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Filip Chytil

Canucks Issue Several Injury Updates

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Following his acquisition of Lukas Reichel from Chicago on Friday, Canucks GM Patrik Allvin met with the media (video link).  While the trade itself was the focus of the scrum, Allvin also provided several updates on the status of some of their injured players.

Center Filip Chytil has been making progress as he works through his upper-body injury.  While the team won’t confirm it, Patrick Johnston of the Vancouver Province relays that the belief is that the 26-year-old has indeed suffered another concussion which is believed to be his sixth.  Allvin noted that Chytil still has to go through protocol and hasn’t been cleared yet.  That said, the fact they’re not talking about a possible extended absence – something he has endured multiple times – has to be considered a promising sign.

Meanwhile, winger Jonathan Lekkerimaki is expected to miss another two to three weeks with what is believed to be a shoulder injury.  The 21-year-old made the team out of training camp after spending most of last season in the minors and had a goal in his first four games after putting up six points in his rookie year in 24 games.

Center Teddy Blueger was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Sunday to open up a roster spot for Reichel, who they hope to have available tonight against Montreal.  However, while he’s eligible to return to the lineup as soon as Monday, Allvin relayed that the veteran is going to miss at least a couple of weeks with his undisclosed injury.

Meanwhile, there is also some bad news on the back end.  Allvin indicated that defenseman Derek Forbort suffered a setback in his recovery from his undisclosed injury sustained in the second game of the season.  Now, he’s listed as out week-to-week.

At the moment, Vancouver has a little over $1MM left in their LTIR pool, per PuckPedia.  That doesn’t leave them much flexibility should they have anyone else get injured over the next couple of weeks before some of their injured players start to return to the lineup.  Teams can rarely afford injuries but in the case of the Canucks, it’s especially true with no immediate help on the horizon.

Canucks Announce Multiple Roster Moves

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4:15 p.m.: The Canucks have announced additional roster moves, reassigning Schuldt to Abbotsford and recalling defenseman Tom Willander and forward Nils Aman. The move adds an experienced center to the Canucks’ roster to help fill in for the loss of Chytil. Aman isn’t the caliber of player Chytil is, and won’t be able to bring the same level of offense, but he nonetheless has 130 games of NHL experience and offers some size and defensive reliability to head coach Adam Foote.

Willander, 20, appears to be a replacement for Mancini, as he is also a young right-shot blueliner. Willander was the 11th overall pick at the 2023 NHL draft and made his pro debut earlier this month with Abbotsford. He has spent the last two seasons playing college hockey at Boston University (scoring 49 points across 77 games) and with this recall is now eliigible to be dressed for an NHL game and has a chance to make his NHL debut.

11:11 a.m.: The Vancouver Canucks announced multiple roster moves, largely to maximize their LTIR capture. This morning, the Canucks shared that they’ve placed forwards Filip Chytil and Jonathan Lekkerimaki on the injured reserve (retroactive to October 19th), and have moved Nils Höglander to the LTIR (retroactive to October 7th).

Additionally, Vancouver has reassigned defenseman Victor Mancini to the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, while recalling Joseph LaBate and Jimmy Schuldt in a corresponding roster move.

Unfortunately, the injury designation for Chytil was expected. The Canucks second-line center was on the receiving end of a massive hit from Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson during yesterday’s contest, causing Chytil to leave the game prematurely. Although a major penalty was initally assessed, it was rescinded upon review, and no supplemental discipline is expected from the league’s Department of Player Safety.

Outside of losing a top-six center, there’s larger cause for concern with Chytil specifically. Throughout his time with the New York Rangers, Chytil suffered multiple concussions, limiting him to only 66 games from 2023 to 2025. Already dealing with a thin pool down the middle, Vancouver would struggle to put together a serviceable defensive core if Chytil is out long-term.

Meanwhile, Lekkerimaki also left last night’s game prematurely. Unlike Chytil, it was not as apparent what caused Lekkerimaki’s injury. Still, he was filling in for Brock Boeser, who missed the game for personal matters.

