Vancouver Canucks general manager (GM) Patrik Allvin announced on Monday evening that forward Nils Hoglander will be out 8-10 weeks after successful lower-body surgery. He suffered the injury in the third period of a preseason game against the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday and was initially out week-to-week.
Hoglander was having a strong preseason before the injury, playing his usual high-energy, strong forechecking style that got him a career-high 24 goals and 36 points in 2023-24. He struggled last season and finished with only eight goals and 25 points, and was looking to bounce back this season. Now, he will have to start from zero after the injury, and hopefully get back into the swing of things quickly when he returns at the end of November or early December.
Hoglander’s absence, while unfortunate, means an extra opportunity for a prospect or bubble player to make the roster out of training camp. There is now a slot open on the third line – or possibly the second – for someone like Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Linus Karlsson, Arshdeep Bains, Vitali Kravtsov or Max Sasson to snag. At this point, judging by Lekkerimaki’s performance in the last two preseason games, it’s his spot to lose. It could also mean Braeden Cootes is that much closer to making the roster after surprising everyone with his maturity at only 18 years old. If nothing else, it makes the next two preseason games a lot more interesting to watch.
