Top 5 Rick Tocchet replacements Vancouver Canucks should eye for vacant HC role ft. Mike Sullivan

The Vancouver Canucks have now become the eighth team in the NHL with a head coaching vacancy heading into the 2025 offseason.

News broke on Tuesday afternoon that Rick Tocchet had stepped away from his role with the team.

The move makes sense for Tocchet after a drama-filled season in Vancouver. He should find a new home very quickly on the open market.

For the Canucks, they must now quickly pivot towards hiring their next head coach, as seven other teams are fighting for many of the same candidates.

Let's dive into the top 5 Rick Tocchet replacements that Vancouver should be eyeing for their head coaching opening.

Top 5 Rick Tocchet replacements the Vancouver Canucks should target

#1. Mike Sullivan

Number one is an obvious choice, Mike Sullivan. Sullivan is the best and most decorated head coaching candidate available. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion who knows how to handle big personalities and star players like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel.

Not to mention his relationship with Vancouver's front office. Former Penguins general manager and now Canucks President Jim Rutherford hired Mike Sullivan in Pittsburgh back in 2015. They reaped the rewards of immediate success together and have a great relationship to this day.

#2. Manny Malhotra

Next up is Manny Malhotra. The former NHLer spent three seasons playing for the Canucks from 2010 to 2013. With his playing days over, he then spent three years behind the bench in Vancouver as an assistant coach before taking over as the head coach of the AHL affiliate Abbotsford Canucks.

Malhotra did a tremendous job in Abbotsford this year, leading the team to the playoffs. He was already beloved within the Canucks organization, and now he's shown his capability as a head coach. He should get plenty of consideration for the opening in Vancouver.

#3. David Carle

David Carle seems to be on every team's wish list. The 35-year-old is known for his excellent work at the University of Denver and as the head coach of Team USA at the World Junior Hockey Championships. He's proven to be one of the brightest up-and-coming minds in hockey and is highly coveted.

Should the front office be looking to retool the roster and bring in younger players, there may be no better option than David Carle to lead them along in their development.

#4. John Tortorella

If Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin are looking for a coach to keep their star players accountable, then John Tortorella is that guy. J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson's rift dismantled the team this past season. With Miller now gone, they might want a coach like Torts, who will be hard on Pettersson, pushing him to be better.

Tortorella is also familiar with the city and organization, having coached the Canucks during the 2013-14 campaign.

#5. Dan Bylsma

Lastly, another Stanley Cup Champion, Dan Bylsma. Bylsma spent this past campaign as the head coach of the Seattle Kraken but was relieved of his duties at season's end. He's known for the six-year stint behind the bench in Pittsburgh, where he led the Penguins to a Stanley Cup in 2008-09.

Like Sullivan, Bylsma also has experience handling and thriving with superstar talent.