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Canucks Defender Assigned to AHL for Conditioning

One of the top defenders for the Vancouver Canucks was assigned to the American Hockey League for conditioning purposes.

Jacob Punturi

Nov 12, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek (17) makes a pass against the Calgary Flames during the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Nov 12, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek (17) makes a pass against the Calgary Flames during the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images / Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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The Vancouver Canucks are getting closer to having a full battery of defenders available. The team's general manager, Patrik Allvin, announced that top-four defender Filip Hronek is taking the next step in his injury recovery.

The Canucks defenseman has been assigned to the organization's American Hockey League affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, for conditioning purposes. This will allow Hronek to get a few games under his belt before making the leap back to the NHL lineup.

He's been out of the lineup since before the new year due to a lower-body injury that required surgery. He also suffered an upper-body injury that did not require surgical intervention, but he was announced to miss eight weeks of action at the time.

With this announcement of Hronek heading to Abbotsford, it appears he's a few weeks ahead of schedule with his recovery. Conditioning assignments usually don't last three weeks, and the update suggests he's trending rapidly towards a return to the Canucks' lineup.

Hronek has been a pivotal piece of the puzzle for the Canucks since the team acquired him in 2023. Injuries have been a thorn in his side, but when healthy, he's productive and eats minutes. Last season, he played in 81 games with the team and was the second-leading scorer on defense, trailing only his Norris Trophy-winning teammate, Quinn Hughes. Still, he posted an impressive and career best five goals and 43 assists for 48 points while averaging 23:26 minutes of ice-time.

This year, he played in 21 games before injuries sidelined him, and he was off to a similar start and role with the team. He averaged 23:36 minutes of ice-time and scored one goal with eight assists. He was a bit behind on his usual shots on goal contributed, with just 24 over the first 21 games. For reference, he launched 148 shots on goal over 81 games.

With his return looming, a floundering Vancouver squad will get a boost. With the team's feuding superstars taking up so much attention and media speculation, a player coming back into the lineup that isn't named JT Miller or Elias Pettersson is a welcomed change. Maybe it even reignites their playoff ambitions and positioning.

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Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

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