Canucks place D Guillaume Brisebois on injured reserve; activate F Filip Chytil

The Vancouver Canucks are getting a key centre back before Friday night’s matchup against the New York Rangers.

Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson announced prior to game time on Friday that the club placed defenceman Guillaume Brisebois on injured reserve and activated forward Filip Chytil in the same transaction.

Chytil, 27, has been out of the Canucks lineup since October 29 against the San Jose Sharks. Late in the third period, defenceman Zeev Buium rang the puck around the boards for Chytil to pick up behind the net. Chytil protected the puck from Macklin Celebrini, and with his head facing the boards, he did not see Sharks defenceman Darnell Nurse coming. Nurse connected shoulder to shoulder, but the result was that Chytil flew into the boards shoulder first.

The Czech centreman grimaced as he skated to the bench, but he was right back out there the next shift as the team tried to tie the game. Although he finished the game, Chytil missed the Canucks’ next practice and has missed the last five games since. Given Chytil’s history with head injuries, a Canucks representative was adamant that this injury was not head-related, but rather a re-aggravation of a shoulder injury from a month ago.

In the first period of his preseason debut, Chytil got caught up with referee Riley Brace, which sent him shoulder-first into the boards, with his head on the ice and skates above the boards.

This injury sidelined Chytil for the first eight games of the season. He would return for Game 9 against the Florida Panthers and picked up a point in his first two matches, but has been held without a point since then. Through seven games this season, Chytil has just two assists, a minus-one rating, and 13 shots on goal, despite averaging a career-high 19:53 minutes of ice time.

Brisebois, 29, has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to Monday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Quebec native played 17:02 minutes that night, including the final minute of the game. He skated as an extra with Luke Schenn at Thursday’s practice, but is not deemed well enough to play with whatever injury he is dealing with.

Through six games this season, Brisebois has one assist, two penalty minutes, seven shots on goal and a minus-four rating in 15:25 minutes of ice time. Newly claimed defenceman Cameron Crotty appears to be filling his spot in the lineup tonight against the Rangers.