The <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/combinations">Vancouver Canucks</a> have made their choice and promoted <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-name-adam-foote-next-head-coach">Adam Foote</a> to the role of head coach. It’s now going to be on Foote to deliver improvements across the board for a hockey club that fell well short of its stated goals last season. 
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Speaking of delivering, that brings us to another Monday mailbag. Many of you had questions about the coaching decision, the coaching staff and the type of lineup Foote will have to work with. Some of those questions will require time. Many of the other questions posed this week can be tackled head on. And that’s exactly what we plan to do. So let’s jump right in.
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Why does this ownership group refuse to rebuild? Don&#39;t they realize they&#39;ll make more money in the longterm if they build a sustainable contender?
&mdash; <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:wbuhavgtdepztzpqiiwkspfs?ref_src=embed"> (@1stlinecenter.bsky.social)</a> <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:wbuhavgtdepztzpqiiwkspfs/post/3lpeyxbdvh22f?ref_src=embed">2025-05-17T16:52:46.916Z</a></blockquote>
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The Dallas Stars seem to be the model franchise in the NHL these days. They are stacked with talent, they are aggressive at the trade deadline and they win. A lot. Year after year. The Stars will be appearing in the Western Conference Final for a third consecutive season. That is a lot of home playoff dates. In fact, Dallas and Florida have played a league-high 27 home playoff games each over the past three seasons. And that’s where real playoff revenue is realized. That’s a lot of tickets sold, a lot of merchandise purchased, beers consumed and a lot of hot dogs eaten. In other words, that’s a lot of revenue for ownership. The goal should never be just to creep into the postseason. It should be all about building for deep runs with the hope that everything comes together and yields a championship. The way the Stars have gone about their business for years now should serve as a template for every franchise in the league, not just the Canucks. 
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The need for offensive minded assistants is a must. Odds they ask the Sedins if they are interested?
&mdash; <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kb4zx2m3ywassereyooyxaro?ref_src=embed"> (@drewl10.bsky.social)</a> <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kb4zx2m3ywassereyooyxaro/post/3lphhmznqpk2i?ref_src=embed">2025-05-18T16:20:48.843Z</a></blockquote>
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The Sedins name surfaced at Adam Foote’s introductory press conference, but so too did the need for an offensive assistant coach and a defensive-minded helper. The Sedins seem to have settled into their roles in player development, but have yet to show interest in full time jobs as assistant coaches. That’s not to say it couldn’t happen, just that it doesn’t seem like it’s going to.
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Who are the top candidates to coach the PP and offence in general?
&mdash; pivnicek (@pivnicek) <a href="https://twitter.com/pivnicek/status/1923791257723134112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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There have been lots of suggestions in the days since Adam Foote was promoted. Marc Crawford, Tony Granato, Dallas Eakins, how about Gerard Gallant? Foote played for Gallant in Columbus and it’s fair to wonder how badly Gallant wants back into the NHL having been out of the league for a couple of seasons now. I do think it makes perfect sense for Foote and the Canucks to find someone with NHL head coaching experience to be the top assistant. Most NHL benches are constructed that way these days. While we wait for the rumour mill to churn out legitimate candidates, all we can do is speculate as the Canucks go through the process of identifying their targets. Hockey is such a people business and Foote needs to be completely comfortable with the people he brings in. So don’t be surprised if he leans on someone he played for or with during his 20-year career. 
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Should we expect the same style of offence under Foote?
&mdash; Steve (@IrateCowboysFan) <a href="https://twitter.com/IrateCowboysFan/status/1923779224114167974?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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No. Canucks fans should expect more offence under Foote. More of the same won’t accomplish anything. So without knowing who he’ll have at his disposal in terms of top end talent, it’s hard to make predictions at this point. Obviously, he needs a whole lot more from <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/elias-pettersson-reveals-oblique-injury-kept-him-out-vancouver-canucks-homestretch">Elias Pettersson</a>. Beyond that, both Nils Höglander and Dakota Joshua have to have bounce back seasons. I’m banking on Quinn Hughes finding some way to take his already remarkable game to yet another level (although he may be nearing his ceiling in terms of raw point production). Foote has to know that another season of low-event, low scoring hockey will be a tough sell to a market that didn’t exactly embrace that from his predecessor. So I expect the Canucks to try to find ways to generate more than they did last season. It may be easier said than done.
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Will hiring internally negate the “new coach bump”?
&mdash; <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:fyhcuy4w4gfkblvlowcudjra?ref_src=embed"> (@guiltyafternoon.bsky.social)</a> <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:fyhcuy4w4gfkblvlowcudjra/post/3lphi6aq2ks22?ref_src=embed">2025-05-18T16:30:26.751Z</a></blockquote>
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I generally think of the new coach bump coming in-season when one coach is fired and a new guy takes over. I don’t know that it applies months after the fact. Although, I’m sure Adam Foote is hoping he and the team get off to a quick start and then find a way to sustain it. The fact Foote is a familiar face and voice for the players probably softens the transition somewhat. That continuity was a big part of why he was promoted. But it also likely takes away the shock factor that often follows an in-season coaching change. So the transition from Rick Tocchet to Adam Foote isn’t so much about jolting this team to attention as it is to coax more out of just about every forward in the group as well as integrating offseason additions into the mix in the hopes of hitting the ground running at training camp.
