In the end, it came down to more than just money for Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet.

The Canucks said they were prepared to make Tocchet the team’s highest-paid coach ever on a long-term extension, but the 61-year-old declined that offer on Tuesday, citing personal reasons.

As team president Jim Rutherford pointed out when he spoke to the local media on Tuesday afternoon, the Canucks have not historically been a team that hangs onto its coaches for long periods of time — even before the carousel started spinning at breakneck speed throughout the NHL over the last few years. 

Until last week, Rutherford was confident that Tocchet would return. He said Tuesday he hadn’t put much thought into a candidate list yet but expected his phone to start ringing imminently.

While he won two Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh with Mike Sullivan, who became available on Monday, Rutherford said the former assistant to John Tortorella with the Canucks is aiming to stay out east, so he’s not an option to return.

And while the goal is to get the Canucks back into contention — and convince Quinn Hughes there’s plenty of reason to stick around — extensive NHL experience is not necessarily a prerequisite for the Vancouver job.

“They have to understand that playing in Vancouver, travel can be tough at times,” Rutherford said. “Can they manage the schedule when we practise, when we travel, all those things? You have to have some experience. You have to have leadership qualities. You have to have a good structure and system that the players can lean to when they're not playing well. Those will be some of the things that we're going to look for.”

Here are two names that Rutherford said are up for consideration and some others who could fit that script.

Peter Laviolette

The 60-year-old is on the market after a brutal season with the New York Rangers. But he won a Cup under Rutherford with the Carolina Hurricanes back in 2006, so the familiarity is there.

Laviolette has spent most of his coaching career on the East Coast, but he also worked in Nashville. Would the Massachusetts native consider the white-hot spotlight of a Canadian market for the first time in his career?

Coach Rick Tocchet Explains Why He's Leaving The Vancouver CanucksVancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet decided not to return to the team for next season.

Manny Malhotra

In his first year behind the bench with the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks, Malhotra served up the hottest streak in the history of any Vancouver team affiliate down the stretch and now has his team into the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs.

A seventh-overall pick in the 1998 NHL draft who established a reputation as a responsible two-way center and faceoff ace, Malhotra played 159 of his 991 career NHL games with the Canucks. 

Malhotra also has seven years of experience as an NHL coach — three seasons under Travis Green in Vancouver, and four under Sheldon Keefe in Toronto. 

“Based on the job he did (in Abbotsford) and the experience he has in the league, he will certainly be on the short list,” Rutherford said.

Jeremy Colliton

Abbotsford’s previous bench boss is also young, articulate and collected 205 games of NHL experience with the Chicago Blackhawks when he was elevated after Joel Quenneville’s shock firing in 2018.

Looking for more opportunity at the NHL level, he signed on as Keefe’s assistant with the New Jersey Devils for 2024-25 — which means his season ended on Tuesday night.

Organizations usually won’t stand in the way of assistants interviewing for head-coaching jobs. Could Colliton return to the West Coast? And could that Devils connection possibly help untangle the knotty Hughes brothers situation that now lingers in the background of every organizational decision?

Rikard Gronborg

After guiding Sweden to back-to-back gold medals at the 2017 and 2018 World Championships, Gronborg had major momentum to become the first Swede with an NHL head-coaching job. But it didn’t happen.

Gronborg went to Switzerland, then Finland, and Anders Sorensen earned the honor when the Blackhawks tapped him as the interim replacement for Luke Richardson earlier this season.

The Canucks have had a strong Swedish connection for decades. With Patrik Allvin overseeing a crucial mission to get Elias Pettersson back to being his best self, Gronborg could help. Before joining the Canucks, Pettersson was part of that gold-winning 2018 squad at worlds.

How Bad Can It Get For The Vancouver Canucks?Imagine you’re a Vancouver Canucks fan at the end of the 2023-24 season. 

David Carle

Let’s be clear: this is a massive long shot. 

The two-time world junior gold medalist with Team USA and two-time Frozen Four champ with the University of Denver has a sparkling resume. But the 35-year-old has made it clear he’s not looking to leave the Pioneers unless it’s for an exceptional opportunity. That means solid compensation, stability for his young family and a real chance to win. 

Carle is already rumored to have turned down the Blackhawks. Even though he was born in Alaska and might appreciate the rugged geography around Vancouver, the scrutiny and criticism that comes with playing in a Canadian market is probably not especially appealing.

Two other NCAA coaches are currently carrying some buzz for NHL jobs: Pat Ferschweiler from the Frozen Four-champion Western Michigan Broncos and two-time Cup winner Jay Pandolfo, who coaches Canucks prospects Tom Willander and Aiden Celebrini in the strong Boston University program.

Jessica Campbell

When Rutherford arrived in Vancouver late in 2021, he quickly broke down gender barriers by hiring Emilie Castonguay and Cammi Granato as assistant GMs. Both are still with the team, and the Canucks’ player development and scouting has improved under Granato’s watch.

So don’t rule out the possibility that Rutherford could bring in the NHL’s first woman coach — especially after seeing Campbell work her magic against his team as an assistant with the Seattle Kraken this season.

The Kraken are also coach-hunting after cutting ties with Dan Bylsma, so that could be a more natural fit. But don’t rule out the prospect of Campbell interviewing in Vancouver.

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Recent news regarding the New York Rangers focused on who would become their next coach following their recent firing of Peter Laviolette. 

The latest speculation has Mike Sullivan joining the Blueshirts after recently parting ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

As for potential player trade candidates, Chris Kreider seems the most likely to be moved. The 34-year-old left winger has two years left on his contract with an average annual value of $6.5 million and a 15-team no-trade list. 

Center Mika Zibanejad was mentioned in trade rumors, but moving him would be difficult. He has more term left on his contract than Kreider (five years) and a larger average annual value ($8 million). Zibanejad also has a full no-movement clause. 

Nevertheless, Zibanejad recently told the New York Post's Mollie Walker that he's aware his disappointing performance this season puts his tenure with the Rangers at a crossroads. He was also unhappy with how management handled what Walker called “certain business” this season, perhaps alluding to the departures of Jacob Trouba and Barclay Goodrow since last June. 

Regarding his clause, Zibanejad said he knows what his contract says. 

“Both parties agreed to it, and like I said, I think I earned it,” he told Walker. “Until it's time to adjust it, I have no plans of going anywhere. I've invested a lot of years here.”

Still, Walker wondered if GM Chris Drury might meet with Zibanejad to discuss adjusting his no-move clause. 

Turning to the Boston Bruins, there was recent conjecture over whether they might make Jeremy Swayman a trade candidate. The 26-year-old goaltender is their only high-priced player lacking no-trade protection for next season. 

It was suggested the Bruins might peddle Swayman to free up cap space. However, that move seems unlikely, coming less than a year after re-signing him to his eight-year extension. Besides, there is no suitable replacement within their system or available in the trade and free-agent market.

Joonas Korpisalo is the more likely candidate if the Bruins move a goaltender. RG.Org's James Murphy reports sources claim his agent, Markus Lehto, told management that his client would welcome a trade if they don't intend to give him more starts next season. 

Korpisalo, 31, was acquired from the Ottawa Senators last June in exchange for Linus Ullmark. He's signed through 2027-28 with an average annual value of $4 million, with the Bruins carrying $3 million and the Senators $1 million. 

Murphy indicated Lehto was unavailable for comment, and no formal trade request was made to the Bruins. Nevertheless, his situation could be worth monitoring. The limited goalie options in this summer's trade and free-agent markets could make him enticing for clubs seeking depth between the pipes for next season. 

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