Jannik Hansen to miss 4-6 weeks with a knee injury

The Canucks were dealt another blow to their already depleted roster today. According to a Jay Janower report, Jannik Hansen will be out four-to-six weeks to rehabilitate a knee injury suffered in a December 22nd contest against the Winnipeg Jets.

The good news, as Janower was keen to point out, was that the Danish right winger will avoid surgery. Hansen suffered the injury on a late hit by Jets forward Matthieu Perrault in the second period of that December 22nd contest. Hansen didn’t return to that game and hasn’t played since.

Perrault received a two-minute minor on the play for kneeing and avoided any further discipline — not even a hearing or a fine. In the aftermath, Hansen tried to engage with Perrault and both received minor roughing penalties for their troubles.

Hansen is ninth on the Canucks in scoring in spite of playing half as many games as most of his teammates. He has nine points this season, split relatively evenly with five goals and four assists.

The Canucks locker room didn’t receive the hit well, and when asked to comment on the hit after the game didn’t hold back. Henrik Sedin said in plain language that it was a dirty hit, and the exact type that the league should be trying to remove from the game.