These days, most news on the Vancouver Canucks relates to their early struggles to start the season. Given their 0-4-2 start after a tough 8-15-2 start last season, flanked by their extensions with Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller, but lack of extension with Bo Horvat, the team’s captain, the questions are fair and the storylines sensible. That said, Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau did provide a few updates to the media this afternoon, including The Athletic’s Harman Dayal, regarding the team’s injuries.
Defenseman Quinn Hughes, who missed last night’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, a 5-1 loss in Vancouver’s home-opener, is still considered day-to-day as of right now, good news for one of the team’s best players, who is currently averaging 27:14 of time-on-ice per night, a career-high so far. No real update was given on defenseman Tucker Poolman, who has played in just three games this season, Boudreau calling it a “tough situation,” the 29-year-old having “good days and bad days.” It’s unclear exactly what is bothering Poolman, but he did miss a large chunk of last season while dealing with migraine issues. Defenseman Travis Dermott, who suffered a concussion in late September, has been progressing well, Boudreau said, but will not play this week.
- The New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets will each have to finish their game shorthanded this evening. For the Rangers, center Filip Chytil left the game with an upper-body injury and will not return, says The Athletic’s Arthur Staple. Chytil had been tripped up earlier in the game, crashing hard to the ice and slow to get up, presumably the cause of the injury.
- Also leaving that game is Columbus defenseman Nick Blankenburg, who suffered an upper-body injury, the team confirms. Blankenburg had been involved in an awkward collision earlier in the game, appearing to injure his left arm, writes Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. The defenseman attempted to play through the injury, but ultimately left the game early in the second period.