Elliott Friedman

When they fired Mike Gillis, they had Trevor Linden ready.

Linden left, but when they fired Jim Benning, they had

Jim Rutherford ready this is the first time they've done it without an obvious successor so there is no basis to completely predict what they're going to do you know I think Ryan Johnson I think if it was up to Rutherford this is my guess he would recommend Johnson and say it's his time

Last year, they basically ripped up his contract.

They gave him a new one.

They gave him a raise.

They said, you're here.

I think this whole thing about the Predators is weird, but I think the Canucks look at it like we made a deal that he was staying.

That's it.

And it's like when Kyle Dubas, when Colorado offered the job to Dubas and the Leafs said no, Mike Babcock found out after that story came out and he said to Brandon Shanahan, he said, you have to make him the next GM.

That's the way this works.

And I don't necessarily think they did it because Babcock said that, but Babcock made the position perfectly clear and a lot of people agree with that.

So I think if it was up to Rutherford, he would promote Ryan Johnson.

And, you know, I mentioned the name Sam Ventura.

That's another guy that Rutherford knows is young and has been through a rebuild.

And I have heard that the Canucks are going to value people who've kind of been through there because they want to know what to expect and how long it takes.

I just don't know that ownership is going to be ready for this.

I think ownership likes familiarity.

And if you take a look at a lot of these searches, it's a lot of new.

And it's leading to a lot of grumbling out there, but it's a lot of new.