LATEST | Rutherford makes an exciting statement regarding the team's future

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Cooper Godin
December 12, 2023 (2:58 PM)

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The Vancouver Canucks' start to the 2023-24 season has made many question if they're closer to being a playoff contending team year in, year out or are they still a little ways away from being there.

In a recent interview with Sportsnet, Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford said that he believes the team is closer to entering a winning window than they initially thought.

Rutherford said that the team has a strong core with Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, J.T. Miller and Thatcher Demko, along with a prospect pool that should keep them competitive for years to come.

"We're closer. But if you remember the first press conference when I came here, I said there's players here that are better than people think, and probably a lot better than they think. And once we got to the point that our plan was put in place and the system was put in place, and the players bought into it and realized playing a certain way they could have success, you saw how good these players could be. I actually view the window as just starting to open up because our top players are playing the way they're capable of." Rutherford said.

He added, "But we now also have a good pipeline of players coming, and if those players hit the way we think they're going to hit here in the next couple of years, and you have Quinn Hughes (24) and Elias Pettersson (25) at the age they are, and I believe J.T. Miller (30) is going to be a good player for a long time, and we have Thatcher Demko (28) at a good age, that window could actually open bigger."

Two months into the 2023-24 season and the Vancouver Canucks are second in the Pacific Division with a record of 18-9-1 and if they continue to play they have been over the last 60 or so days, there's no doubt they'll be able to snap their playoff drought and return to the postseason for the first time since 2020.