{"id":245188,"date":"2026-05-26T00:29:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T00:29:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/26\/could-find-out-in-the-next-few-days-elliotte-friedman-claims-canucks-closing-in-on-next-hc\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T00:29:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T00:29:38","slug":"could-find-out-in-the-next-few-days-elliotte-friedman-claims-canucks-closing-in-on-next-hc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/26\/could-find-out-in-the-next-few-days-elliotte-friedman-claims-canucks-closing-in-on-next-hc\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Could find out in the next few days&#8221; &#8211;\u00a0Elliotte Friedman claims Canucks closing in on next HC\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\" data-postid=\"5171703\" data-slug-id=\"2786699\">\n<div class=\"vidazoo-player-container\">\n<span class=\"vidazoo-close-btn  hidden \"><br \/>\n<img data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/cmc-predictor\/v2\/cross-icon.png?w=40\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"close\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Vancouver <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/us\/nhl\/vancouver-canucks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Canuck<\/a>s may not keep their head coaching job open for much longer, with NHL insider Elliotte Friedman believing the team is close to a decision on Manny Malhotra.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking on Donnie &amp; Dhali, Friedman said, Vancouver appears to be working through talks with Malhotra and hinted that something could be finalized soon. Rick Dhaliwal later shared the comments on X.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cElliotte Friedman on Manny Malhotra as new coach of the #Canucks: I have no doubt they are negotiating with him, they are working through it. We could find out in the next few days.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><template id=\"also-read-articles-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<p>Malhotra is currently the head coach of the Abbotsford Canucks, but he also brings NHL coaching experience from Vancouver and Toronto. After leaving the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/us\/nhl\/toronto-maple-leafs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Maple Leafs<\/a> in 2024, he took over Abbotsford and led the club to a Calder Cup in his first season.<\/p>\n<p>Before coaching Abbotsford, Malhotra had already worked in several roles with Vancouver. The former Canuck joined the organization in a player development role after retiring and later spent three seasons as an assistant coach from 2017 to 2020. If hired, he would become the 23rd head coach in franchise history and the fifth since 2021.<\/p>\n<p>The Canucks themselves had already mentioned Malhotra after Adam Foote\u2019s exit. After Foote\u2019s firing, general manager Ryan Johnson said the Vancouver planned to have a \u201cserious conversation\u201d with Malhotra about the vacancy.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cIt&#8217;s hard to be ignorant of an internal candidate that we already have,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cI\u2019m not gonna deflect that. Manny has shown his ability to develop young players, to build a connection, and obviously win a championship with a very young group. So I won\u2019t be ignorant to the fact that I am going to speak with him, sit down with him, and talk about the future.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Malhotra is signed with Abbotsford through the 2026-27 season, but Friedman\u2019s latest update suggests Vancouver may not be far from making its call.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2>What led the Vancouver Canucks to make a coaching change<\/h2>\n<p>Manny Malhotra\u2019s name surfaced after Vancouver made a coaching change following a difficult season under Adam Foote.<\/p>\n<p>Foote lasted one season behind the Canucks bench, going 25-49-8 after taking over from Rick Tocchet in May 2025. The team also parted ways with assistants Scott Young, Kevin Dean and Brett McLean.<\/p>\n<p>New general manager Ryan Johnson said the decision was more about where the organization wants to go next.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThis wasn&#8217;t an easy day,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cLess about change and the past and more about implementing something for the future.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Johnson said Vancouver felt it was time for \u201ca new voice and a new group\u201d as the franchise moves into its next phase.<\/p>\n<p>The move came after a sharp drop for Vancouver. Two seasons after winning the Pacific Division and reaching the second round of the playoffs, Vancouver finished last in the NHL and became the first team eliminated from postseason contention.<\/p>\n<p>The season changed further after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/us\/nhl\/quinn-hughes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Quinn Hughes<\/a> was traded to Minnesota in December. Vancouver went 14-32-5 without its former captain and finished with 2.56 goals per game along with the league\u2019s worst goal differential.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson also made clear the coaching change was not about criticizing Foote or his staff.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cIt was less about what they did or didn&#8217;t do,\u201d he said. \u201cI appreciate them as coaches and people, but this again, is about moving forward in the future.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>With Johnson now running hockey operations alongside Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Vancouver\u2019s next coaching hire could be part of a bigger reset around a younger group.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-post-rating-widget\">\n<p><template id=\"post-rating-feedback-modal-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-feedback-box\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-content\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-data\">\n<p>Why did you not like this content?<\/p>\n<p><textarea id=\"dislike-feedback-text\" rows=\"4\" placeholder=\"Please type your feedback...\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<button class=\"close\">Cancel<\/button><br \/>\n<button class=\"submit\">Submit<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-widget-parent hidden\">\n<div class=\"rating-parent-container\">\n<div class=\"rating-content-holder\">\n<p>Was this article helpful?<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-action-container\">\n<div class=\"like-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-like-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"like\" title=\"like article\"><br \/>\n<img class=\"post-like-image post-rating-image\" data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"like selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dislike-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-dislike-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"dislike\" title=\"dislike article\"><br \/>\n<img class=\"post-dis-like-image post-rating-image\" data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"avatar selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nThank You for feedback\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tag-cloud\">\n<div class=\"tags-text\">\n<div class=\"scrollable-content-holder  article-padding\">\n<p class=\"article-p  \">Quick Links<\/p>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerLeft\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Left \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img style=\"background: none;\" data-lazy=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-left.svg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button><\/p>\n<nav id=\"pnProductNav\" class=\"pn-ProductNav\">\n<\/nav>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerRight\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Right \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img style=\"background: none;\" data-lazy=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-right.svg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<p>More from Sportskeeda<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<span class=\"publisher-name\">Edited by Sonali Verma<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/us\/nhl\/news-elliotte-friedman-claims-canucks-closing-next-hc-could-find-next-days\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Vancouver Canucks may not keep their head coaching job open for much longer, with NHL insider Elliotte Friedman believing the team is close to a decision on Manny Malhotra. Speaking on Donnie &amp; Dhali, Friedman said, Vancouver appears to be working through talks with Malhotra and hinted that something could be finalized soon. 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