Western Family and the Vancouver Canucks have teamed up to create Bar Down Blast – a limited-edition treat featuring vanilla ice cream swirled with blue ripple and caramel-filled mini chocolatey pucks.
The Vancouver Canucks are entering a crucial summer.
A disappointing 2024-25 season has left a bad taste in many people’s mouths. Head coach Rick Tocchet has left the team, and the countdown until Quinn Hughes hits free agency has begun.
The Canucks need to get their team back on track. They need to show a path to contention, both to convince Hughes to stay long-term and to encourage the fanbase.
The problem is the Canucks don’t have many assets they can use to improve their roster. They only have two blue-chip prospects, Tom Willander and Jonathan Lekkerimäki, and not much surplus talent they can dangle. Beyond that, it’s just draft picks, and thus they might need to deal their first-round pick this year, which will likely be 11th overall.
“This coming year is critical, so we’ll keep an open mind as to what it takes to improve our team,” said president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford on the 100% Hockey podcast. “We’ll consider moving our first pick if it’s for a player that’s going to make a difference on our team.”
The Canucks didn’t pick in the first two rounds last year and didn’t make a first round pick in 2021 either. Their prospect pool is weak as a result, and trading yet another first-round pick would only make the issue worse.
However, with Hughes having just two years left and the organization wanting to contend, dealing that pick would most likely make the team better next season.
If the Canucks do decide to trade that top draft selection, it would almost certainly be for a centre. It’s the biggest organizational need after the club traded J.T. Miller midseason.
“The number one thing is to add a number one or number two centre, and then after that, things can get sorted out,” added Rutherford.
By trading their first round pick, the Canucks could get better down the middle of the ice. If their other players return to form, would that be enough to turn the Canucks back into a contender? It’s a question that Rutherford and GM Patrik Allvin will need to carefully consider.
