While there has been plenty of speculation that Manny Malhotra will become Vancouver’s next head coach, that still hasn’t materialized yet. Speaking with Patrick Johnston of the Vancouver Province, Canucks GM Ryan Johnson indicated that there remains no timeline for when they will name a new bench boss. They’ll be doing so for the second straight offseason after Adam Foote’s tenure lasted just one season. Johnson was previously GM of AHL Abbotsford with Malhotra as the head coach there so there’s a logical connection. Johnston speculates that part of the holdup could be the team trying to work out its group of assistants, that the sides could still be discussing salary, or even how the team plans to handle things should Malhotra’s son Caleb, the top center in the draft, were to be picked third overall by the Canucks. At any rate, no agreement between the two sides is in place yet.
Elsewhere in the Pacific:
- Johnson also confirmed to Johnston that he is in talks with long-time Vancouver blueliner Alex Edler about a possible role with the team, confirming a report earlier in the week from HockeyNews.se’s Mattias Ek. Edler spent 15 seasons with the Canucks as a player from 2006 through 2021, spanning 925 games, the most by a defenseman in franchise history. Edler will serve as a coach during development camp and could be brought on in more of a full-time development role beyond that.
- Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon returned to practice on Friday with a non-contact jersey, relays Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The 29-year-old suffered an upper-body injury in the final game of the first round against Utah four weeks ago and hasn’t suited up since then. Lauzon had 13 points and 251 hits in 68 games during the regular season for Vegas and had 14 more hits in six contests in the opening round. Assuming he’s cleared to return by Tuesday’s series opener in Carolina, the Golden Knights should have a fully healthy roster at their disposal.