After the Vancouver Canucks cratered their season, fans sought answers from those responsible for it. 

But between president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford – who spoke out recently about former Canucks coach Rick Tocchet and the future of superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes – and GM Patrick Allvin, the news seems to get more frustrating for Canucks fans with each passing day.

Speaking to Canucks season ticket-holders this week, Allvin was brutally honest about Vancouver’s saga involving former Canucks center J.T. Miller and, seemingly, the rest of the team, but particularly with star center Elias Pettersson. 

Although Allvin didn’t name names, he did make it very clear that there were problems with the general state of the team. 

Allvin told the assembled crowd that at 32, Miller likely understood he doesn't get many more shots at going on a deep run for the Cup.

While Allvin said Miller was extremely prepared to compete at the highest level, some of the Canucks’ younger players weren’t as prepared to do the same. And after Miller’s mid-season leave of absence from the franchise, he felt it would be best for him, his family and the team if he were moved elsewhere.

All of this is a serious indictment of Vancouver’s core. A team that won a playoff round and came within one win of an appearance in the Western Conference final shouldn’t be lacking in preparation.

While the Canucks could probably benefit if Allvin and Rutherford gave some diplomatic answers that don’t cause drama, the reality is that Vancouver is now at a crossroads with the core of the franchise.

Perhaps you can lay some of the blame for Canucks youngsters not being motivated to elevate their game at the feet of Tocchet. It is, after all, a coach’s job to get the most out of his players.

But if Vancouver’s younger players – including Pettersson – don’t have the internal impetus to play at the level Miller was playing at, it sure seems nuts that the Canucks traded Miller away and catered to young players who should’ve been challenged to improve instead.

In January, when the Miller and Pettersson drama was in the spotlight, we argued that, if the Canucks were going to trade either Pettersson or Miller, it made more sense to stick with their younger star in Pettersson. But this latest batch of revelations from Rutherford and Allvin has changed this writer’s mind. 

Sure, if Miller wanted a change of scenery, Vancouver had little choice but to trade him. It may have been easier to deal one ultra-prepared player than a few less-prepared ones. But it is a major condemnation of the Canucks’ core to disclose that motivation was a trouble spot.

With The Canucks, J.T. Miller Was A Complicated Hero. Replacing Him Will Be Just As Complex. There’s no simple way to describe J.T. Miller or his time as a Vancouver Canuck. 

At the end of the day, you want your players to be their robust motivators. You want your stars – especially your young stars – to lead the way for the rest of the group. But the only way we can interpret Allvin’s quote is that the Canucks were sunk from within in that regard.

In the wake of these disclosures, it’s safe to say Vancouver has some incredibly important decisions to make this summer. Ideally, they should remove anybody who can’t figure out how to put their game in high gear right out of the gate next season. If that means dealing Pettersson before his no-movement clause kicks in on July 1, so be it. The alternative – handing the reins of power back to the players who didn’t know how to use them this year – isn’t a great alternative.

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