Quinn Hughes and Drew O'Connor were absent from today's Canucks practice.
The Vancouver Canucks started their practice earlier today with two lineup absences: Quinn Hughes and Drew O’Connor. As per Dan Murphy of Sportsnet, Hughes is out day-to-day due to injury, while O’Connor missed practice in need of a sick day. While O’Connor is likely to be back sooner rather than later, Hughes’ absence will bring the Canucks’ total up to eight.
Hughes drew concern during the Canucks’ game against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, when he got twisted up with forward Mark Scheifele when battling for the puck. He left the ice grabbing his left arm and went to the dressing room. However, Hughes soon returned in dramatic fashion, coming out just as the Canucks were about to go on the power play.
O’Connor has gotten off to a surprising start this season, putting up four goals and four assists in 18 games played for Vancouver. The forward most recently had a two-point night against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday and also scored a shorthanded goal against the Colorado Avalanche the night after. Skating in his place alongside Aatu Räty and Jake DeBrusk during practice was MacKenzie MacEachern.
If Hughes is out for an extended period of time, this will mark the Canucks’ eighth injury on the season, as Thatcher Demko also left Tuesday’s game against the Jets due to injury. A positive update on this front, however, is that Jonathan Lekkerimäki was taken off of the IR last night and assigned to the Abbotsford Canucks.
Vancouver will start their three-game road trip tomorrow with a game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Tomorrow will be the first half of a back-to-back for Carolina, who also face the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. Puck drop for tomorrow is scheduled for 4:00 pm PT.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:
Home Of The Abbotsford Canucks Gets New Name
Why Jiří Patera Could See His First Start With The Vancouver Canucks On The Upcoming Road Trip
Canucks Activate Forward Jonathan Lekkerimäki Off Injured Reserve, Assign To The AHL
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
