All things appear to be good on the Filip Hronek front for the Vancouver Canucks at the moment. In fact, based on a recent update provided by head coach Rick Tocchet, it appears the Czech rearguard may even be ahead of schedule.
Recall that Hronek, 27, underwent an operation on a lower-body injury shortly after suffering an injury against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 27; the latter appeared to be to the upper-body, though the Canucks revealed in the same statement that it would not require surgery.
Hronek was subsequently ruled out for approximately eight weeks, and by the skin of their teeth, the Canucks have made it through the first four weeks unscathed. Ultimately, this may not hold completely true, as captain Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson were both deemed "doubtful" for Saturday's Canucks game against the Seattle Kraken. Suffice to say, Tocchet was busy with the injury updates.
"He’s been skating. Actually, I talked to Alex Trinca, he’s really pleased with his progress," Tocchet said of Hronek on Friday. "We're not going to rush him; I think it’s on course. So, that’s a positive for us.”
“Next man mentality. That’s the way we have to think. Right now more than ever, our staples, we have to play as a team.”
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 27, 2024
🗣 Hear from Head Coach Rick Tocchet after the #Canucks return to practice following the break. pic.twitter.com/xJgiwGNiot
Hronek was coming off a 2023-24 season - his first in Vancouver - that was the most productive of his career. The former Detroit Red Wings defenseman scored five goals in 81 games and added a personal-best 43 assists, allowing him to reach a career-high 48 points in his debut season with the Canucks.
Before bowing out to his various injuries, Hronek had recorded one goal, eight assists, and nine points in 21 games. The 27-year-old has missed 13 games and counting and is not exceedingly likely to hit the 20-point threshold this season, though anything is possible this early in the season.
In Hronek's absence, the Canucks have platooned Noah Juulsen and Tyler Myers with Hughes to varying degrees of success.