Lastly, Höglander’s move to the LTIR, as well as the roster moves, were purely based on financial reasons. The Canucks are already operating close to the upper limit of the salary cap, and they’ll maximize their LTIR capture via the move.

Hoglander is eligible to return after Vancouver’s October 26th matchup against the Edmonton Oilers, though it’s not apparent he’ll be ready to return at that point. Additionally, although he should be expected back on the roster relatively soon, Mancini must play in at least one AHL game before being eligible for recall, per the league’s new rules regarding paper transactions.

Pacific Notes: Chytil, Boeser, Stone, Kapanen

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While it was a good day for the Canucks on the scoreboard, it was a tough one on the injury front.  Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province relays that center Filip Chytil exited today’s game on a hit from Washington’s Tom Wilson and had to be helped off the ice.  A major penalty was initially assessed on the play but was rescinded after review.   The 26-year-old has a long documented history of concussion troubles with five already and while it’s unclear at this point if that’s something he may have or not, it’s something that will ensure the team errs on the side of caution.  Chytil had three goals in his first five games to tie him for the team lead heading into today’s action.  Meanwhile, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that the Department of Player Safety will review the hit but no supplemental discipline is expected.

More from the Pacific:

  • Still with the Canucks, the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Brock Boeser missed today’s game for personal reasons; no further details were provided by the club. The 28-year-old had gotten off to a decent start to the season with three goals in five games while also seeing some playing time on the penalty kill, a role he hasn’t filled in a while.  Jonathan Lekkerimaki took his place in the lineup but he, too, left today’s game early with an undisclosed injury.
  • Golden Knights winger Mark Stone left last night’s game with what looked to be a wrist injury. Head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters postgame including Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal that there was no immediate update and that they were hoping to know more information about the injury by Monday.  The captain has had a great start to the season, leading the league in assists with 11 through his first six games.
  • Oilers winger Kasperi Kapanen left today’s game against Detroit in the second period with an undisclosed injury, the team announced. The veteran has been a regular in Edmonton’s bottom six through the first six games of the season where he has two assists.  Notably, the team does not have enough accrued cap space to recall anyone from AHL Bakersfield (even with LTIR) as things stand which could be something to keep an eye on if he’s set to miss any more time.

West Notes: Chytil, Cooley, Mailloux

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The Vancouver Canucks are off to a somewhat slow start to 2025-26, going 1-2-0 in three games. After scoring five goals in their season-opening victory, the team scored just three across its next two games, and while sample sizes are still quite small, there are some notable trends emerging in terms of how first-year head coach Adam Foote is deploying his forwards. The Athletic’s Harman Dayal wrote today that through the first three games of the season, Foote “has been deploying” Filip Chytil “more like a No. 1 centre than” Elias Pettersson, the team’s star pivot. Dayal noted that Chytil currently ranks 14th in the NHL in five-on-five ice time per game, while Pettersson ranks 264th, and that Chytil is averaging nearly a full minute more of ice time per game than Pettersson at all situations.

Chytil has registered two goals this season playing alongside Evander Kane and Conor Garland, while Pettersson has posted one assist playing between Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk. What’s notable about this early-season deployment is that it’s somewhat surprising to see the pair of 2017 first-rounders deployed this way. Pettersson, who scored 102 points in 2022-23, has long been seen as the team’s star center, and is making $11.6MM against the cap through 2031-32, while Chytil has a career high of 45 points (also from 2022-23) and makes $4.437MM against the cap. Pettersson’s sub-par performance last season (just 45 points in 64 games) was one of the defining storylines of the team’s disappointing 2024-25 campaign, and through three games this season, signs are beginning to emerge that the talented but enigmatic 26-year-old may not have put those on-ice struggles entirely behind him.

