Patrik Allvin’s Worst Trades as Canucks GM – Hockey Writers – Vancouver Canucks

In the pressure cooker of the Canadian hockey market, the line between a “hockey move” and a “franchise-changing mistake” is razor-thin. For Patrik Allvin, that page finally evaporated this week. Following a horrendous 25-49-8 season that saw the Vancouver Canucks drop right off the NHL floor, Allvin has been officially relieved of his duties as general manager (GM).

The mandate from day one was to turn a chronic underachiever into a disciplined competitor. Instead, Allvin’s tenure became a cautionary tale of impatience and mismanagement. Although he has never been afraid to take risks, the throwers have finally passed them, leaving the cupboards empty and the organization in motion. As the search for a new GM begins, we look back at the jobs that defined the end of the Allvin era.

Stumble Stumble: Losing Value to Spend Income

In October 2022, Allvin made a move that the professors labeled as a tactical error. The Canucks sent Jason Dickinson and a 2024 second-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman Riley Stillman.

The main objective was simple: get Dickinson’s contract off the books. However, in return for Stillman’s $1.35 million salary, the actual relief was insignificant. Even worse, Stillman struggled mightily in Vancouver, often seen as the weak link on a defensive team already desperate for stability. To make matters worse, Dickinson found his game in Chicago, eventually becoming a 20-goal scorer. Giving up a prime second-round pick just to trade a struggling forward for an ineffective defenseman was an early warning sign of a potential abuse.

The Depths of Mismanagement: The Ilya Mikheyev Salary Dump

In June 2024, the front office was again looking for an exit strategy for the contract they signed. To move 85% of Ilya Mikheyev’s $4.75 million cap hit to Chicago, Allvin felt compelled to attach a 2027 second-round pick and the rights to Sam Lafferty.

Critics were quick to express impatience. Mikheyev was coming off a major injury, and while his production had dipped, he remained a productive middle-six player — a fact he proved soon after the trade. In an effort to quickly adjust the cap, the Canucks also burned high draft picks, a practice that greatly hampered their ability to build through the draft.

Cutting Food Before Starting: The Journey of Vasily Podkolzin

In August 2024, the Canucks surprised fans by trading 2019 pick Podkolzin to the Edmonton Oilers for a fourth round pick. It was a move that felt like the front office was letting go of the youngster’s potential before he reached his prime.

Hindsight was not kind to this decision. Since moving to Edmonton, Podkolzin has blossomed into a reliable middle-six threat, posting career-high numbers and providing a tangible, net-front presence that the Canucks have lacked. Worse yet, Allvin ended up sending that fourth round pick to the Oilers less than a year later for Evander Kane. Essentially, they traded a promising small piece for the right to take on a big contract for an aging veteran.

JT Miller Fallout: The Relationship Is Over

Perhaps the darkest day of the Allvin era came in January 2025. After months of rumors of an on-ice conflict between JT Miller and Elias Pettersson, the situation became untenable. Allvin’s hand was forced, and the resulting trade with the New York Rangers was a stark reminder of what happens when you lose room.

The Canucks sent Miller, Jackson Dorrington, and Erik Brännström to New York for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a 2025 first-round pick. While Miller has been one of the most productive pitchers in the league, the return has lacked the same impact. The heart of the deal, Filip Chytil, has become the poster child for Vancouver’s recent misfortunes.

Since the trade, Chytil’s health has been a constant concern. Shortly after arriving, he suffered a second concussion that sidelined him for months. Just when he seemed ready to return to his full-time job, an accident in February 2026 saw the puck hit him squarely in the face during a shootout. The resulting facial fracture and ongoing migraine problems ended his season and cast a long shadow over his career future. For the Canucks, it means the main asset in the Miller trade has played fewer than 30 games over two seasons.

On the same day that Miller’s trade was completed, the front office appeared to be in shock. Rather than hold on to the 2025 first-round pick they just acquired from the Rangers for a needed starter, they turned it over to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In a multi-player deal, the Canucks sent that pick (Ben Kindel 12th overall), Danton Heinen, Vincent Desharnais, and Melvin Fernström to the Penguins for Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor. It was a “win-now” move for a team that seemed to be falling apart. Pettersson’s defensive play has failed to live up to expectations, and losing a lottery-level pick for a veteran defenseman showed a team that has lost its sense of direction.

Evander Kane Test: High Risk, Low Reward

In June 2025, the Canucks swooped on local product Evander Kane, acquiring him from the Oilers for a fourth-round pick while earning his total salary of $5.125 million.

The hope was that coming home would spark Kane’s game. Instead, testing has been stagnant. Kane has struggled with discipline and defensive ineffectiveness, scoring just 13 goals in 71 games – his lowest goal total in a full season since his debut with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009-10. From a cap management perspective, the move was confusing. Many argue that if Vancouver had used that money to keep a reliable, leading player like Pius Suter, the team’s bottom six would have been much more stable.

Rental Price: Was Elias Lindholm Worth the Cost?

During the 2024 extended run, the Canucks were the official holders of the Cup. To bolster the program, Allvin sent Andrei Kuzmenko, a 2024 first-round pick, fourth-round pick, and prospects Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo to Elias Lindholm’s Calgary Flames.

Lindholm was very good in the playoffs, but he entered free agency a few months later. Meanwhile, the cost of that rental continues to rise. The first round pick was Matvei Gridin, and Brzustewicz has developed into a legitimate NHL defenseman for the Flames. While sometimes necessary, the long-term depletion of the draft pool for a short postseason run is a tough price to pay — and one that likely contributed to Allvin’s firing once the team regressed.

Fixing the Bo Horvat Trade: A Rare Win?

It’s impossible to discuss Allvin’s trade history without talking about the Bo Horvat deal. While fans often lament the loss of their captain, the New York Islanders’ actual return — Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Räty, and a first-round pick — has actually been quite solid.

• Asset Management: Räty is still the top prospect, and the first round ended up being equipped to get Filip Hronek, who became a player and leader in the top couple and in the dressing room.
• Cap Sanity: Moving Horvat prevented the Canucks from being locked into a large, long-term contract that would have created more salary cap headaches.

The “failure” of the Horvat trade is not the trade itself, but the organization’s decision to keep Miller over Horvat. While the deal was a shrewd piece of business, it set the stage for the chemistry that eventually forced Miller’s disastrous trade — a domino effect that ultimately cost Allvin his job.

The Bottom Line

Allvin’s tenure was defined by a concerted effort to keep the transfer window open. By constantly trading second and first round picks to fix past mistakes, the Canucks have found themselves in a cycle of desperation that has ended in last place. For the next GM, the lesson is clear: you can’t build a sustainable winner if you’re constantly borrowing from the future to survive the present.

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