The Canucks Are Back To Using The Term ‘Rebuild’

The Vancouver Canucks and the term ‘rebuild’ have had a torrid history throughout the past few weeks. Prior to making a franchise-altering move in December by trading franchise star Quinn Hughes, the term had barely — if ever — been brought up by Vancouver’s management. Since then, the team has flip-flopped from using phrases like rebuild, retool, hybrid retool, and any other term under the sun with a similar meaning. Today, ‘rebuild’ was dropped once again. 

It took the Canucks a very long time to finally use the word ‘rebuild’ when referring to their franchise. After trading Hughes in December, marking the second blockbuster trade they’d made in the calendar year after moving on from J.T. Miller in January, the organization dropped the term for the first time in what felt like forever. 

“We were excited about the youth that we got in return here, and we’re kind of retooling, rebuilding,” Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin had said to the media directly after the trade. “One thing that we always try to do here has been trying to bring in players that are 25 and younger and will continue to grow here. We have a lot of younger players in our lineup here due to injuries that might have been forced in a little bit earlier than we projected, but they’ve done really well. Our coaching staff will continue to teach and work with the younger players here and continue to grow as they’re as we move along here. But definitely, the plan is to use our first-round pick and draft as of now.”

Even at the time, despite using the term “rebuild” in a press conference and press release, it seemed as though the Canucks weren’t entirely willing to commit to the term. This eventually proved to be the case after Vancouver rattled off four straight wins on the road, taking down the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, and Boston Bruins. After the four-game win streak, Allvin conducted an intermission interview in which he referred to Vancouver’s situation as a ‘hybrid retool, confusing the fanbase once again. 

“We felt that the package that Minnesota came up with, with younger players, gives us a chance to take a step back here and retool it a little bit with a hybrid form,” he said during a Prime Monday Night Hockey broadcast on December 22. 

So, less than two weeks after using the phrase ‘rebuild’ after trading their franchise defenceman and captain, Vancouver was back to framing their franchise as one that was retooling. At the time, they were still 31st in the NHL. 

Things have changed a bit since Vancouver supposedly went back to retooling. Since their 4–1 win against the Islanders, the Canucks have  yet to win a game in regulation and have dropped their past six games. Their last three games have seen them surrender five goals in each, with the most recent being an uninspired 5–0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. With the team’s dismal performance in mind, Allvin spoke on the team’s direction once again during Vancouver’s annual scouting meetings in California. 

“We are transitioning into a rebuild here, acquiring younger players through the draft and obviously the draft is really important for us. Since Jim [Rutherford] and I got in, took the job three years ago, we’re definitely always emphasizing getting younger,” he explained when asked about the team’s current direction. 

As of Sunday, January 11, it appears the Canucks have switched back to viewing the team as one in a rebuild. Whether that sticks long-term or not has yet to be determined. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

Brock Boeser's Lack Of Goal Scoring Has Been A Perplexing Issue This Season

Canucks Place Goaltender Thatcher Demko On IR

Canucks Jersey Thrown On Ice In Toronto During Vancouver’s Sixth-Straight Loss

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.