Jim Rutherford Talks Vancouver Canucks Contract Offers to Rick Tocchet, Tom Willander, and Quinn Hughes

The Vancouver Canucks are in the headlines again, with president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford under the spotlight for decisions that have seen coach Rick Tocchet part ways with the franchise. Speculation about the future of star players like captain Quinn Hughes and forward Brock Boeser is also mounting.

Analysts and fans are also keeping a close eye on the club’s contract negotiations for a young prospect like Tom Willander.

Jim Rutherford Talks About Willander Contract Offer and Canucks’ Future

Rutherford was a special guest on a recent edition of the ‘100% Hockey’ podcast hosted by NHL insiders John Shannon and Daren Millard. During the show, he discussed the Tocchet situation, contract speculation about Hughes and Boeser, and addressed rumors about the extent of the infamous J.T. Miller-Elias Pettersson rift.

One topic discussed that raised some eyebrows was the contract talks with top prospect Tom Willander.

“It’s not like we’re being too hard on him, we think we’re being fair,” Rutherford said.

Willander, a 2023 first-round pick, has yet to sign his entry-level contract with the Canucks. Reports say that the holdup has to do with “Schedule A” bonuses. In late April, Rutherford told reporters that he didn’t wish to publicly share details of the negotiations.

“I’m not going to get into too much detail,” Rutherford said. “It’s a fool’s game to negotiate publicly. But in short, we have a structure for draft picks, and this isn’t just about Tom Willander and his contract. It’s about what goes forward. Who are the guys to be drafted after? How do they slot in? How do you pay them? You can’t be all over the map to be helter-skelter when you’re doing these contracts.”

Willander had also told reporters that he hadn’t thought about what the hypothetical terms of an entry-level contract would be “because it’s not close to being a done deal.”

Rutherford On Retaining Canucks Captain Quinn Hughes

During the podcast interview, Rutherford also talked about the future of Hughes. He raised a scenario where the team captain and current Norris Trophy holder might move on when his current contract, which runs for another two years, expires.

“I think a better way of saying that is we control him for a year and two-thirds,” said Rutherford. “Because if we get to that trade deadline two years from now and it looks like he doesn’t want to stay, then we would have to do something at that point,” Rutherford said on the ‘100% Hockey’ podcast. “But we’re hoping that he’s here to stay. He’s the leader of the team and the face of the franchise.”

What could Devils-Quinn Hughes trade look like? https://t.co/O8ugYmhYcT

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Before these recent comments, the Canucks’ president had also brought up the possibility that Hughes might want to join his brothers, who both play for the New Jersey Devils.