johnson to do, one of the major hurdles that he’ll have to clear is settling on the future of forward Elias Pettersson with the club.

Canucks need to make a decision on Elias Pettersson’s future

Right now, the Canucks would be best served by making a long-term decision regarding Pettersson’s future in British Columbia. As it currently stands, Pettersson is signed through 2032 with a hefty annual average salary of $11.6 million, which would be a major hindrance to potential suitors in a trade.

During Vancouver’s locker-room cleanout day in April, Pettersson made it clear that he isn’t looking for a change of scenery at this point in his career.

“No, I like it here, this feels like home,” Pettersson said via The Athletic. “I signed here for a reason. We’re in a tough spot, and none of us are happy with the season, but … we’ve got good pieces here, so we’re just trying to build it up and be a good team.”

Meanwhile, Johnson has indicated that he’s already spoken with Pettersson and said the club doesn’t plan on asking him to do things outside of the realm of his abilities.

“I had a great conversation with Petey,” Johnson said via The Province. “I just really enjoyed being able to talk very openly and honestly about my feelings with his process and some of the adversity and challenges.

“I wanted him to speak without judgment and know I’m not going to put an expectation on him to be something he isn’t. We may ask things of him, but not to do it outside of the core of what he is. That was good to establish early.”

However, following the reported rift between him and former teammate J.T. Miller — a situation that ultimately led to Miller’s trade — combined with his concerning decline in offensive production, Johnson must determine whether Pettersson still fits into the long-term vision he is building for the franchise.

If Pettersson were traded in the days leading up to the NHL Draft, it could significantly impact how the Canucks approach their pair of first-round selections. If he remains with the team, it would be wise for the organization to hold him to a strict, no-nonsense standard when it comes to his relationships with teammates, given his reported history.

Whether Pettersson ultimately stays or goes remains to be seen, but Johnson will need to make that decision sooner rather than later, with the draft and free agency quickly approaching.

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