The Injury Bug: Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

7 years ago

The caveat for the Canucks season was always going to be health. If they could maintain a relatively healthy roster to the finish, they could compete for a playoff spot. An injury to one of their core players would spell doom, though.

Seven games into the season, the Canucks and their mostly healthy roster have built a 4-2-1 lead. Of course, they were 4-0-0 at one point. Then Alexandre Burrows and Derek Dorsett were taken from the Canucks lineup with, you guessed it, injuries. Chris Tanev’s since joined them in the infirmary, suffering an injury of his own in Sunday night’s contest.

Well, it didn’t take long to get to this point. That’s three new Canucks suffering some sort of ailment. I’ll update you as best I can, on the other side of the jump.

Derek Dorsett

The Canucks lost Dorsett to a second period collision with Los Angeles Kings defenceman Brayden McNabb. Dorsett was tracking a loose puck on the forecheck and upon engaging McNabb fell awkwardly into the half-wall. At first glance, it appeared as though Dorsett injured his shoulder.

The Canucks confirmed those suspicions, confirming in their post-game presser from Saturday’s contest that Dorsett was dealing with a shoulder injury. Vancouver was forced to replace Dorsett in Sunday’s game with defenceman Alex Biega, and have since called up Jayson Megna from the Utica Comets.

Dorsett is now on IR and expected to miss, at least, 7-10 days.

Alexandre Burrows

Dorsett wasn’t the only Canuck to fall on Saturday. Joining him was his linemate, Alexandre Burrows. Unlike Dorsett, Burrows finished Saturday’s game. In fact, Canucks Head Coach Willie Desjardins called on Burrows in the shootout with all the chips on the table.

The Canucks placed Burrows on IR, and he’s expected to miss 7-10 days. Burrows is apparently suffering a neck injury.

Chris Tanev

This is the one that really stings. Chris Tanev was retrieving a puck in the defensive zone on Sunday when Nick Ritchie caught him with hard hit after the puck left the zone. Tanev was caught limping to the bench afterwards, though returned to the game. There’s been some speculation Ritchie’s hit just aggravated an ankle injury Tanev suffered in Saturday night’s game against the Kings.

In response to the injury, the Canucks recalled Troy Stecher, who played in Tanev’s stead on Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators. According to our own Jeff Paterson, Tanev was seen in a walking boot around the Canucks’ facilities as recently as this morning. The Canucks are saying it’s just a precautionary measure, but I’d bet the over on games for Stecher at this point.

The Canucks haven’t placed Tanev on IR and are towing the day-to-day line to this day.

Jake Virtanen

This one is purely speculation. Speculation rooted in Jake Virtanen’s inability to build on his strong finish to last season. He’s not throwing hits. Not with anywhere near the effect of last season. And he’s been noticeably slower in transition. He just doesn’t look anything like the player we parted ways with last April.

Then again, Virtanen takes a hard, late hit from the Calgary Flames Lance Bouma in the Canucks opener. Concussion spotters were quick to spot the wobbly Canuck and had him removed to undergo concussion protocol. He cleared and played regular shifts later in that game.

Canucks nation has collectively used the process of elimination and come to the conclusion that Virtanen’s shoulder is hurt. If he can’t hit and he passed concussion protocol, what else could it be? The Canucks and Virtanen alike are disputing that notion wholeheartedly. It’s fair to wonder though if something’s up.

Anton Rodin

The Canucks have been taking a tonne of flack for how they’ve handled the Anton Rodin situation, and deservedly so. Rodin, you’ll remember, suffered a laceration above his knee. That same injury cut his 2015-16 season short and required surgery to rehabilitate.

Now, Rodin had made clear through the media that he wasn’t 100%. That was before the pre-season. When the games didn’t matter. At all. For whatever reason, the Canucks played Rodin in the pre-season regardless and played him a lot. However could they have seen a setback like this coming?

Rodin is still on IR and expected to return by the end of November. Hopefully they let him get to 100% this time around.