Another trade deadline has come and gone, and Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin spoke to the media following a week where his team made five trades and picked up one player on waivers.
“As I said before, the two big ones with Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood were done prior to this. And you never know when you’re coming into this week what’s going to happen,” said Allvin about the trade deadline. “Our goal was to accumulate draft picks and potential players [who are] 25 and younger, and we’re pleased. We’re sitting here today with some extra picks moving forward, not just this year; I thought it was important to spread them out over the next couple of years.”
Over the past week, the Canucks acquired two second-round picks, one third-round pick, two sixth-round picks, and 23-year-old defenceman Jack Thompson. On top of the trades, the organization picked up 6’9” forward Curtis Douglas.
“With our young guys in the lineup, I want our players to feel safe. I don’t want them to get beaten up, and we’ve been looking for a player like this with more size. So, when he was available here, our group felt that, over the years, we watched him come through the American League and then Tampa this year. We felt that he would be a good fit for us, and a free look here to see what we would have in Curtis,” said Allvin.
The general manager spoke about some of the younger players getting more opportunities to play games at the NHL level, but also said he continues to talk with Assistant General Manager and Abbotsford Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson about which players could be ready for their shot at an NHL game.
Allvin spoke to the fans about where the team stands in their current plan and what fans can focus on for the final stretch of the season and beyond.
“Well, I think the fans should be happy and excited that we’re not starting from scratch here. We got some good pieces on the ice right now that have been performing really well. With that being said, getting more draft capital here and continuing to draft well and continuing to push our staff to make good recommendations,” said Allvin.
The GM is emphasizing development with his staff and believes that the Abbotsford team has done a good job of developing their young players in the AHL. An important part of development is understanding that no path is linear for an NHL player and that patience is key to recognizing what they need to do not only to make the NHL but to stay in it.
“You can’t rush the process. You’ve got to take your time and put the players in a position to succeed,” said Allvin. “And I know the fans want to win, and so do we. But I think we’re seeing a group that hopefully is going to grow together here over the next couple of years, to get stronger and start to hold each other accountable and make a push to be a contending team.”
The Canucks now move into the next phase of the season and will be looking for more fight in their game, greater attention to detail, and for them to compete for a full 60 minutes every game.
“It’s a privilege every day to play in the National Hockey League, and it’s even more of a privilege to play in this market, in Vancouver. So, everybody should be excited walking into Rogers Arena every day and knowing that it means a lot to put the jersey on with the crest here and play in front of fans. So, compete, details, and growth from the younger players. That’s what I want to see,” said Allvin.
The Canucks are in action on Friday at 5:30 p.m. PT against the Chicago Blackhawks. They are then playing the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. PT before returning to Rogers Arena for a season-long, eight-game homestand.
