JUST IN: Canucks Acquire top Star as New Assistant Coach After Missing Out on Top Assistant Coaching Talent…
The Vancouver Canucks have missed the opportunity to rehire former coach Brad Shaw, who has decided on his next coaching role—and it won’t be in Vancouver.
Shaw, 61, who recently served as the associate and interim head coach for the Philadelphia Flyers, is set to join the New Jersey Devils as an assistant coach under newly appointed head coach Sheldon Keefe. This move places Shaw with a Metropolitan Division rival instead of returning to the Canucks.
So far, the Canucks have not announced any assistant coaching hires for Adam Foote’s staff. One name still in play is Ryan McGill, a specialist in defense and penalty killing, who was recently let go by the Devils and has now been replaced by Shaw.
In Philadelphia, Shaw was praised for his work with the Flyers’ defense and penalty kill units. He played a key role in developing young talents like Jamie Drysdale and Cam York, and revitalizing the careers of veterans such as Rasmus Ristolainen and Travis Sanheim.
Although the Canucks already have a solid defensive core, having Shaw onboard could have been beneficial in mentoring promising prospects like Tom Willander, Victor Mancini, Elias Pettersson, and Kirill Kudryavtsev.
If Shaw had been a target for Vancouver, the team will now need to look elsewhere as they build out Foote’s coaching team, with McGill remaining a viable option if they aim to finalize staffing soon.