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How do you think Foote will handle the Vancouver media considering this is his 1st time as an NHL coach?
&mdash; Al Powell 🇨🇦 (@al_powell57674) <a href="https://twitter.com/al_powell57674/status/1923778758546203126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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I think he’ll handle the demands like the professional that he is. He acquitted himself quite nicely at Thursday’s press conference. He is not coming into this blindly. He has a feel for the market and the things it can throw at a coach. He may not have experience as an NHL head coach, but he was always a willing and forthcoming interview as a player so he has experience from that to draw on. Will he always enjoy that part of the job? Probably not. Will he be the quote machine <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/5-burning-questions-after-rick-tocchets-departure-from-vancouver-canucks">Rick Tocchet</a> was? Again, probably not. But I have no doubt he’ll settle in and find his groove. And if he doesn’t realize it already, Adam Foote will soon find out that winning will make that part of his job much easier. At least, it should make the tone and topic of questions much more palatable.
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with goaltending locked up for this year and Lankinen for the next few do the Canucks sell high on Silovs after this playoff run or they keep him and move Tolipido because the depth in the crease is getting crowded
&mdash; X-AlfaKennyOne (@JoshuaTelford1) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshuaTelford1/status/1924132388160033102?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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It is getting crowded in the Canucks crease. Both Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen are under contract at the top of the depth chart, then <a href="https://bola.canucksarmy.com/news/you-work-these-moments-vancouver-canucks-silovs-shuts-door-second-series-clinching-shutout">Arturs Silovs</a> and Jiri Patera are locked in at the AHL level and youngsters Ty Young and Aku Koskenvuo both looking for places to play. And, of course, Nikita Tolopilo needs a new deal as a restricted free agent. It does feel like something has to give this summer. The goaltending market is always difficult to predict as is the value of minor league netminders. But I would expect you’ll see the Canucks peddle one of their mid-range guys in the offseason to ease the log jam and continue a path for their younger prospects plus any goalie they may add to the stables through the draft in June.
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Is a return of Bo Horvat a real possibility? It would be the ultimate admission that management was wrong when they moved him in the first place and could have avoided to whole drama of Miller and EP40 last year if they moved on from Miller, instead of trading Bo.
&mdash; Colin in Planning (@ColinBrown23) <a href="https://twitter.com/ColinBrown23/status/1924138976308515193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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I’m not buying the whole ‘bring Bo home’ movement that I see and hear. As pointed out, it would be a glaring admission of asset mismanagement on the part of the front office. But also, Horvat has full no trade protection early on in the new contract he signed with the New York Islanders. I have a difficult time seeing him choosing to return to a team – and a front office – that punted on him. He and his young family seemed to have settled in New York and he likely wants to see who will be running the show on the Island to get a better sense of the direction of the hockey club. Look, I like the player and the person and don’t mind the contract (six years left at $8.5M). He’d fill a need at centre and would make the power play better. But so would Connor McDavid or Nathan MacKinnon. The point is that we can throw names around all we want. I just don’t see <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-offseason-centre-trade-targets-return-bo-horvat">Bo Horvat returning to Vancouver</a> except once a season with the Islanders. 
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Please help me understand why it makes sense to trade 2 high end centres in amassing a potential top 10 defence in the NHL and then trade from that defence to acquire a high end centre?
Are we using the Mastercard to pay the Visa then using the Visa to pay the American Express?
&mdash; Jay (@TheHeartPlumber) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHeartPlumber/status/1923973228156027004?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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First of all, thank you. That reminds me I need to pay my credit card bill. Beyond that, this is life for an organization that whiffed on three top 10 picks in the span of six drafts not that long ago. Those kinds of misses leave gaping holes in the lineup. And then you’re playing catch up trying to find elite talent that you missed out on (and got nothing for in return). Beyond the draft busts, trading away a bunch of first-round draft picks simply to remain competitive also puts you behind the eight ball. And eventually, to bring it back to your analogy, you have to pay the creditor. In this case, that means running out of options to make your team better. The Canucks have a surplus of good, young defence prospects. It only makes sense to deal from a position of organizational strength. But it would all feel so much better if they had true blue chip prospects in the system knocking on the door. The Abbotsford playoff run is largely on the backs of good veteran pros with the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-lekkerimakis-low-shot-volume-starting-hinder-playoff-success">team’s top prospects either not in the lineup or struggling to find their way</a> as the stakes rise in the Calder Cup push.
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Jeff Paterson's weekly Vancouver Canucks mailbag.

