Baertschi leaves Canucks road trip with mysterious ailment
Following a big 5-1 win in Colorado, the Vancouver Canucks flew to Philadelphia for the second of four games on their road trip on Sunday.
One player, Sven Baertschi, was left behind, and the Canucks are tightlipped as to the reason why.
“He didn’t feel good when he woke up yesterday in Colorado,” Travis Green told reporters, after Monday’s morning skate in Philadelphia. “He was in Colorado all day. Woke up today, still not feeling well, and probably going to fly home.”
When asked to elaborate, Green said Baertschi’s “just not feeling right” and wouldn’t even commit to classifying it as an injury.
Well, then.
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Baertschi remained in the Canucks’ lineup for the entirety of Saturday’s game. That will lead many people to believe that concussion symptoms have returned, given he missed two months with a head injury earlier this season.
“It’s not a concussion,” Green said, quashing that theory.
With three games yet to play on the road trip, leaving the team entirely is an indication that whatever is bothering Baertschi could be serious.
Lines at morning skate for the #Canucks in Philly:
Schaller-Horvat-Leivo
Goldobin-Pettersson-Boeser
Roussel-Sutter-Virtanen
Eriksson-Beagle-Motte
(Extra: Granlund)Edler-Tanev
Hutton-Stecher
Pouliot-Gudbranson
(Extra: Biega)Sven Baertschi is not on the ice for line rushes. pic.twitter.com/4pUUit6ChD
— Brendan Batchelor (@BatchHockey) February 4, 2019
Tim Schaller took Baertschi’s spot in the lineup at practice, skating on a line with Bo Horvat and Josh Leivo, meaning Markus Granlund will be a healthy scratch for a second straight game.
A player from Utica could be called up, with Adam Gaudette and Zack MacEwen the most obvious candidates.
The Canucks are currently holding down the last playoff spot in the Western Conference, two points up on Colorado and three points ahead of St Louis, Arizona, Edmonton, and Anaheim.