The Nashville Predators continue their search for a new general manager. But one of the candidates they had hoped to interview is off limits. The Vancouver Canucks have rejected a bid by the Preds to speak with their assistant GM and current GM of the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks, Ryan Johnson.

What changes are coming in Vancouver?

Everything is fluid.

1 thing I was told is the Canucks denied Nashville permission to talk with Abbotsford Canucks GM Ryan Johnson.

We will have more on the show.@DonnieandDhali

10am-noon

CHEK TV
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) April 8, 2026

This, of course, raises questions about Patrik Allvin's job security as GM of the Canucks. The denial to allow Johnson to speak to another team could easily be indicative of a pending move to promote him. And from Assistant GM, the only promotion that make sense would be....... Yeah, you can do the math.

Is GM Patrik Allvin on the outs in Vancouver?

Thomas Drance in The Athletic still feels, however, that Allvin isn't a slam dunk to be going anywhere just yet.

"While there have been reports, matching some of what The Athletic has heard about the matter, of Allvin preparing to be dismissed and even feathering his nest for his departure as Vancouver’s general manager, the club’s high regard for him as a talent evaluator is a wrinkle to monitor and be aware of as (Canucks president of hockey oprations Jim) Rutherford and Canucks ownership navigate some difficult end-of-season choices."

But for assistant GM Ryan Johnson, it doesn't appear that he's going anywhere. He led the Abbotsford club to a Calder Cup last season, though that team has struggled mightily this year in the AHL.

"There seems to be some backstage industry momentum that Johnson is the heir apparent in Vancouver," writes Drance.

As for the Predators, their search goes on. Some of the other names that they're interested in, per insider Elliotte Friedman, include assistant GMs Bill Scott of the Oilers and Brett Peterson with the Panthers, Scott White of the Dallas Stars organization, and former Arizona GM John Chayka. And dare we say that newly-fired Tom Fitzgerald, formerly of the NJ Devils, could immediately jump to the front of the line.

Fitzgerald, now 57, was the Predators' first captain upon their inception in the NHL, serving in that role from 1998 to 2002.