Filip Chytil lands on Canucks’ IR with shoulder injury

Filip Chytil will not be available when the Vancouver Canucks open their regular season. The club announced Friday that the forward has been placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, which will keep him out of the lineup to start the year.

Shoulder injury stems from pre-season collision vs. Oilers

The injury occurred during Thursday’s pre-season loss to the Edmonton Oilers. In the first period, Chytil became entangled with an on-ice official and went into the boards shoulder-first, immediately showing signs of pain.

He left for the dressing room and did not come back for the second period, with the team later ruling him out for the remainder of the game. Speaking to reporters, general manager Ryan Johnson described the damage as primarily muscular, saying it was more of a strain in the shoulder than anything more severe, and indicated Chytil will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.

Injuries continue to disrupt Chytil’s career

The setback adds to a difficult injury history for the 27-year-old. Over the past three seasons, Chytil has appeared in only 78 of a possible 246 regular-season games, with concussions and other upper-body issues limiting his availability.

His most sustained stretch of good health came in 2022-23 with the New York Rangers, when he recorded 22 goals and 23 assists for 45 points in 74 games. That performance underlined his upside as a productive offensive forward when he is able to stay on the ice.

For Vancouver, the move to injured reserve removes a potential contributor from their forward group just as final preparations for the regular season are underway. The Canucks will have to adjust their depth chart at centre and wing in the short term while monitoring how quickly Chytil’s shoulder responds to treatment.

The team has not provided a target date for his return beyond the week-to-week designation. How the injury progresses in the coming weeks will determine when Chytil can resume skating with the group and eventually rejoin the Canucks’ game-night roster.