The <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/combinations">Vancouver Canucks</a> have made their choice and promoted <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-name-adam-foote-next-head-coach">Adam Foote</a> to the role of head coach. It’s now going to be on Foote to deliver improvements across the board for a hockey club that fell well short of its stated goals last season. 
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Speaking of delivering, that brings us to another Monday mailbag. Many of you had questions about the coaching decision, the coaching staff and the type of lineup Foote will have to work with. Some of those questions will require time. Many of the other questions posed this week can be tackled head on. And that’s exactly what we plan to do. So let’s jump right in.

https://bsky.app/profile/1stlinecenter.bsky.social/post/3lpeyxbdvh22f

The Dallas Stars seem to be the model franchise in the NHL these days. They are stacked with talent, they are aggressive at the trade deadline and they win. A lot. Year after year. The Stars will be appearing in the Western Conference Final for a third consecutive season. That is a lot of home playoff dates. In fact, Dallas and Florida have played a league-high 27 home playoff games each over the past three seasons. And that’s where real playoff revenue is realized. That’s a lot of tickets sold, a lot of merchandise purchased, beers consumed and a lot of hot dogs eaten. In other words, that’s a lot of revenue for ownership. The goal should never be just to creep into the postseason. It should be all about building for deep runs with the hope that everything comes together and yields a championship. The way the Stars have gone about their business for years now should serve as a template for every franchise in the league, not just the Canucks. 

https://bsky.app/profile/drewl10.bsky.social/post/3lphhmznqpk2i

The Sedins name surfaced at Adam Foote’s introductory press conference, but so too did the need for an offensive assistant coach and a defensive-minded helper. The Sedins seem to have settled into their roles in player development, but have yet to show interest in full time jobs as assistant coaches. That’s not to say it couldn’t happen, just that it doesn’t seem like it’s going to.

https://twitter.com/pivnicek/status/1923791257723134112

There have been lots of suggestions in the days since Adam Foote was promoted. Marc Crawford, Tony Granato, Dallas Eakins, how about Gerard Gallant? Foote played for Gallant in Columbus and it’s fair to wonder how badly Gallant wants back into the NHL having been out of the league for a couple of seasons now. I do think it makes perfect sense for Foote and the Canucks to find someone with NHL head coaching experience to be the top assistant. Most NHL benches are constructed that way these days. While we wait for the rumour mill to churn out legitimate candidates, all we can do is speculate as the Canucks go through the process of identifying their targets. Hockey is such a people business and Foote needs to be completely comfortable with the people he brings in. So don’t be surprised if he leans on someone he played for or with during his 20-year career. 

https://twitter.com/IrateCowboysFan/status/1923779224114167974

No. Canucks fans should expect more offence under Foote. More of the same won’t accomplish anything. So without knowing who he’ll have at his disposal in terms of top end talent, it’s hard to make predictions at this point. Obviously, he needs a whole lot more from <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/elias-pettersson-reveals-oblique-injury-kept-him-out-vancouver-canucks-homestretch">Elias Pettersson</a>. Beyond that, both Nils Höglander and Dakota Joshua have to have bounce back seasons. I’m banking on Quinn Hughes finding some way to take his already remarkable game to yet another level (although he may be nearing his ceiling in terms of raw point production). Foote has to know that another season of low-event, low scoring hockey will be a tough sell to a market that didn’t exactly embrace that from his predecessor. So I expect the Canucks to try to find ways to generate more than they did last season. It may be easier said than done.

