That’s a tough spot for any NHL head coach to be in, particularly one coaching a team that is missing the playoffs for the third time in four years.
“Jim and I have always had a great relationship…From the first day I got here, I wanted to coach this team through the rebuild and get to a spot where I thought we were getting some good young pieces and had a bright future and I still have the same feeling.
The Canucks have been careful with their financials over the last year, cutting costs off the ice with layoffs and on the ice with backloaded contracts that cost them less this season.
That would mean Aquilini and the Canucks would be on the hook for the full length of Green’s new contract, as well as paying for a new head coach.
Not every NHL coach would have put Elias Pettersson at centre in his rookie season, particularly after he played on the wing in Sweden the previous year.
“Over the years in Vancouver, I’ve improved every year and have become a better coach every season and this year’s no different.
According to hockey statistician Micah Blake McCurdy, there may be some numbers to back up Green’s assertion that he’s improved every year.
By this model, Green has improved his impact on both offense and defence over his four-year tenure.
Perhaps Green is too reliant on veterans in defensive roles and has been hesitant to use skilled players in the team’s bottom-six.