The Canucks suddenly have something else to worry about before Opening Night.
Jake DeBrusk did not practice Monday as Vancouver held its final workout before Tuesday’s season opener against the Edmonton Oilers. The veteran winger is being re-evaluated for a lower-body injury, although there was at least one encouraging sign.
DeBrusk traveled with the team to Edmonton.
Vancouver head coach Manny Malhotra also indicated that the Canucks were being cautious rather than immediately ruling their winger out. The team wanted an extra day to evaluate him and get the necessary imaging before making a decision.
That is certainly better than DeBrusk being left behind.
But it does not eliminate the problem.
DeBrusk had been expected to open the season on Vancouver’s top line with Elias Pettersson and Jonathan Lekkerimäki. He also just finished the preseason in style, recording a goal and two assists in Saturday’s 4-3 win over Seattle while skating with those two players.
Now, that line could be changing before it even gets its first regular-season shift.
And considering how important a fast start could be for the Canucks, that is not an insignificant development.
Vancouver Could Be Dealing With More Than a Minor Injury
The encouraging news is that DeBrusk traveled with the Canucks.
That would seem to suggest the team does not believe this is an obvious long-term injury. Malhotra’s comments also indicated that the Canucks were taking a cautious approach rather than reacting to something they already knew was serious.
But there is still a fairly wide range of possibilities here.
DeBrusk could miss Tuesday’s opener and be back shortly afterward. He could also find himself dealing with an injury that keeps him out for several games.
That’s something worth keeping an eye on.
The Canucks are already beginning the season without Filip Chytil and Thatcher Demko, who are both unavailable. Losing DeBrusk for a short period would be manageable. Losing him for several weeks would create another significant hole in a lineup that is already undergoing plenty of change.
There is also the timing to consider.
Vancouver has spent training camp establishing its systems and figuring out which players fit together. DeBrusk, Pettersson and Lekkerimäki were supposed to be one of the most intriguing combinations.
They finally had a chance to show what they could do Saturday.
Then DeBrusk missed the next practice.
That’s why the next evaluation is so important. If this is simply a bump that requires a few days of caution, the Canucks can move forward. If something more significant is discovered, Vancouver will suddenly have to rethink one of its most important forward combinations.
The Canucks Have Options If DeBrusk Cannot Go
The good news for the Canucks is that they already have a pretty obvious temporary replacement.
Arshdeep Bains took DeBrusk’s spot alongside Pettersson and Lekkerimäki during Monday’s practice.
That makes sense.
Bains knows the system, has NHL experience and would not require Vancouver to completely rearrange its forward group. If DeBrusk is unavailable for one game, Bains could simply slide into the vacancy and allow the rest of the lineup to remain relatively intact.
There are other possibilities, too.
The Canucks could move Brock Boeser onto Pettersson’s line and elevate someone else alongside Marco Rossi and the remaining top-six forwards. They could also give Liam Öhgren or Linus Karlsson a larger opportunity.
But there is a reason Bains appears to be the first choice.
Sometimes the best solution is the one that creates the fewest additional problems.
And that is particularly important for Vancouver because the Canucks are trying to establish some consistency under Malhotra. The team finished last season with a 25-49-8 record and is already attempting to build a new identity around younger players such as Lekkerimäki and Zeev Buium.
DeBrusk’s absence would therefore be about more than losing one winger.
It could force the Canucks to alter a line they had hoped would become an important part of their offense.
For now, there is still reason to believe this is a short-term issue.
But Opening Night is suddenly approaching with a major question hanging over Vancouver’s top line.
And the Canucks would certainly prefer to have an answer sooner rather than later.
Canucks Suddenly Face New Problem Before Opening Night