Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Höglander will be out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, according to Canucks assistant coach Brett McLean.

Speaking to media following the Canucks’ morning skate ahead of Friday night’s preseason game against the Seattle Kraken, McLean said the following:

“He’s week-to-week with a lower body injury. We’ve said all along that competition is very high at this camp and some players have played really well to this point, so we’ll just let that competition play out. But yeah, it opens up a spot for someone here and there’s some guys that should be excited about that opportunity but obviously we want to get Höggy back as soon as we can.”

Höglander departed during the second period of the Canucks’ preseason game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night and did not return. Here is Höglander’s final shift of that game:

It’s a tough blow for both Höglander and the Canucks, as the 24-year-old winger was off to a good start this preseason. Höglander, who’s entering year one of a three-year contract extension with the Canucks this season, is in need of a bounce back year. After scoring 24 goals — all at even strength — in the 2023-24 season, Höglander bounced up and down the Canucks’ lineup in 2024-25, finishing the year with just eight goals and 17 assists through 72 games played.

According to Rick Dhaliwal of Donnie and Dhali — The Team, it’s a sprained ankle ailing Höglander. Höglander’s absence opens the door for a number of players to grab a roster spot, and as we wrote recently, any injury to a regular NHL forward increases the likelihood that top prospect Braeden Cootes may get to stick around when the Canucks’ regular season begins.

The Canucks’ home opener is just under two weeks away, as the Calgary Flames visit Rogers Arena on October 9th to kick off both teams’ regular seasons.