<a href='https://www.nhl.com/canucks/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>The Vancouver Canucks</a> are playing below expectations this season and drama has surrounded the team, and now a coaching change is up for debate. The 2024-25 campaign has been a difficult one for the Canucks in Vancouver. Suffering through injuries, <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/vancouver-canucks/leaked-video-ignites-feud-between-jt-miller-and-elias-pettersson-in-canucks-locker-room' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>locker room discord</a>, and inconsistent performance, the Canucks sit out of playoff contention with a 21-17-10 record through 48 games. Before the trade deadline, <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/vancouver-canucks/rumored-jt-miller-trade-leak-has-9-million-defenseman-linked-to-the-canucks' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>roster shuffles can be anticipated</a>, but a change at head coaching, in the midst of a work in progress, would not make sense. <h3>Rick Tocchet is not the problem, it's the players</h3> Although social media rumblings have included cries for Tocchet's dismissal, it won't correct its root issues. The biggest issue is in the room, not in on-ice structures. Until these in-room issues are addressed, nothing will change, regardless of who sits in the head coaching position. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/noahstrang_/status/1882629142296010779'> </a></blockquote></div> From a financial standpoint, a firing in the middle of the season is not an easy one for ownership to make. There is a payout for Tocchet's current contract, and then an added expense for a new head coach. Since 2021, the Canucks have paid out for former head coaches no longer with the organization, and it's not an appealing option. To boot, this group <a href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Vancouver_Canucks_head_coaches' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>has already gone through three coaches in less than 40 months.</a> At some point, accountability must fall to the players, who have failed under any head coaching direction in terms of performance. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1880412517559910521'> </a></blockquote></div> Although Tocchet's moves in 2024-25 have merited criticism, success for him in less than two years with the Canucks must not be overlooked. He deserves a chance to allow this group to develop and grow with him at the helm. Fire him, and social media will scream, but a coaching change in-season will not correct its deeper-rooted problems.