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Canucks: Höglander and Räty scratched for DeBrusk and Kampf vs. Flyers
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Photo credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Jeff Paterson
Dec 30, 2025, 20:43 EST
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Playing for the second night in a row, the Vancouver Canucks are making three lineup changes ahead of their game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Jake DeBrusk, David Kämpf and P-O Joseph, who were all healthy scratches for last night’s 3-2 shootout win in Seattle, will all draw into the lineup. Nils Höglander, Aatu Räty and defenceman Elias Pettersson will all sit out tonight.
DeBrusk has just one goal in his last 16 games and was taken out of the lineup in an effort to jumpstart his season which has yielded just nine goals – with eight of them coming on the power play. The last time he put a puck in the net was December 14th in New Jersey. 
The decision to scratch Höglander and Räty will not sit well with many in the fan base. The Canucks need to figure out what they have in both players and it’s hard for them to play their best when they come in and out of the lineup on a regular basis. This will be the fourth time in the last five games that Höglander has been scratched while Räty will watch for the fourth time in six games.
“We’re going to go day by day, Adam Foote said about his lineup decisions.”You look at our schedule and how condensed it is. I can’t sit here and tell you we’re going to see a lot more of that with our players. With all these games, they get to push each other. There are going to be guys on tired legs and we have to recognize that and maybe give them a break. To get through the schedule, I look at it like we need four lines and six D – we need everyone. That’s a good thing.”
When asked if there are too many bodies around these days and if the team needs a trade to create space for younger players, Foote wasn’t prepared to go down that road.
“Coaches don’t think there are ever too many bodies,” he said. “That’s not my department. I’m just going day by day and trying to put in my instincts what I think has to happen to get the two points.”
P-O Joseph will dress for the first time since a 3-1 loss in Colorado on December 2nd which just happens to be the last time fellow blueliner Elias Pettersson came out of the lineup.
In other news, Adam Foote confirmed that injured centres Filip Chytil and Teddy Blueger both skated at Rogers Arena this morning. Foote placed the timeline for Blueger to return to game action at a couple of weeks.

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