In today’s NHL rumour rundown, we start off with the Vancouver Canucks, who have clinched the best odds at first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, but it doesn’t appear that general manager Patrik Allvin’s job is in jeopardy. What about the other staff?
Next, we head to the Ottawa Senators, who have, against all odds, lost another defenseman to injury as they look to stay ahead of the race for the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Finally, we look at the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have impressed everybody, but could be saying farewell to one of the best players of his generation in Evgeni Malkin.
When a season goes as poorly as 2025-26 has for the Canucks, there are usually some questions about the general manager and if their job is safe. For Allvin, this has been his fourth season in the role with the club. The team has gotten objectively worse, and the long-term outlook was realistically projecting them to be a true contender at this point.
Now, with Quinn Hughes, J.T. Miller, and other top players gone, the Canucks have entered a full-blown rebuild. Nobody over the age of 25 is expected to be safe, outside of Filip Hronek, whom they have been adamant about keeping.
On an episode of Insider Trading, TSN’s Darren Dreger stated, “I can tell you that Patrik Allvin has no intention of leaving as General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks…He remains highly regarded as GM of the Canucks. He’s viewed as being an excellent evaluator of talent and an excellent manager when it comes to finding talent. So, you could see hockey operation changes in Vancouver, but I don’t think that’s going to happen or at the position of GM.”
Allvin, alongside Jim Rutherford, leads the head office for the Canucks. It has been a successful teardown so far, especially looking at the return for Hughes, which brought plenty of youth into the mix. There were a few other trades that looked good so far, but when looking at a rebuild, the teardown is always the easiest part.
On an episode of the DFO Rundown, Irfaan Gaffar and David Pagnotta spoke about the Canucks, and mentioned some whispers about the Canucks looking into a change at the management level. These are two contradicting reports, and only time will tell.
When it comes to the coaching staff, Adam Foote hasn’t had much success in his first season, but it is hard to tell if he is to blame. The roster he has to work with is incapable of on-ice success, but still, sitting rock-bottom in his first year isn’t a great look.
Related: NHL Rumors: Maple Leafs and Canadiens Failed Trades, Plus Tkachuk Podcast Drama
Whether they stick with Foote, as Pagnotta suggested in the DFO Rundown episode, or not, they have a tough decision to make regarding their coach in the American Hockey League, Manny Malhotra.
In his second season as head coach of the Abbotsford Canucks, Malhotra is gaining attention for an NHL job. The Los Angeles Kings replaced Jim Hiller with D.J. Smith, but are looking into a fresh face this offseason, and Malhotra could be one. With the questions regarding the future of Craig Berube with the Toronto Maple Leafs, that could be another destination.
Mlahotra is a good coach. He spent four seasons with the Canucks in a coaching role before four seasons with the Maple Leafs, before returning to the Canucks organization. They clearly see value in him, and they may have to decide whether they want him instead of Foote or if they want to let him go.
Senators’ Kleven Listed as “Week-to-Week” After Puck to Face
Injuries and hockey are synonymous, but how often do we see a team have to dive this deep into their depth charts?
The Senators are already without Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, Nick Jensen, and now Tyler Kleven out of their top-six group of defensemen. Jordan Spence, Artem Zub, and Nikolas Matinpalo are the only regular NHL defensemen on the roster.
Through call-ups, they have had Dennis Gilbert, who is also out injured, Lassi Thomson, Cameron Crotty, Carter Yakemchuk, and Jorian Donovan all play. This has all been since the Olympic break.
Kleven was the only left-shot defenseman in the lineup against the Buffalo Sabres, and left the game just over six minutes into the first period after taking a puck to the face. This left the Senators with five right-shot defensemen to finish the game.
The good news is that head coach Travis Green said that Sanderson is a game-time decision for Saturday’s matinee against the Minnesota Wild. If Sanderson can’t play, Donovan will dress. Whichever one it is, they will be the only left-shot defenseman in the lineup.
Malkin’s Future with Penguins Still Undetermined
It is always hard to say goodbye to certain players. Seeing players like Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews in non-Chicago Blackhawks jerseys was weird. Both Wayne Gretzky and Martin Brodeur suited up for the St. Louis Blues; that was weird, too.
Picturing Evgeni Malkin anywhere other than with the Penguins belongs in that same conversation. At the start of the season, there were reports that the team would not be giving him another contract, whether the alternative be him retiring or going to free agency. (from What I’m hearing about Evgeni Malkin’s future with the Penguins, The Athletic, Jan. 2025)
With the 2025-26 Penguins doing way better than anyone anticipated, and Malkin putting together another great season, some thought the plans may have changed. Wes Crosby of NHL.com recently reported that more conversations about a potential new deal would happen in the offseason.
Josh Yohe, who had the original post about Malkin’s contract, stated, “I have long believed this is Malkin’s last season in Pittsburgh. I still do, based on what I’ve been told. We shall see,” on April 2 in a mailbag for The Athletic. (from Will the Penguins pursue Auston Matthews? Does winning change Dubas’ plans?: Mailbag, The Athletic, April 2, 2026)
