Injuries to Canucks Stars Not Considered Serious

The Vancouver Canucks shouldn't be without their top scorers for long.

May 16, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) and forward Elias Pettersson (40) talk during a stop in play against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period in game five of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images / Bob Frid-Imagn Images

The Vancouver Canucks returned from the NHL holiday break and promptly blew a 4-1 lead to the Seattle Kraken. While that was a tough loss for the Canucks to take, there was some worried fans regarding the sudden absences of a pair of star players.

Before the Canucks dropped the puck against the Kraken, it was announced that Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson would miss the game due to injuries. Head coach Rick Tocchet did not disclose what is ailing his star players, but it was the first game either player had missed this season.

While the fans worried, Elliotte Friedman stated on Sportsnet’s Saturday Headlines that there isn’t much concern around Hughes or Pettersson’s injury.

“No timeline was provided by the Canucks or Rick Tocchet,” Friedman said. “The Vancouver fans are obviously very concerned. From what we’re hearing, the injuries are not considered serious.”

While not having Hughes or Pettersson in the lineup hurt their chances against the Kraken, it doesn’t seem the Canucks have too much to worry about.

“They are not considered to be long-term injuries,” Friedman said. “Don’t want to give you an exact timeline, because I’m not sure. Hopefully, that’s some good news for the fans in Vancouver."

Hughes is the Canucks’ captain and currently leads the team in scoring by a wide margin. With eight goals and 34 assists for 42 total points, Hughes stands second in defensive scoring in the entire league.

Pettersson may not be having his best season, but only Hughes has more points than him on the Canucks roster. In 34 games played, Pettersson has 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 total points. Canucks’ forward Conor Garland also has 28 points on the year (9G-19A).

It’s been an awkward season for the Canucks after a great run in 2023-24. They were forced to start the season without their Vezina candidate goalie, then have seen rumors pop up about the tricky relationship between Pettersson and fellow star forward J.T. Miller.

At 17-10-8 for 42 standings points, the Canucks hold the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.