https://bsky.app/profile/guiltyafternoon.bsky.social/post/3lphi6aq2ks22

I generally think of the new coach bump coming in-season when one coach is fired and a new guy takes over. I don’t know that it applies months after the fact. Although, I’m sure Adam Foote is hoping he and the team get off to a quick start and then find a way to sustain it. The fact Foote is a familiar face and voice for the players probably softens the transition somewhat. That continuity was a big part of why he was promoted. But it also likely takes away the shock factor that often follows an in-season coaching change. So the transition from Rick Tocchet to Adam Foote isn’t so much about jolting this team to attention as it is to coax more out of just about every forward in the group as well as integrating offseason additions into the mix in the hopes of hitting the ground running at training camp.

https://twitter.com/al_powell57674/status/1923778758546203126

I think he’ll handle the demands like the professional that he is. He acquitted himself quite nicely at Thursday’s press conference. He is not coming into this blindly. He has a feel for the market and the things it can throw at a coach. He may not have experience as an NHL head coach, but he was always a willing and forthcoming interview as a player so he has experience from that to draw on. Will he always enjoy that part of the job? Probably not. Will he be the quote machine <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/5-burning-questions-after-rick-tocchets-departure-from-vancouver-canucks">Rick Tocchet</a> was? Again, probably not. But I have no doubt he’ll settle in and find his groove. And if he doesn’t realize it already, Adam Foote will soon find out that winning will make that part of his job much easier. At least, it should make the tone and topic of questions much more palatable.

https://twitter.com/JoshuaTelford1/status/1924132388160033102

It is getting crowded in the Canucks crease. Both Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen are under contract at the top of the depth chart, then <a href="https://bola.canucksarmy.com/news/you-work-these-moments-vancouver-canucks-silovs-shuts-door-second-series-clinching-shutout">Arturs Silovs</a> and Jiri Patera are locked in at the AHL level and youngsters Ty Young and Aku Koskenvuo both looking for places to play. And, of course, Nikita Tolopilo needs a new deal as a restricted free agent. It does feel like something has to give this summer. The goaltending market is always difficult to predict as is the value of minor league netminders. But I would expect you’ll see the Canucks peddle one of their mid-range guys in the offseason to ease the log jam and continue a path for their younger prospects plus any goalie they may add to the stables through the draft in June.

https://twitter.com/ColinBrown23/status/1924138976308515193

I’m not buying the whole ‘bring Bo home’ movement that I see and hear. As pointed out, it would be a glaring admission of asset mismanagement on the part of the front office. But also, Horvat has full no trade protection early on in the new contract he signed with the New York Islanders. I have a difficult time seeing him choosing to return to a team – and a front office – that punted on him. He and his young family seemed to have settled in New York and he likely wants to see who will be running the show on the Island to get a better sense of the direction of the hockey club. Look, I like the player and the person and don’t mind the contract (six years left at $8.5M). He’d fill a need at centre and would make the power play better. But so would Connor McDavid or Nathan MacKinnon. The point is that we can throw names around all we want. I just don’t see <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-offseason-centre-trade-targets-return-bo-horvat">Bo Horvat returning to Vancouver</a> except once a season with the Islanders. 

https://twitter.com/TheHeartPlumber/status/1923973228156027004

First of all, thank you. That reminds me I need to pay my credit card bill. Beyond that, this is life for an organization that whiffed on three top 10 picks in the span of six drafts not that long ago. Those kinds of misses leave gaping holes in the lineup. And then you’re playing catch up trying to find elite talent that you missed out on (and got nothing for in return). Beyond the draft busts, trading away a bunch of first-round draft picks simply to remain competitive also puts you behind the eight ball. And eventually, to bring it back to your analogy, you have to pay the creditor. In this case, that means running out of options to make your team better. The Canucks have a surplus of good, young defence prospects. It only makes sense to deal from a position of organizational strength. But it would all feel so much better if they had true blue chip prospects in the system knocking on the door. The Abbotsford playoff run is largely on the backs of good veteran pros with the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-lekkerimakis-low-shot-volume-starting-hinder-playoff-success">team’s top prospects either not in the lineup or struggling to find their way</a> as the stakes rise in the Calder Cup push.

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JPat’s Monday Canucks Mailbag: How different will things be under Adam Foote?

Canucks’ draft options at 15th overall: Justin Carbonneau

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Abbotsford Canucks captain Chase Wouters during the team's AHL playoff game against the Colorado Eagles

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