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Yes, the Canucks are a mess, but their coach’s job is reportedly safe

Willie Desjardins

Willie Desjardins

AP

Vancouver Canucks fans likely have some quibbles about Willie Desjardins - that’s the nature of the beast when your team is stuck in purgatory - but it sounds like he won’t be the fall guy.

During Sportsnet’s latest Headlines segment, Elliotte Friedman notes that Trevor Linden said there’s “no doubt” that “Whiteboard Willie” will be back next season.

(OK, he didn’t call him “Whiteboard Willie,” though ...)

The Vancouver Province’s Ben Kuzma transcribed the vote of confidence Linden gave Desjardins during Hockey Night in Canada:

“We expected to be very young this year — which we are — and we’ve handed Willie a real challenge with several rookies on any give night and I think he has performed well. I’m not making any excuses, but there’s no reason for us to consider a change. The rookies have made steps. Nothing is perfect.”

Generally speaking, many people are critiquing the work that the Canucks’ front office is doing, with some being downright perplexed by their inability to sell players at the trade deadline.

They weren’t “losers” at the trade deadline because of Desjardins, and he likely isn’t the main problem with that team, even if he feels pretty far removed from being a hot coaching prospect.

Many coaches in Desjardins’ spot are the ones who lose their jobs: solid jobs on middling teams that may be better off pressing the “reset” button.

That’s not his fault, and it sounds like he won’t be the scapegoat ... although history also says that votes of confidence can rapidly lead to pink slips.

Related: Hey, at least they won last night, even if Henrik Sedin was injured.