The Vancouver Canucks are set to welcome back Filip Chytil just in time for Friday night’s matchup against the New York Rangers, while Guillaume Brisebois has landed on injured reserve.
General Manager Ryan Johnson announced before game time that the club had made the swap, placing Brisebois on injured reserve and activating Chytil in the same move.
Chytil, 27, has been out since October 29 against the San Jose Sharks. Late in the third period of that game, defenceman Zeev Buium sent the puck around the boards for Chytil to collect behind the net. Chytil shielded it from Macklin Celebrini, then took a shoulder-to-shoulder hit from Sharks defenceman Darnell Nurse and was driven shoulder first into the boards.
He grimaced on the way to the bench, but returned for the next shift as Vancouver tried to force a tie. He finished the game, then missed practice the following day and has sat out the last five games. Because of Chytil’s history with head injuries, a Canucks representative said the issue was not head-related, but instead a re-aggravation of a shoulder injury from a month earlier.
That shoulder problem first surfaced in the preseason. In the opening period of his preseason debut, Chytil got tangled with referee Riley Brace and went shoulder-first into the boards, with his head on the ice and skates above the boards.
The injury kept him out for the first eight games of the season. He returned for Game 9 against the Florida Panthers and recorded a point in each of his first two games back, but he has not scored since. In seven games this season, Chytil has two assists, a minus-one rating and 13 shots on goal, while averaging a career-high 19:53 of ice time.
Brisebois, 29, was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Monday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. He logged 17:02 in that game, including the final minute. He was on the ice as an extra with Luke Schenn at Thursday’s practice, but the team does not believe he is healthy enough to play because of the injury he is dealing with.
In Other News...
Former Canucks Coach Rick Tocchet Is Facing A Familiar Star Player Backlash
Rick Tocchets first season behind the Flyers bench has already turned into a messy one, and the friction around Matvei Michkov has only added to the noise. Since Tocchet arrived, Michkovs production and ice time have reportedly dipped, and the tension spilled into public view when an on-ice argument between Michkov and a teammate was caught on camera.
Now the backlash has moved beyond the rink, with Flyers fans raising money for a Fire Tocchet. Save Michkov. banner and billboard in Philadelphia. The organization has pushed back on reports that Michkov wants out, but the story has still put Tocchet in the middle of a familiar kind of star-player scrutiny, the sort that can quickly define a coachs early months if the results and the relationship do not line up. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Face A Pettersson Decision They May Not Afford
The Canucks are trying to thread a difficult needle as they weigh how to reshape the roster without tearing down the parts that still matter. Henrik Sedin said the club is not interested in moving players just to stockpile draft picks, a stance that fits a team trying to stay competitive while also keeping an eye on the future. In that conversation, Elias Pettersson inevitably sits at the center of the discussion, because his age, contract and value make him one of the few players who could bring back a major return.
But Pettersson is also one of the reasons this decision is so complicated. He is the teams leading scorer, and his impact goes beyond offense, with important work in faceoffs and on the penalty kill that would be hard to replace if Vancouver ever seriously entertained a move. His contract and no-movement clause make any trade path even narrower, leaving the Canucks with a franchise-defining question that is easier to ask than answer. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Trade Talk Around Jake DeBrusk Just Got More Complicated
The Canucks approach to roster-building is sounding a little less like a fire sale and a little more like a balancing act. Henrik Sedin made it clear Vancouver is not looking to move established players just for the sake of collecting draft picks, a useful reminder as the club sorts through a market that has already featured interest in Jake DeBrusk.
DeBrusks situation is where the conversation gets trickier. He carries a no-movement clause this season, which gives him control over where this goes, and Rick Dhaliwal reported the Canucks could have moved him already if they were willing to settle for a standard package. Instead, Vancouver appears to be holding out for a better return, ideally a younger player rather than a deal built around picks and prospects. [Read more 🡒]