Report: Boudreau set to rejoin Canucks next week

There's been plenty of talk surrounding Bruce Boudreau since the Vancouver Canucks' season officially came to an end a couple weeks ago, but Boudreau himself confirmed to reporter Rob Simpson that he does indeed plan on returning to the team for at least the 2022-23 season. 

Boudreau has an option to return to the team for a single season, but he must pick up the option before June 1st prompting reports that he may consider other options elsewhere. Canucks GM Patrik Alvin and President Jim Rutherford have both gone on record saying that they'd like Boudreau back for next season, but that they're not willing to discuss a long-term contract until they see what he can do over the course of an entire season. In other words: the ball's in Bruce's court.

Here's what Boudreau had to say to Simpson for Vancouver Hockey Now:

“I’m just taking a breather here, the plan and desire is to come back and to complete what we started. I have as special a relationship with these players in Vancouver as I did with the guys in Washington on my first NHL job."

Bruce Boudreau

The Canucks, of course, were much improved under Boudreau and came up juuuuust shy of qualifying for the playoffs after a strong back half of the season. Under former head coach the Canucks were one of the NHL's worst teams, but under Boudreau they played at a pace that would have had them as the 6th best team in the standings over the course of a full season. The hope in Vancouver is that Boudreau can work his magic in 2022-23 and get this team over the hump and turn them into a perennial playoff team.