The Vancouver Canucks appear to have avoided a serious early-season injury to one of their top defenceman.
While speaking to reporters on Saturday, Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet provided an update on Tyler Myers, who left Friday’s game after delivering a hit on Philadelphia Flyers forward Joel Farabee, resulting in an awkward collision along the boards.
“Day-to-day. I think we might have dodged a bullet,” Tocchet said. “It looked worse. He was hurt, but talking to him today and after the game, (we) might have dodged a bullet. We’ll see.”
Tocchet confirmed that Myers underwent imaging after Vancouver’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Flyers and that the 34-year-old will join the Canucks on their upcoming three-game road trip.
During Hockey Night in Canada’s Saturday Night Headlines segment, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirmed that Myers suffered a lower-body injury.
On the play that caused the injury, Myers stayed down on the ice, was attended to by team trainers, and had to be helped off by his teammates. As he skated to the locker room, Myers appeared to keep weight off his right leg.
The now 16-year NHL veteran played 77 games for the Canucks last season, recording five goals and 24 assists for a total of 29 points.