Filip Chytil is set to give the Vancouver Canucks a boost tonight in Sunrise, where they’ll try to put a stop to a five-game losing streak against the Florida Panthers.
The Canucks arrive at Amerant Bank Arena at 2-6 after Tuesday night’s 3-2 loss to the New York Islanders, and the lineup has a few moving parts as Chytil looks ready for his season debut. He was injured in a preseason freak collision with a referee, and this morning he skated between Paul Cotter and Brock Boeser. In 12 games last season, the 27-year-old scored three goals.
Vancouver’s top unit stays together, with Elias Pettersson centering Jake DeBrusk and Jonathan Lekkerimäki. Liam Öhgren moved back onto a line with Marco Rossi and Linus Karlsson, while Drew O’Connor returned to the wing on the fourth line alongside Max Sasson and Brendan Gallagher. Arshdeep Bains skated as the extra forward.
There’s also some uncertainty on the blue line. Zeev Buium, who was dropped to the third pair on Tuesday after an early struggle, worked as the extra skater this morning, which opened the door to a possible healthy scratch. Even so, Luke Schenn and Guillaume Brisebois remained on the ice after the rest of the group, a sign that Buium is likely to draw in and Victor Mancini could return for his second game of the season.
In goal, Leevi Meriläinen gets the nod again after stopping 35 of 38 shots in the loss on Long Island. It will be the first time he’s started back-to-back games since joining the Canucks.
Tom Willander also turned in a heavy workload Tuesday, logging a career-high 25:43 of ice time. That was nearly three minutes more than he had ever played in an NHL game.
Pettersson’s shot stood out in the Islanders game too. His 91.5 mph blast on a second-period power play was the hardest shot by a Canuck this season, and he picked up an assist on Brock Boeser’s goal moments later. He still leads the club with nine points through eight games, but the drought has started to creep in a bit: one point in his last three and no goals in six straight.
The dry spells aren’t limited to Pettersson. Marco Rossi has gone six games without a point, and Liam Öhgren hasn’t scored in five.
Florida comes in with some momentum after breaking out in a 7-3 win in Columbus on Tuesday, their biggest offensive output of the season. That game followed back-to-back losses, but the Panthers’ attack came alive behind Brady Tkachuk’s first three goals of the season and an assist. Matthew Tkachuk set the table on five straight goals, while Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe each scored twice as Florida went four-for-six on the power play after starting the season three for 22 with the man advantage.
Matthew Tkachuk now leads the Panthers with 10 points and is riding a six-game point streak. Seth Jones is right behind him with seven points after a four-assist night Tuesday. Reinhart leads the team with four goals, and the two Tkachuks plus Verhaeghe each have three.
The Panthers are also dealing with their share of injuries. Captain Sasha Barkov and veteran winger Brad Marchand are both out long term after appearing in just two games each. Former Canuck Jacob Markstrom is day-to-day with an injury as well, so Akira Schmid will make his second straight start in net.
Florida’s style has also shown up in the penalty numbers. The Panthers are the most penalized team in the league, averaging 14.1 penalty minutes per game, with Brady Tkachuk already sitting on nine PIM. Matthew Tkachuk, meanwhile, has taken just two minor penalties this season.
This is only the Panthers’ second home game of the season. They’ve already been through a California road swing and have played a league-high six road games, with their lone home date ending in a 4-1 loss to Minnesota on October 10.
The clubs split last season’s two meetings, with each team defending home ice. Florida won a wild 8-5 game, while Vancouver answered with a 5-2 victory at Rogers Arena. The Panthers will make their return trip to Vancouver on January 9.
In Other News...
Rangers Fans Will Want To See Chytils Next Step In Vancouver
Filip Chytil is on the verge of finally getting into the Vancouver lineup, giving the Canucks another look at a player whose arrival has been delayed by a shoulder injury. He has been out for the first eight games, but the club is now setting up for his season debut as it heads into a meeting with the Florida Panthers, a matchup that also comes with Leevi Merilainen and Akira Schmid projected to handle the crease.
To make room, Vancouver moved center Aatu Raty off the roster, a sign the team is ready to see what Chytil can add once he is healthy. For the Canucks, the timing matters because they are trying to get their center depth sorted while the schedule keeps rolling, and for Rangers fans still tracking Chytils path, this is the next checkpoint in a season that is only just starting for him. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Just Sent A Troubling Message About Aatu Rty
Aatu Rtys season has taken an early detour, with the young Canucks forward moving out of Vancouvers NHL picture for now and heading to Abbotsford. Rty appeared in just four games this season and saw limited ice time before the organization decided to shift him to the AHL, where he will join a center group that already includes Ty Mueller, Braeden Cootes and Chase Wouters.
For Rty, it is a notable step back after spending the entire 2025-26 season in the NHL, and it underscores how crowded the middle of Vancouvers lineup has become. He has been productive in the minors before, piling up 119 points in 169 career AHL games, but this move suggests the Canucks need him to reset and stay ready for another opening when it comes. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Face A Risky New Test With Chytil Back In The Mix
Filip Chytil is on track to rejoin the Canucks after working his way back from a preseason shoulder injury, and his return arrives at a time when Vancouver is still sorting out its lineup. The move gives the club another look at a player it expected to lean on, but it also comes with the kind of shuffling that tends to ripple beyond one spot in the forward group and into the defensive mix as well.
Aatu Rty being placed on waivers shows how quickly the roster picture can change when a key center is ready to come back, and the Canucks are making other tweaks as they prepare for Florida. The Panthers arrive without Aleksander Barkov and Jacob Markstrom because of injuries, with Akira Schmid expected to start in goal, which adds another layer to a matchup already shaped by Vancouvers latest personnel test. [Read more 🡒]