Canucks' Gaunce to undergo shoulder surgery on Thursday

Canucks GM Jim Benning has announced that forward Brendan Gaunce will undergo shoulder surgery on Thursday.

“Brendan sustained a shoulder injury in March and has been working closely with our medical team,” said Benning. “After a period of rehabilitation and observation, Brendan and our medical team have deemed, that based on his response to treatment, the best course of action is to undergo surgery for injury management and preparation for next season.”

Gaunce played his final game on March 9, missing the final 15 games of the regular season.

The 23-year-old appeared in 57 games in 2016-17, his first full season in the NHL. While he was reliable in a fourth-line role, he held the dubious distinction of playing the most games by any forward in the NHL in 2016-17 without scoring a goal.

If you look beyond traditional stats though, you’ll notice that Gaunce led all Canucks regulars in Corsi (51.3 CF%). That may entice the Vegas Golden Knights, who are expected to have the option of picking Gaunce at the expansion draft in June.

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