Filip Chytil is back on the ice with the Vancouver Canucks, and for him this stretch of summer skates is about more than just getting legs under him again. It’s the first real step toward proving he can put a brutal stretch of injuries behind him and build toward the 2026-27 season.
The 26-year-old Czech forward has dealt with head injuries for most of his nine-year NHL career, and last season was another grind. In game six, Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson caught him in the open ice, and Chytil didn’t return until game 52.
He managed another six-game run after that, but his workload dipped hard - from more than 18 minutes a night in his return to under eight minutes in his final game. Then he sat out the final game before the Olympic break and never played again after taking a puck to the face in practice.
After Wednesday’s session at Rogers Arena, Chytil said he used the offseason to dig into a few things and feels better about where he stands now.
“Yeah, of course,” Chytil said. “Like it’s been a tough two years in a row for me.
I had to focus on some things. I had so much time to focus on certain things off and on the ice.
Yeah, I think it was very productive for myself. The people around me who I work with did a great job, and I can’t wait until the season starts.”
He also explained that his offseason work went beyond standard rehab and training. Chytil said he consulted multiple specialists as part of his push to get himself ready physically and mentally.
“It was a lot of things,” Chytil began. “Like, I saw a lot of specialists about my health as well.
I got a lot of feedback on my body. For myself personally, it was very positive, and then I could start to focus on the mental side and also on the physical side, and it went well.
So yeah, now I’m here with the team, and I can focus only on myself.”
Chytil hasn’t played since February, so the Canucks skates are giving him time to rebuild, but he’s clear-eyed about the difference between summer work and the pace of real games. He said the process is about stacking small wins every day and moving forward one step at a time.
“Yeah, it depends on every practice. It’s with every practice that I’m stepping up the stairs.
I’m passing one [step] after every day, you know. In the summer, I said I did very good things, but it’s still not like regular contact.
It’s not regular skating with the team. It’s like preparing for camp and for the season, but now, yesterday I had first practice, and we did some good stuff.
There was the first stair. The second one was today, the scrimmage.
I felt good. I always put some goals into that and how I’m gonna feel.
And yeah, it was okay. And tomorrow is another stair for me that I have to pass, and it’s gonna go like this for the rest of my season and the rest of my career.”
The Canucks were on the ice for the third straight day at Rogers Arena, with most of the roster taking part as training camp in Penticton approaches in just over two weeks. For Chytil, the focus is simple: keep climbing.
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