Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin says he continues to support the winless team鈥檚 head coach, despite a historically bad start to the season.
Speaking with reporters in Vancouver on Wednesday, Allvin said he has good communication with Bruce Boudreau and the rest of the coaching staff, and will continue working with them to find a way to improve on the Canucks鈥� 0-5-2 start.
鈥淲e鈥檙e working very tight together here, we鈥檙e working close, we鈥檙e trying to find solutions,鈥� the GM said. 鈥淎t the end of the day, we need to start winning hockey games. That鈥檚 the bottom line.鈥�
Vancouver is the lone team in the league that has yet to post a victory in the 2022-23 campaign. The Canucks also set a dubious record, becoming the first-ever NHL team to lose its first four games of the season while giving up multi-point leads in each.
Injuries have tested the team鈥檚 depth early.
Forwards Brock Boeser and Curtis Lazar were added to the injured reserve list Wednesday, joining defencemen Quinn Hughes and Travis Dermott. Blue liner Tucker Poolman has been placed on the long-term injured reserve.
Boeser and Hughes 鈥渟houldn鈥檛 be out that long,鈥� Allvin said, characterizing their injuries as 鈥渄ay-to-day.鈥� Lazar has been sidelined after trying to play through an injury he suffered in an early game and is expected to miss three to four weeks, he added.
Forwards Sheldon Dries and William Lockwood have been called up from the American Hockey League鈥檚 Abbotsford Canucks.
鈥淚f you want to be a good team in this league, you鈥檝e got to have the next-man-up mentality,鈥� Allvin said. 鈥淎nd I think the players that have been coming up here have shown that they鈥檙e capable of playing games. I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 been an issue.
鈥淚 think we need to have our top players kind of buy in and be the top players every single day you walk in here to the rink. I think that鈥檚 the difference right now.鈥�
Several of Vancouver鈥檚 top-six forwards have yet to score this year, including Boeser, Tanner Pearson and Nils Hoglander. Illya Mikheyev, a speedy former Toronto Maple Leafs winger the Canucks acquired in free agency, has a single assist in four games.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e a talented team, but we need to get this team and this group to play together as a group and a team,鈥� Allvin said.
Vancouver鈥檚 front office is always looking at options for improving the roster, the GM said, but he stopped short of committing to a full rebuild of the team.
鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting, the rebuild word,鈥� Allvin said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been part of a rebuild. I came in late (with the Pittsburgh Penguins) and we were able to rebuild and win three Cups.
鈥淚 still think that we鈥檙e building something here (in Vancouver) every day. We鈥檙e not done.鈥�
Some Canucks fans seem to be nearly done.
Many showed their displeasure with the team at Saturday鈥檚 home opener, booing the team off the ice following a 5-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Three jerseys and a hat were also tossed over the glass.
鈥淚鈥檓 as frustrated as (fans) are, not winning hockey games,鈥� Allvin said. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e in this and I guarantee that every single player and staff member here wants to turn this around.鈥�
The Canucks next chance for a win comes Thursday when they take on the Kraken in Seattle.
鈥擥emma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
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