Rick Tocchet isn’t letting contract talk get in the way of the Vancouver Canucks’ playoff push, according to one of hockey’s top insiders.
The Canucks head coach has been laser-focused on getting his team back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second straight year. But lately, there’s been some buzz about his future with the team.
Tocchet’s deal includes a team option for 2025-26, putting the ball in management’s court. It’ll be up to Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford to decide if they want to keep the three-time Stanley Cup champ behind the bench.
But Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet isn’t worried about it becoming a distraction.
"I really believe this very strongly, I don’t think Rick Tocchet is going to allow that to be a story," Friedman said Monday on "Donnie & Dhali."
He’s seen how Tocchet operates.
"He’s demanding a lot out of himself, he’s demanding a lot out of his coaching staff and he’s demanding a lot out of his players," Friedman explained.
The veteran hockey insider thinks Tocchet’s mindset is pretty straightforward right now – it’s all about the playoffs.
"He will not allow any of his players to think that the story is anything but the playoff chase," said Friedman. "He’s not going to pour gasoline on that coaching fire."
That’s exactly the kind of focus you want from a head coach heading into the most important part of the season.
"Whatever happens, he’ll deal with it after the season," Friedman added. "Right now, all he’s thinking about is getting the Canucks into the playoffs."
