Canucks Injury Update: Larsen Back, Hansen, Hutton Close

As the Canucks resumed practice on Wednesday, they gave updates on Philip Larsen, Jannik Hansen and Ben Hutton, who have each been out with injury.

While Canucks forward Bo Horvat was enjoying his first All-Star weekend, some of his teammates were using the break in the schedule to return to full health.

Today at practice, the team offered updates on three of those players.

Philip Larsen spoke with the media himself, while coach Willie Desjardins spoke about Jannik Hansen and Ben Hutton.

Philip Larsen

More from The Canuck Way

• Which team won the Bo Horvat trade?
• What to expect from newcomers Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Räty
• Back to the future: How the skate uniforms became a regular Canucks’ feature night
• Canucks kick off 2023 with disappointing 6-2 loss to Islanders
• 2nd period penalty trouble sinks Canucks in 4-2 loss against Winnipeg

Technically, Larsen has already returned from injury, as he suited up against the Arizona Coyotes in Vancouver’s final game before the break.

However, before that he was recovering from a concussion sustained in a nasty hit from Taylor Hall. Returning from a head injury can be tricky, so there was no guarantee that he would stay symptom-free after rejoining the lineup.

However, Larsen today told the media that he was completely recovered and was back with the team to stay. He also insisted that, despite the hit, he had no fears about being back out on the ice.

As it stands, the Dane is one of seven defensemen on the Canucks’ active roster. Alex Biega was a healthy scratch last game to make room for Larsen’s return.

Until another defenseman returns from injury (more on that later), the lineup will stay the same. Larsen will play, while Biega will remain the extra defenseman on the roster.

Jannik Hansen

Speaking of Danes, their other player from Denmark has been out since Dec. 23 with a knee injury:

The doctors gave a four-to-six week timetable for his return, it appears he is right on schedule:

Once Hansen returns to the roster, there is some question where he will play. In his absence, Loui Eriksson is back on the top line with Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. Could he return with the twins? or take Megna’s place on the second line?

Or, as Jason Botchford suggested, should he skate beside Horvat?

Personally, I believe Willie D should shake things up slightly:

Daniel Sedin — Henrik Sedin — Jannik Hansen
Sven Baertschi — Bo Horvat — Loui Eriksson
Markus Granlund — Brandon Sutter — Alexandre Burrows
Michael Chaput — Brendan Gaunce — Jack Skille
Jayson Megna, Reid Boucher

Horvat is a bonafide NHL All-Star. It’s time for Vancouver to play him in a clear top-six role with top-six players. Apologies to Alexandre Burrows, but Eriksson could round out Horvat’s line and make them a bigger scoring threat.

Related Story: Horvat Impresses at All-Star Game

And if Eriksson doesn’t work out, Megna is always available to jump into the top six!

Ben Hutton

Finally, the coach addressed another fallen defenseman, Ben Hutton.

On Jan. 7, a shot from the Flames’ Alex Chiasson struck him in the hand, and has kept him out for almost four weeks. But Desjardins’ believes Hutton is close to returning:

The return of both Hutton and Hansen poses a problem. Once that happens the team will have 13 forwards and eight defensemen, so someone will have to go.

The Canucks were in a similar situation at the beginning of the year with the defense. Back then, they chose the safe option of sending down waiver-exempt Troy Stecher, rather than expose anyone else.

This time, they have several options. If they send down a forward, the likeliest player to go is rookie Brendan Gaunce — who is the only forward who does not require waivers.

Rather than expose Jayson Megna, Jack Skille, Michael Chaput or even Reid Boucher, they can take the easy road and send the 22-year-old to the AHL until they need him again.

On defense, Alexander Edler, Chris Tanev are obviously not going anywhere, and neither are Nikita Tryamkin, Philip Larsen or Luca Sbisa.

That leaves two options: Stecher or Biega. The first is clearly the better player, but the second requires waivers. While they could simply demote Stecher as they did earlier in the year, I don’t think they need to do the same this time around.

Avoiding losing Biega on waivers was especially important in the first half of the year, for one reason — the expansion draft. The team will have to expose at least one veteran defenseman who has played at least 70 games in the past two seasons and is under contract through 2018.

Vancouver kept Biega, who played 51 games last season, around as a Plan B. But now Sbisa, who is Plan A,  has played enough games to fulfill all the requirements.

Next: 4 Post All-Star Break Predictions

So, they can expose Biega to waivers without screwing themselves over for the expansion draft. While there is chance he is claimed, odds are he won’t be. Though a serviceable player, he is a 28-year-old AHL journeyman.

With the Canucks close to the playoffs, keeping Stecher with the big club is probably worth more than the small risk of losing Biega for nothing.