As much as it may seem like it, the season isn’t over yet for the Vancouver Canucks. They may be six points back of a playoff spot with just eight games remaining but the Canucks intend to approach this final stretch with as much optimism as they can muster.
What other choice do they have? Stranger things have happened in the NHL than one team collapsing and another heating up at the right time.
But the Canucks have more at stake than just a desperate playoff push. They have the future to think about — specifically, the future of two of their top forwards.
Filip Chytil hasn’t played since March 16 against the Chicago Blackhawks, when he with five minutes remaining in a blowout 6-2 Canucks win.
It was a dirty hit, plain and simple. It was a cheap shot on an unsuspecting player at a time in the game and season that was meaningless for the Blackhawks.
For whatever reason, neither the officials on the ice nor the NHL’s Orwellian-named Department of Player Safety saw it that way. Dickinson received neither a penalty nor a suspension for the hit, though he did sit out the final five minutes of the game on March 16 to avoid him becoming the target of any revenge from the Canucks.
Chytil's concussion history is cause for concern
Chytil went into the concussion protocol and hasn’t left it in the last two weeks. From past reports, this is the fifth documented concussion of his professional career, including one that limited him to just ten games in the 2023-24 season. Chytil’s only 25.
That kind of concussion history leads one to wonder not only about Chytil’s career but also his post-career quality of life. Not all concussions are created equal, of course, but that many concussions can have severe long-term effects.
At the very least, Chytil is unlikely to return this season.
“Good days and bad days,” said Rick Tocchet on Tuesday when asked about Chytil’s condition. “He’d go out and skate, felt good; the next day, not as good. To be honest with you guys, does he play this year? Maybe the odds are against it, plus, you don’t want to put a guy in that type of position.
But when a guy has good days and bad days, you’re not going to play the guy.”
When asked if Chytil’s career was in danger, Tocchet wasn’t overly reassuring even as he tried to take an optimistic stance.
“I don’t know,” said Tocchet. “Because I talked to him today and he said it was different than his last concussion: the bad days aren’t as bad. So, that’s a positive. I think we’ve got to take the positive approach. Plus, he’s got four or five months to rehabilitate himself or, who knows? We’ve got to take it day by day with this guy right now.”
In other words, Tocchet left the door open for Chytil to return before the season ends, even as he said he didn’t know if his career was in jeopardy. That’s the hell of it with concussions: there’s so much uncertainty.
Pettersson still day-to-day
At least for Elias Pettersson, the only concern for his career revolves around his $11.6 million contract. While Pettersson is currently out with an injury he suffered on March 22 against the New York Rangers, there’s a good possibility he could return this season.
But should he?
Pettersson was not on the ice for Tuesday’s practice, their first since returning from their road trip.
“He skated, I think, once or twice,” said Tocchet. “Didn’t skate that hard; little bit of discomfort.”
Tocchet confirmed that it was an upper body injury and said it came from a battle in the corner. Pettersson appeared to take a crosscheck in the ribs from Adam Fox on a shift prior to showing discomfort on a faceoff and leaving the game. According to Tocchet, Pettersson is “day-to-day” and could return soon.
“When a guy’s day-to-day, you expect him to play,” said Tocchet. “But I don’t know the discomfort level, where it’s going to go.”
You have to wonder if there’s a point to Pettersson pushing himself to come back this season. He hasn’t looked right all season. His previous speed was nowhere to be seen, and he struggled to get shots at his typical rate. As a result, his offence evaporated, at least by his usual standards, even as he still played a solid defensive game.
It’s hard to believe that there wasn’t a physical element to Pettersson’s struggles, likely stemming from the knee issue that troubled him last season. He also dealt with a couple of additional injuries as the season progressed.
With the playoffs a pipe dream, perhaps it would be better for Pettersson to get a head start on the offseason to rest up and prepare for next season. If the tendinitis in his knee was part of the reason for his slow start — and slow middle — this season, getting the rest he needs is essential to him having a bounce back year.
Höglander back at practice, could return soon
The one positive piece of injury news is that Nils Höglander is nearing a return to the Canucks lineup. Höglander was back at practice on Tuesday, albeit in a red non-contact jersey.
“This guy wants to play so bad,” said Tocchet. “Is he close? He’s closer, I guess, than the other guys, but this guy wants to play so bad that we’ve got to be careful.”
In other words, the Canucks might need to rein Höglander back and make sure he’s not at risk before they put him back in the lineup. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him back in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Seattle Kraken.
