Brandon Sutter out for 4-6 Weeks following surgery

The good news for Brandon Sutter is that his Sports Hernia Surgery, which he underwent yesterday, was quite successful. The bad news? It’ll take a month to fully heal, according to Jim Benning.

“Following a period of treatment and evaluation our medical team determined that the best course of action for Brandon was to perform this procedure,” said Benning (via Canucks.com). “The surgery was successful and we expect a full recovery.”

Sutter has been absent from the lineup since the Canucks’ November 10th victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, a game in which he played 16:08, which despite playing all the way through to the final seconds of the game was his third-lowest total of the season.

Recent NHLers to undergo Sports Hernia surgery include Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan, Tomas Vanek, Jonathan Bernier, Michael Grabner, Paul Byron, and Andrew Ladd. Most of these players underwent their surgery at the conclusion of their season, so it’s hard to use them as examples of real-world recovery times. Grabner is the exception, undergoing his surgery on October 9th 2014 and returning on December 4th, putting him closer to eight weeks. 

Sutter, who was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in July for Nick Bonino, Adam Clendening, and a downgrade from a second to a third-round draft pick, played has played in sixteen games this season, scoring four goals and four assists in that span. The 26-year-old former first round pick is seventh on the Canucks in even-strength point efficiency and twelfth in on-ice shot attempt percentage.

A best case (four-week) scenario would see Sutter return to the lineup on January 1st, against the Anaheim Ducks.