More notes from the Western Conference:

  • We previously covered how Wednesday’s start was a crucial game in the pro career of netminder Devin Cooley, and now that the contest has come and gone, it’s clear Cooley made the most of his opportunity. It was reported that the Flames were monitoring potential outside acquisitions to replace Cooley as the team’s backup netminder, but not before giving the 28-year-old veteran his chance to earn the role. Although the Flames fell 3-1 to the Utah Mammoth in Cooley’s first start of the season, Cooley put forth an impressive performance, saving 29 of 31 shots. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis wrote that yesterday’s game “could easily have gotten out of hand” without Cooley’s heroics, and head coach Ryan Huska told the media that he felt Cooley’s first start “was excellent.” While one brilliant start doesn’t necessarily mean the Flames are now sold with Cooley as their go-to option behind starter Dustin Wolf, it certainly doesn’t hurt Cooley’s chances.
  • The offseason swap of 2021 first rounders, St. Louis Blues forward Zachary Bolduc for Montreal Canadiens defenseman Logan Mailloux, was one of this past offseason’s most intriguing trades. Trades of players who are each valuable, promising young talents in their own right are relatively rare. As a result, tracking how each player performs in their new environment is one of the more intriguing storylines to follow in 2025-26. Thus far, things are working out for Bolduc in Montreal but it’s a different story for Mailloux in St. Louis. The talented defenseman struggled quite a bit in the team’s Wednesday loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, has not registered a point through four games, and has a minus-seven rating. Of course, it’s still far too early in the process to even begin contemplating final judgments on the trade, and it’s important to note that young defensemen in many cases take longer to develop in the NHL than forwards. The Hockey News’ Lou Korac wrote that “the Blues believe in Mailloux” and “understand this is going to take time,” and teammate Colton Parayko said after the loss that Mailloux is “a great player” and has his “full faith.”

Canucks’ Filip Chytil Healthy Entering The Offseason

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Vancouver Canucks centerman Filip Chytil missed the last 16 games of the season after sustaining a concussion in the team’s March 15th win over the Chicago Blackhawks. It was yet another concussion for the 25-year-old, after brain injuries limited his 2023-24 season to 10 games and forced a brief return to his native Czechia. But good news has finally crested, with Chytil sharing that he’s feeling back to 100 percent and even skated at Canucks practice last week, per Sportsnet’s Brendan Batchelor.

Were the Canucks able to make up the six-point difference between their final result and a playoff entry, they could have been entertaining the thought of working Chytil back into the lineup soon. Even then, his return to full health is encouraging. Chytil’s career has been marred by persistent injuries – including no fewer than three suspected long-term concussions. He has never played in more than 75 games in a single season – with that mark set in his rookie season, which was ended early by a suspected concussion. Upper-body injuries forced Chytil out of long stretches through each of the next three seasons, before he returned to mostly-good health in 2022-23. That was a breakout season for Chytil, marked by a career-high 22 goals and 45 points. But he couldn’t hold his footing through either of the last two seasons.

The constant injuries are made extra frustrating by just how bourgeoning Chytil’s game seems. He seems to be emerging as a proud second-line center capable of reaching 20 goals and 50 points. Even through injury this season, Chytil totaled 13 goals and 26 points in 56 games this season – an 82-game pace of 19 goals and 38 points. The performance was evidence of a stride forward in his offensive output, after he scored 22 or 23 points in every season between 2018 and 2022 regardless of how many games he played.

Reaching full health at the cusp of the offseason could be perfectly timed for Chytil. He’s signed to the Canucks roster through the end of the 2026-27 season, and should have a clear path to a top-six center role pending any summer additions. That stability and projection will let Chytil focus solely on training and nursing his persistent injuries. With a summer of dedicated effort, next season will hopefully be the year that Chytil can embrace a year of good health.

Canucks Notes: Tocchet, Pettersson, Chytil, Höglander

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Confirming a report from last week, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes that the Vancouver Canucks are firmly committed to Rick Tocchet for the 2025-26 NHL season and beyond. Friedman asserts that Vancouver will extend Tocchet this off-season or utilize their team option for another year.

Tocchet wants to keep his upcoming extension negotiations private, stating, “I am so focused on making the playoffs that I really don’t want to make it about me right now.” In a similar vein, Sportsnet’s Brendan Batchelor prodded Tocchet about his situation with the Canucks, and he articulated that his only focus was beating the Seattle Kraken tomorrow night. Unless something drastically changes over the next few weeks, it’s all but a guarantee that Tocchet will be back behind the bench for Vancouver next season. 

