Vancouver Canucks sniper Brock Boeser was back on the ice Friday while continuing to battle back from the hand injury that’s kept him out of the lineup since Oct. 22.

Boeser, 25, has four assists in six games with the Canucks this season after recovering from hand surgery in late September. The Burnsville, MN product spoke with reporters after Friday’s skate and revealed that his current absence is related to his previous operation.

“It sucks sitting out and especially when everything feels good on [my] body except my hands,” Boeser said Friday. “The scar opened up a bit. Really nothing you can do there until it heals and it’s good enough to play.

“When you play and it gets wet and sweaty, there’s a chance that could happen. Unfortunately, it happened and it can get an infection if you keep playing with it,” Boeser continued. “That’d be way worse. So, I’m obviously here to take care of it and get healed up.”

Although Boeser said he’s “pretty hopeful” he’ll play in Saturday’s game against the Nashville Predators, Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau said he doesn’t think Boeser will be in the lineup and called him “day-to-day.”

Boudreau also clarified the status of defenceman Travis Dermott, who has yet to play this season after suffering a concussion back in September. The head coach said it’s possible Dermott will be able to join the Canucks as they kick off their upcoming five-game road trip in Ottawa next week.

Dermott, 25, appeared in 17 games with the Canucks last season after being acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs before the 2022 trade deadline. The Newmarket, ON product scored two points (one goal, one assists) while averaging 16:54 per game after arriving in Vancouver.

The Canucks currently rank sixth in the NHL’s Pacific Division with a 3–6–2 record and eight points through their first 11 games of the 2022–23 regular season. They’ll return to action on Saturday evening to host Nashville at 7:00 p.m. PT.