Patrick Allvin has had a tumultuous ride as the GM of the Vancouver Canucks. After taking over in January 2022, he would make some moves, and the team would make the playoffs in 2023-24. Still, 2024-25 would see a step back, locker room strife, and the trade of JT Miller. He has brought in a new head coach after the team lost Rick Tocchet to the Philadelphia Flyers, as well. Now, he is building a roster for new head coach Adam Foote.
This was a franchise that had become accustomed to sustained success. Starting in 2000-01, they made the playoffs in 10 of 12 seasons, winning the President's Trophy twice and appearing in the Stanley Cup Final in 2011. Since then, it has been just three appearances in 12 campaigns not advancing past the second round. Still, this summer, the club took another step toward regaining consistent relevance. Although they faced a tight salary cap situation, the foundations for the franchise's future were set.
A major player returns to Vancouver
There was the expectation that Brock Boeser would find his way out of Vancouver in NHL Free Agency. The front office was able to come to terms with their star on a seven-year deal worth an AAV of $7.25 million. This was a major move for the franchise to secure its future. The 28-year-old forward has been a steadfast presence for the club. Since 2017-18, he has scored 45 or more points in eight straight years, with three straight campaigns of 50 or more points.
Boeser has also shown he can light the lamp regularly. He has found the back of the net 20 or more times in a season in six of the last eight years, with a peak of 40 goals in 2023-24. The team will now have one of their top forwards for seven years, allowing young players to grow around him while continuing to produce for the team.
The Canucks take care of future free agents
Allvin and the front office took care of two players who were scheduled for free agency in the summer of 2026. The first was Thatcher Demko, who got a three-year deal from the team. The goalie has been a Vezina Trophy finalist in his career and has been a solid netminder. He has played in 242 NHL games with a 126-89-20 record while having a 2.80 goals against average and a .910 save percentage.
While this move does tie up a lot of salary in goaltenders, with the team also having Kevin Lankinen, they now have two solid goalies for the next four seasons. Further, they were able to move Artus Silovs and still have a great, young goalie in the AHL.
In another solid move, the team extended Conor Garland, who was also set to be a free agent in the summer of 2026. The former draft pick of the Arizona Coyotes got a six-year deal from the franchise. If he can continue his reliability, this is going to be a great move for the future of the team. Since 2021-22, when he joined the Canucks, he has missed just seven games. Further, he has registered 45 or more points in each season while adding 27 or more helpers.
The American winger may not be the big-name star that Boeser is, but he has provided great production and is returning on a solid price for the team. Keeping him for six years will keep stability on the roster.
Canucks' front office resists selling prospects in a perfect move
For a team that finished just six points outside of a playoff spot, plus having an AHL roster that won the Calder Cup, there is the temptation to make a few big moves to get over the hump. Still, those big moves could mean the loss of major prospects. Many Calder Cup champions have often found success in later years.
Back in 2017-18, the Toronto Marlies won the Calder Cup, and the Toronto Maple Leafs have been a consistent contender since. The same is true for Carolina Hurricanes AHL affiliates who won in 2018-19 and 2021-22, and are a consistent contender in the Eastern Conference. In 2022-23 and 2023-24, the Hershey Bears were champions, and in 2024-25, the Washington Capitals were the top team in the Eastern Conference. Now players from the Abbotsford Canucks look to continue this trend.
While the team did trade Silovs, that clears the way for Nikita Tolopilo to not split time. He was great in the AHL last year with a 2.00 goals against average and a .902 save percentage. The team also kept top prospects Tom Willander and Jonathan Lekkerimaki.
Willander has yet to play in the AHL, but is expected to make an impact for Abbotsford and potentially in the NHL in 2025-26 now that his college career has ended. Lekkerimaki scored 19 goals in 36 games in the AHL and scored three times in the NHL in 24-25. He was also a major contributor in the playoffs for the AHL team. Both players could make an impact for the Canucks in their upcoming campaign and beyond.
The Canucks have a strong pipeline of prospects, and resisted moving them. They also prepared for the future by extending Boeser, Demko, and Garland. Now, this is a team that could potentially make a playoff run in 2025-26. If all goes well in British Columbia, they will also most likely be icing multiple competitive squads over the next few years.