Despite winning the Jack Adams Award last season, Tocchet will have a difficult time guiding the Canucks back into the postseason for a second consecutive season. Vancouver is six points removed from the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference and has significant injury concerns mounting.

According to Harman Dayal of The Athletic, Tocchet shared that Elias Pettersson has skated ’once or twice’ since succumbing to an upper-body injury against the New York Rangers on March 22nd, and there’s no guarantee he’ll return for the regular season. Tocchet appeared hopeful regarding Pettersson’s injury status, but they’ll find it increasingly difficult to catch the St. Louis Blues without their top center and third-highest scorer.

Pettersson isn’t the only center the Canucks won’t have either. Batchelor reported earlier that Tocchett believes the “odds are against” Filip Chytil returning this season due to having little consistency in his concussion recovery process. Chytil, who was limited to 10 games last season due to a concussion, hasn’t played for Vancouver since March 15th after receiving a dangerous hit from behind by Chicago Blackhawks’ Jason Dickinson.

Per Tocchet’s suggestion, it’s likely Chytil will finish the 2024-25 campaign with 13 goals and 26 points in 56 games, with six of the points coming as a Canuck. He’s signed through the 2026-27 season with a $4.4375MM cap hit.

Still, it’s not all bad news on the injury front in Vancouver. Circling back to the report from Dayal, Tocchet believes Nils Höglander is the closest of the trio to returning. Höglander has been an effective secondary scorer for the Canucks this season, posting six goals and 21 points in 66 games. Höglander similarly exited Vancouver’s recent game against the Rangers in the second period due to an undisclosed injury.

Canucks Recall Linus Karlsson Under Emergency Conditions

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The Canucks announced today they’ve recalled forward Linus Karlsson from AHL Abbotsford under emergency conditions. Neither Filip Chytil nor Conor Garland are expected to play tonight against the Jets after missing the morning skate, per Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650, so Karlsson’s presence is necessary for them to have 12 healthy forwards.

Chytil’s absence is clear after the center entered concussion protocol over the weekend, but Garland didn’t miss a shift in Sunday’s outing against Utah. He hasn’t missed a game since the 2022-23 campaign. Head coach Rick Tocchet adds he’ll be a game-time decision with an undisclosed injury (via Harman Dayal of The Athletic).

Karlsson, fresh off a one-year extension, comes up to fill the void and will skate on the third line with Drew O’Connor and Teddy Blueger. The 25-year-old has nine NHL games under his belt this year, but tonight will be his first appearance since Feb. 4. He has one goal during that stretch – his first NHL point – while recording eight shots on net and averaging 9:59 per game.

The 6’1″ Swede continues to be a productive minor-leaguer for the Canucks. His 1.13 points per game (21-13–34 in 30 GP) rank third among AHL skaters with at least 25 games played, trailing only vets Vinnie Hinostroza and Andrew Poturalski. Outright, his 21 goals are tied for 15th in the league.

Karlsson remains waivers-exempt for the rest of the season, but that status will disappear in 2025-26. If he doesn’t make Vancouver’s opening night roster next season, he’ll be offered to the rest of the league before he can be returned to Abbotsford.

No Update From Canucks On Filip Chytil Injury

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Vancouver Canuck forward Filip Chytil was injured during the third period of last night’s game, leaving fans and the team uncertain about his condition, per Jim Cerny of Forever Blueshirts. As of now, there has been no official update on the severity of the injury, adding to the growing concern for a player with a troubled injury history.

During Saturday’s game against the Blackhawks, Chytil was helped off the ice following a blindside hit by forward Jason Dickinson with 4:42 remaining in the contest. Chytil was noticeably wobbled by the hit, falling to the ice after attempting to stand under his own power – a troubling site for a player with at least four known concussions in his career with the New York Rangers. Chytil, who spent eight seasons with New York, was traded to the Canucks as a part of the JT Miller deal in late January.

After the game, head coach Rick Tocchet did not provide an update on the injury but agreed that the optics didn’t look good. Tocchet called the hit “pretty ugly” in his post-game comments and added that he did not receive communication from the refs as to why Dickinson did not receive a penalty for the hit.

