Overview
- Vancouver, which reporters said Friday told other candidates they were out, is focused on finalists Evan Gold and Ryan Johnson with a hire expected in the coming days.
- Ryan Johnson is the Canucks’ assistant GM and Abbotsford AHL GM who has been with the club since 2013 and led the farm team to a Calder Cup.
- Evan Gold is the Bruins’ assistant GM and Providence GM known for salary cap and CBA work who interviewed in Vancouver this week after Providence’s playoff exit.
- President Jim Rutherford plans to step back from daily duties after the June draft, and multiple insiders say the incoming GM is likely to overhaul scouting and assistant GM positions as many staff contracts expire.
- The choice carries weight because Vancouver owns the No. 3 pick and extra early selections, and the new GM must chart the rebuild and handle immediate cap and roster calls on core players.