Filip Chytil is back on the ice with the Vancouver Canucks, and the next question is the one that matters most: where does he fit when camp opens?
After being limited to 12 games in the 2025-26 season because of head and face-related injuries, Chytil has returned to informal skates at Rogers Arena in a regular jersey. That alone stands out after he was seen in non-contact gear late last season. His most recent setback, a facial fracture suffered during a practice at UBC in the Olympic break, ended his season in mid-February.
Still, Chytil said Wednesday that the long layoff has left him ready for training camp, which is now only a couple of weeks away.
“I had off-season since February, so I had a lot of time to focus on certain things, and I think it went well off the ice and on the ice as well, and I’m ready for the season,” he said in a media availability after Vancouver’s informal skate on Wednesday.
The forward said this offseason felt different from the last two years, when injuries kept interrupting his momentum.
“It’s been a tough two years in a row for me, and yeah, I had to focus on some things,” he said. “I had so much time to focus on certain things off and on the ice. I think it was very productive for myself, and the people around me who I work with did a great job, and I can’t wait until the season starts.”
Chytil’s status also brings an interesting roster question. When he first arrived from the New York Rangers in January of 2025, plenty of people projected him as Vancouver’s second-line center.
But the Canucks have since added pieces that could shift him to the wing instead. Elias Pettersson, Marco Rossi, and Aatu Räty are expected to handle three of the four center spots, while Braeden Cootes, Ty Mueller, and even Riley Patterson could push for a role if they turn in strong preseason showings.
Chytil, though, still sees himself as a top-six player.
“It’s not about myself. I’m not creating the lineup.
It’s about coaches, and for me personally, I see myself [in the top-six]. But I didn’t play the whole season last year, and I’ve got to be honest to myself.
I’ve got to be open-minded, and I’ve gotta go step-by-step, and we’ll see. I’ve gotta earn it back,” he said.
“I missed 70 games last year, so it’s been a long time, and wherever coaches put me, I have to earn more ice time with every game.”
Since joining Vancouver, Chytil has played 27 games for the club, but he has yet to get into 20 in a season for the Canucks. Now healthy again and skating with the group, he’s trying to reset the conversation before camp even begins.
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