When healthy, Chytil has been a solid supporting cast member throughout his 393 career NHL games. He has eclipsed the 10-goal mark in four seasons, including 13 this year combined between the Rangers and Canucks. Originally a first rounder of the Rangers in the 2017 draft (21st overall), Chytil saw game action in nine NHL games during his age 18 season, before becoming a regular fixture in their bottom six the following season. In 378 career games in New York, he registered 75 goals and 164 points. He added an additional 13 points in 36 career playoff contests.

At just 25 years of age, there is still time for Chytil to flash his first-round pedigree. However, injuries continue to play a factor in his career’s trajectory. The Canucks will likely provide more information in the coming days, but for now, Chytil’s status remains unclear.

Canucks Activate Kiefer Sherwood

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The Vancouver Canucks have activated forward Kiefer Sherwood off of injured reserve. Sherwood has missed Vancouver’s last four games with an undisclosed injury. His return brings some sense to Vancouver assigning Aatu Raty and, after he cleared waivers, Phillip Di Giuseppe to the minor leagues.

Sherwood is expected to return to the lineup in Sunday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. He’ll join a lineup full of new faces, including recent trade acquisitions Marcus Pettersson, Victor Mancini, and Filip Chytil. Sherwood should maintain his role on the team’s third line despite the lineup shuffle. He’s been one of the brightest performers in Vancouver’s bottom-six, boasting 13 goals and 21 points in 47 games this season. Sherwood has also recorded a staggering 273 hits – while no other Canuck has managed even 100 (Noah Juulsen has 99). In fact, Sherwood’s lofty hit totals lead the entire NHL by nearly 80 hits – with Philadelphia’s Garnet Hathaway ranked second with 197 hits. So long as he maintains his current hit pace, Sherwood is on track to finish the season with 453 hits – which would stand as an NHL record.

Sherwood has doubled down on the role of goal-scoring wrecking-ball after recording 10 goals, 27 points, and 234 hits in 68 games with the Nashville Predators last season. He seems to be finding plenty of comfort in his first year with the Canucks, sat just seven points shy of surpassing his career-high in scoring from last year. This news sets him up to continue pursuing new scoring heights, and the hit record, in a Canucks roster with plenty of minutes opened up by the trading of top forward scorer J.T. Miller.

Rangers Acquire J.T. Miller From Canucks

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Trade discussions between the Rangers and Canucks regarding J.T. Miller have been off and on in recent weeks but a deal is now complete.  Per announcements from both teams, New York has acquired Miller along with defensemen Erik Brannstrom and Jackson Dorrington from Vancouver in exchange for center Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini, and a protected 2025 first-round pick.  The pick is protected in the top-13 this year and if it doesn’t convey this year, the Canucks will instead receive New York’s unprotected 2026 first-rounder.  Structuring the pick like that will encumber the Rangers from moving that 2026 selection in another trade later on.

Miller waived his no-move protection to facilitate the swap, ending what had been a rocky last several weeks for the 31-year-old.  There has been speculation of an internal rift between Miller and center Elias Pettersson, something that team president Jim Rutherford confirmed earlier this week. As a result, Vancouver has been engaging in trade discussions involving both players for quite some time now.

Miller returns to his first NHL team with the Rangers having drafted him 15th overall back in 2011.  He spent parts of six seasons with them, recording 172 points in 341 games before being moved to Tampa Bay in 2018.  He spent parts of two years with them before Vancouver acquired Miller in the 2019 offseason and since then, his career has taken off.

After only recording more than 60 points just once in his career before joining Vancouver, Miller surpassed the point per game mark in four of his first five seasons with them; the only time he didn’t reach at least 70 points was the shortened 2020-21 campaign.  Along the way, he signed a seven-year, $56MM contract that runs through the 2029-30 campaign, meaning New York will be adding another pricey contract to their books with an $8MM AAV; Daily Faceoff’s Seravalli reports (Twitter link) that Vancouver is not retaining salary on Miller’s contract.

