Predicting When Canucks GM Ryan Johnson Will Make His First Big Move

It’s been over a month since the Vancouver Canucks named Ryan Johnson their new General Manager (GM). He has made some key moves to his management group as he fired former Head Coach Adam Foote and brought in Manny Malhotra. That move was highly speculated, and frankly, no one was really surprised when Malhotra was named the new coach. But Johnson has yet to make any big moves involving his players. As time ticks down towards free agency, when will that move take place?

When Will Johnson Put His Mark on This Team?

Johnson is not the only GM who has taken over a team this offseason. In fact, he isn’t the only GM to take over a Canadian team this offseason. John Chayka, who recently took over the Toronto Maple Leafs as the head of their new management team, has already made several big moves in his short time with the team.

He began this week by making a big trade with the Philadelphia Flyers, where they sent goaltender Joseph Woll and defenceman Simon Benoit to the Flyers in exchange for young defender Emil Andrae, goaltender Samuel Ersson, and a third-round pick. He then hired a new coach, and the other day, he acquired Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a sign-and-trade. Chayka has made multiple big moves to put his stamp on his new team.

We have not yet seen that with Johnson; he hasn’t made a big roster move that puts his footprint on the Canucks roster. There hasn’t been a big splash he’s made yet that really shakes up the roster, and either adds to or subtracts from the team. It’s only a matter of time until he does so, and I have a sneaking suspicion we will see him make a big move before free agency opens on July 1.

All new GMs love to make a huge move once they have been given the keys to the kingdom. In the case of Johnson, he has many different options available, and I’d be shocked if he didn’t act fast and make his first impactful move in his new role. You also want to be active before signing day officially opens on Canada Day.

What Could Johnson’s Move Be?

Looking at the Canucks roster, there are several question marks surrounding the team. One that has come up recently is Jake DeBrusk’s overall fit within the organization. Since signing with the team in the 2024 offseason, DeBrusk hasn’t really fit in on the team, and his 5-on-5 production has been underwhelming to say the least. It became a bit of an ongoing joke throughout the Canucks season that he could only score on the power play and couldn’t at even strength.

He finished this recent season with 19 of his 23 goals coming on the man advantage, a truly eye-opening stat. Finding a new home for DeBrusk could be Johnson’s first big move as GM. DeBrusk has a full no-movement clause for this upcoming season, but if he thinks his time is over in Vancouver, I’m sure both sides could find a good landing spot for him.

A big challenge that Johnson must also address is the ongoing struggles of Elias Pettersson and what his future with this team will be. Obviously, it is going to come down to Malhotra’s coaching to try to get the best out of Pettersson and, hopefully, bring him back to the level he was playing at prior to his big extension.

But if Pettersson clearly shows that he can’t reach the heights that he once did, it’s now time to look for a landing spot for him. Maybe that will be the first gigantic move that Johnson makes in his new role. Trading away Pettersson to any team will definitely send a message to the team and the market that the new General Manager will be cementing himself in his new role and creating the team that he wants.

Johnson may not need to make as many moves as Chayka has, but many people are waiting on pins and needles to see what his first major move is going to be. It could come before the draft, during the draft, or at free agency. It will only be a matter of time before he makes it, and I have a good feeling that it will be a big change to the current roster.