The Vancouver Canucks are set to get Filip Chytil back in the lineup on Friday night, with the center activated from injured reserve and expected to play against the New York Rangers.
Chytil has been out for the last five games because of an upper-body injury that came after a hit from Darnell Nurse in October 29th’s 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks. He was originally described as day-to-day, but the Canucks put him on injured reserve to open up a roster spot during his absence. Since more than two weeks have passed, he’s now eligible to return, and Vancouver has made the move ahead of Friday’s game.
It’s another stop-and-start stretch in a season that has already been interrupted by injury. Chytil also missed the first eight games of the year with a shoulder issue.
That kind of availability has been a recurring problem throughout his career: he has topped 70 games in a season only twice in his nine seasons before this one. Over the last four seasons, he has played just 85 games, including only 34 with Vancouver since arriving as part of the package for J.T.
Miller in late January 2025.
When Chytil has been available this season, the production has been light. In seven healthy games, he has recorded two assists.
Thursday’s practice gave a clear look at how the Canucks plan to use him. Chytil skated on the second line with Paul Cotter and Jonathan Lekkerimaki.
The three have shared just 2:31 of ice time this season, and the team has been scoreless in that stretch. Their 5v5 score-adjusted expected goal share in those minutes sits at 29.84%, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Chytil is also slated to work on the second power play unit alongside Cotter, Liam Ohgren, Marco Rossi and Zeev Buium.
To clear the roster spot for Chytil’s activation, Vancouver placed defenseman Guillaume Brisebois on IR retroactive to his November 9th injury. The injury has not been specified and has only been listed as undisclosed so far. Brisebois stayed in Monday’s 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers and even finished the game, logging the final 59 seconds of the third period.
Brisebois has one assist in six games with the Canucks this season.
Vancouver enters Friday’s 7 p.m. PDT home game against the Rangers in last place in the NHL with a 3-16-1 record. The Canucks are already 15 points back of a playoff spot in the Western Conference and will try to end a six-game losing streak.
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