Five general manager candidates for the Canucks job

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After eight long years under the Jim Benning regime, Francesco Aquilini announced Sunday night that the Vancouver Canucks had made significant changes to the front office, relieving Jim Benning, John Weisbrod, Travis Green, and Nolan Baumgartner of their duties.

On Thursday, the team announced the hiring of Jim Rutherford in the role of President of hockey operations and the interim general manager while the club continuted their search for a full time GM.

Here’s a look at five potential GM candidates out there that could make sense for the Canucks.

Eric Tulsky

Eric Tulsky is the most attractive general manager candidate and the least likely to be available. The analytics darling of the NHL is the star of the Carolina Hurricanes front office, being an integral part of their success. Tulsky has spent eight seasons with the Hurricanes, making his way from a part-time analyst position to now the assistant general manager of the team and likely the heir apparent to current general manager Don Waddell.

The savvy analytics star has been the brains behind several of the under-the-radar moves the Hurricanes have made, leading them to be one of the consistent Stanley Cup contenders in the league year in and year out and only seeming to get better.

Tulsky is ready to lead an NHL front office, and the Carolina Hurricanes are well aware of that, making him a significantly influential voice in their war room. Francesco Aquilini will need to open up his wallet and make an offer Tulsky can’t refuse. However, it may still be wishful thinking as Tulsky has found a trusted home with the Carolina Hurricanes organization.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) Brendan Shanahan and Laurence Gilman of the Toronto Maple Leafs attend the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 22, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Chris MacFarland

MacFarland is possibly the worst kept secret regarding future NHL general managers in the NHL. MacFarland has been Joe Sakic’s right-hand man for the past seven years, having a significant voice in their hockey operations department. Whenever there is an opening, MacFarland’s name jumps to the top of the list of candidates, but the Avalanche have done an incredible job in keeping him comfortable in Colorado.

It would likely take an incredible offer and the perfect situation for MacFarland to leave his cushy confines. The Canucks GM position may just be attractive enough for MacFarland to make the jump to leading his own NHL front office instead of being the number two man.

MacFarland has been the engineer behind the maneuvering of the Avalanche salary cap, something the Canucks have struggled with. The Avalanche have been one of the model franchises in the past few years, having a star-studded roster, being on the cusp of a Stanley Cup championship, and simultaneously having one of the best prospect pools in the NHL that MacFarland has had a big hand in. Along with Tulsky, you won’t find a better candidate than MacFarland.

Laurence Gilman

Laurence Gilman is a familiar name to Canucks fans; he served as the assistant general manager for the Canucks for seven seasons. Gilman currently works for the Toronto Maple Leafs and has held the assistant general manager title there for the past five seasons, and has successfully managed the Marlies to being the class of the AHL.

Gilman, who’s known for his cap management and wizardry, wrote the playbook on LTIR use to their advantage, the same playbook that the Tampa Bay Lightning used on their way to two Stanley Cups.

Gilman comes in with the advantage of being familiar with the market and knowing how the current ownership group functions. Not to mention he was part of the regime of the most successful era of Canucks hockey, which took an assembled core and refined it into a Stanley Cup contender.

If the Canucks are looking for a forward-thinking general manager with ample experience, then look no further than Gilman. According to Darren Dreger of TSN,Gilman is in the mix for the Canucks GM job.

Scott Mellanby

The former Canucks advisor under the Mike Gillis regime has been one of the prominent GM candidates for openings around the league in the last couple of years. Mellanby recently resigned from his assistant GM role in Montreal after it became apparent he was not in the running to replace Marc Bergevin.

Mellanby has paid his dues in this league and has been spoken upon highly in the league’s management circles as one of the candidates who will eventually lead a front office of his own in the near future.

Mellanby has also been linked to the Canucks GM role recently, and though he doesn’t bring the same level of success that Tulsky and MacFarland do, he’s definitely ready for a GM role somewhere.

Bergevin may not be the only Habs-connected name that the Aquilinis may be interested in.

Scott Mellanby has been mentioned, of course.

Sean Burke has long-standing GM ambitions too.
— Patrick Johnston (@risingaction) November 30, 2021

Jason Botterill

If Rutherford is getting to hand-pick the next GM of the team, Botterill will be high on that list as the two of them worked together in the construction of two Stanley Cup teams with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Botterill is currently the assistant GM with the Seattle Kraken, and the former Buffalo Sabres GM.

Botterill was known to keep Rutherford in check with his shrewd cap management but he never had much success in Buffalo.

Botterill’s name is one to watch in the coming weeks as there’s a significant possibility that Rutherford turns to someone he has familiarity with and has had a ton of success with.

Honourable Mentions: Roberto Luongo, John Ferguson Jr, Ryan Johnson, John Chayka

Canucks hire Jim Rutherford as President of Hockey Operations. dark. Next

What do you think Canucks fans? Is there a particular candidate that stands out more than others? Let us know in the comment section below, on Facebook or Twitter.

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