Jim Rutherford said Manny Malhotra will be on the “short list” of potential Tocchet replacements yesterday. With no NHL head coaching experience and already being in the organization, he’d also likely be cheaper than many of the options on this list, potentially making him more attractive to management.

Rick Tocchet is officially out as the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, and the search for a new head coach is already underway. After meetings last weekend with Canucks management, Tocchet informed president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford on Tuesday that he would not be returning.

Malhotra spearheaded the Abby Canucks to the fifth-best regular season record in the AHL despite seeing many of his key players shuttled up to Vancouver throughout the campaign as call-ups. That included an incredible 13-game winning streak down the stretch when some of Malhotra’s top players were up with the big club.