Could Eichel be ready for the Olympics, and will more players pull out?
TSN: Chris Johnston said that Jack Eichel’s recovery is right on track and he could be an option for Team USA for the 2022 Winter Olympics. It’s still early, and there is over a month to go until they need to name their team.
Robin Lehner has withdrawn his name for Team Sweden, and he may not be the only player who pulls his name out of the Olympics in China according to Johnston. Though they are hoping for a change a bit, if a player tests positive for COVID in China, they have to quarantine there for three weeks.
“From the NHLPA perspective, I think they’re trying to get a handle on how many players we’re talking about. Is it five, is it 10, is it 30 that might pull out? I think it’s on the lower end of that scale and they’re waiting for the IOC’s updated playbook to come out in order to give the players more information.”
Canucks going to turn to some familiar faces?
TSN: Current Toronto Maple Leafs assistant GM, and former Vancouver Canucks assistant GM Laurence Gilman is a candidate for the Canucks GM position according to Darren Dreger.
Gilman has also been connected to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Steve Simmons: “If the Leafs have given permission to the Vancouver Canucks to talk with assistant GM Laurence Gilman, they’re not saying so. In fact, they’re not addressing the question at all.”
Thomas Drance: Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini on the speculation that Marc Bergevin is a potential candidate: “I haven’t spoken to him, but I’m sure he wants to sit back and just reflect.”
TSN: Pierre LeBrun said that during Aquilini’s press conference on Monday he mentioned they could hire a president and a GM, bringing in a couple of people for the senior positions.
“It made a lot of people think, when he talked about that tandem needing to work well together, that perhaps Mike Gillis and Laurence Gilman could be brought back in their old Canucks roles, although elevated. With Gillis as president and Gilman as GM.
Gillis presently is consulting with the NHLPA. I think he enjoys that work but it goes without saying that Gillis and Gilman are among the many possibilities that the Canucks owners are looking at.”