The bad news continues for the Vancouver Canucks on the injury front as they fight for the final Wild Card spot in the West.
Speaking to media today, Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said Filip Chytil has “good days and bad days” in his recovery from a concussion, and is considered unlikely to return to Vancouver’s lineup this season.
“Good days and bad days, he’s had,” said Tocchet. “You go and skate, felt good, the next day, not as good. So, you know, 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, obviously you’re not going to play the guy.”
The 25-year-old Czech skater hasn’t played since March 15th, when he exited late during the third period of a 6-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks after taking a bad hit from ex-Canuck Jason Dickinson. After the hit, he was very slow to get up and went straight to the locker room. He was then placed under concussion protocol and has been out since.
Given his history of head trauma, the Canucks are being extra cautious with this still relatively young player. Chytil previously missed the majority of the 2023-24 season with the New York Rangers due to a concussion. When asked if the team has concerns about his career moving forward, Tocchet said they’re just trying to stay positive and focus on the present.
“I don’t know, because I talked to him today and he said it was different than his last concussion,” said the Canucks coach. “The bad days aren’t as bad, so that’s a positive. So I think we’ve got to take the positive approach. Plus he’s got four or five months to rebuild himself, or who knows? You know what I mean? You just gotta take it day-by-day with this guy right now.”
Chytil was acquired by the Canucks in late January as part of the blockbuster JT Miller trade with the Rangers. He played 15 games with the Canucks, registering two goals and six points, before being sidelined. While the news of his unlikely return will come as a disappointment to Canucks fans, his health takes priority above all, and that’s the approach Vancouver’s medical staff is sticking to.