But things haven’t gone quite so well for Miller this season.  His offensive numbers – though still respectable – are down as he has nine goals and 26 assists in 40 games so far.  He has just three tallies in his last 24 outings, however, and two of those came in one game.  That drop in performance certainly didn’t help his trade value which likely contributed to the delay in getting this done.

Even with the drop-off in performance this year, Miller will still represent a sizable upgrade on Chytil in terms of role and production.  He’ll give them a third veteran presence down the middle behind Mika Zibanejad, a duo that will be around for a while as Zibanejad is also inked through the 2029-30 campaign.  Vincent Trocheck is also in the mix, signed through the 2028-29 season so they now have plenty of stability at that position for the foreseeable future.

As for the other pieces heading to New York, Brannstrom was once a highly-touted prospect after being a first-round pick for Vegas back in 2017.  However, his offensive game – his calling card growing up – hasn’t quite materialized in the pros and he has bounced around since then; this will be his third team of the season after spending training camp with Colorado before being moved to Vancouver.  Brannstrom has eight points in 28 NHL games this year but cleared waivers earlier this month and had been with AHL Abbotsford before the swap.  The 25-year-old has a $900K cap hit (which wouldn’t count against the cap if he remains in the minors for New York) and will be a restricted free agent with salary arbitration rights this summer.

Dorrington, meanwhile, was a sixth-round pick by Vancouver in 2022, going 176th overall.  He has spent the past three seasons at Northeastern University and has 10 points in 23 games for the Huskies in 2024-25.  Dorrington will have one year of college eligibility remaining after this season so he could be a near-term addition to New York’s farm system.

Chytil is the headliner of the swap for the Canucks in terms of the players they’re getting back.  The 25-year-old was originally expected to be part of New York’s long-term plans down the middle after they made him the 21st pick in 2017.  However, Chytil has dealt with considerable concussion issues throughout his career which has caused him to miss significant time, including 72 games just last season.

However, Chytil isn’t too far removed from his best offensive season when he collected 22 goals and 23 assists in 72 games back in 2022-23, solid second-line production.  He’s not too far off that pace this year either as he has 11 goals and nine helpers through 41 appearances.  He’s averaging less than 15 minutes a game this season but if he lands on the second line behind Pettersson, it’s possible that Chytil could be in line for a bit of a bigger role with his new team.  For his career, he has 164 points in 378 games.

Vancouver will be taking on a multi-year commitment with Chytil as well although he isn’t signed quite as long as Miller.  He has a $4.4375MM cap charge on his contract through the 2026-27 season and will be an unrestricted free agent at its expiration.  Accordingly, a big portion of this trade for the Canucks will be some increased salary cap flexibility moving forward.

As for Mancini, the 22-year-old is in the first season of his entry-level contract after wrapping up his college career last season.  He has played in 15 games with the Rangers this year, picking up a goal and four assists in a little over 15 minutes a night before being sent back to AHL Hartford last month to get more playing time.  In 23 games with the Wolf Pack, he has three goals and seven assists.  If he isn’t recalled directly to Vancouver, Mancini stands to be one of their top recall options whenever injuries arise.

From a salary cap perspective, the Rangers still have ample cap space to work with as PuckPedia puts them with a little over $3.5MM in projected cap room thanks to their early-season trade of Jacob Trouba.  Meanwhile, PuckPedia pegs Vancouver with a little less than $2.7MM in space which gives them some breathing room to try to bank some extra flexibility between now and the trade deadline to try to add to their roster and turn around their recent struggles.

For the production and role that Miller has had for most of his time with Vancouver, this return is on the low side but the internal rift clearly became too much, resulting in the Canucks taking a below-market return.  Nonetheless, if Chytil can do well with his new team and the Canucks properly use their extra draft, prospect, and cap capital, they could still come out of this in decent shape.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman first reported that talks between the two sides about Miller were intensifying and was first with Brannstrom and Dorrington’s inclusions.  TSN’s Farhan Lalji originally reported Chytil being in the swap.  Larry Brooks of the New York Post was first with the details on the pick protection.

Photos courtesy of Imagn Images.

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