What Nils Höglander’s SHL loan being extended means for the Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver Canucks prospect Nils Höglander’s loan was supposed to expire on December 13th, but he is still playing SHL games.

With Canucks training camp (hopefully) just around the corner, many of the participants will begin to arrive in Vancouver this coming weekend.

One of the top stories at camp will be Nils Höglander. The 19-year-old Swedish winger is sure to draw eyes at the upcoming camp as he is one of the most skilled and creative players outside of the NHL. The Canucks have question marks in on the right wing and that is where Höglander has been playing for almost the entirety of the season over in the Swedish Hockey League.

His loan was set to expire after Rögle’s December 12th game. His SHL team was set to begin a two-week break after their game on the 12th and when that break began, Höglander was planning on travelling to Vancouver to begin his transition to the NHL life.

As per usual in 2020, COVID-19 had something to say about this situation.

Rögle BK had a handful of games postponed or cancelled between November 17-30 when an outbreak of the virus ravaged through the SHL organization. They had two of those games rescheduled for December 15th and 17th, which means Höglander will have to wait before travelling to Vancouver to begin his two-week quarantine.

Nils Höglander and his camp have been quiet over the past few days. It is expected that like many other out of country players, Höglander should be travelling to Vancouver this coming weekend.

The last few games have been a rollercoaster ride for Höglander.

In his most recent game, he played a season-high 17:10. The game before that he had 25 penalty minutes after being thrown out late in the third period for fighting. The two games before that he had a goal and an assist in each outing.

The kid is really making a scene on his way out of the SHL.

In the December 10th game, he scored a through the legs highlight-reel goal that was featured across all the NHL’s social media accounts.

Elias Pettersson also saw the “sick” goal and was thoroughly impressed.

NHL training camps could begin as early as January 3rd or 4th. That means that Höglander will have to land in Vancouver before December 20th to get through his two-week quarantine before training camp.

The predicted January 13th return to play is still up in the air but we should get more clarity any day now.

There should not be any worry in Canucks fans’ eyes as the young Swedish prospect should be all cleared for training camp. He should have a bit of a step up on his campmates as he will have 23 SHL games under his belt instead of coming into camp cold like so many others.

We will continue to follow Höglander’s loan situation and keep you updated when any news drops.