Vancouver Canucks provide injury update on Höglander and three other players
Amidst the barrage of injuries for the Vancouver Canucks, it’s been easy to forget about Nils Höglander.
The 24-year-old winger entered training camp with high hopes of having a bounce-back season. That was derailed midway through the Canucks’ second preseason game, when Höglander suffered a high-ankle sprain.
It’s been over seven weeks since the Canucks originally announced that the Swedish winger had surgery and would be out for eight to 10 weeks.
After practice on Tuesday, head coach Adam Foote provided an update on Höglander, who was seen at the rink walking around without issue.
“He’s doing great,” Foote said. “It’s looking like it’ll be closer to 10 [weeks]. I think it could be off by a couple of days there, but that’s what I’ve been told.”
A Canucks spokesperson confirmed that Höglander has skated on his own without the team.
The 10-week mark for Höglander would be on Monday, Dec. 8, when the Canucks host the Detroit Red Wings at Rogers Arena. They have one other game on that homestand on Dec. 11 versus the Buffalo Sabres, before they travel east for a five-game road trip.
Foote also mentioned that Conor Garland, who missed Monday’s game after getting injured in a fight against Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Darren Raddysh, is healthy and will be back in the lineup on Thursday against the Dallas Stars.
Garland skated on a line at practice with Brock Boeser and newcomer David Kämpf.
Wednesday #Canucks practice lines
Kane. EP40. Sherwood.
Garland. Kämpf. Boeser.
O’Connor. Räty. DeBrusk.
Reichel/MacEachern. Sasson. Karlsson.
Bains.Hughes. Hronek.
MP29. Myers.
EP25. Willander.
Joseph.@Sportsnet650 pic.twitter.com/e5qKUnOrDk— Brendan Batchelor (@BatchHockey) November 19, 2025
Two Canucks suffer injury setbacks
While Höglander is trending in the right direction, the same can’t be said for injured Canucks Derek Forbort and Teddy Blueger.
Forbort hasn’t played since the Canucks second game of the season on Oct. 11 against the Edmonton Oilers. On Oct. 13, Foote initially said that Forbort was out of the lineup due to maintenance, but he hasn’t been seen since.
“The last couple years… just when you get into that midsection stuff, I think they want to, whatever it is, just start from scratch and fix it so it goes away,” Foote said.
“We don’t want to play him five [games] and then lose five [games]. That’s the mindset there. You know, obviously, we miss a guy like that, and we just want to do it right.”
Forbort isn’t the only Canucks player who’s been out longer than expected.
Teddy Blueger was seen skating in a non-contact jersey after Canucks practice last week. He was asked about why he hadn’t been seen since.
“I mean, obviously, he had set back,” Foote said. “But, I think he’s skating in a few days.”
Blueger has missed the last 15 Canucks games after being injured on Oct. 19 against the Washington Capitals.
“With Teddy, it’s just a situation where I think he had one thing go on and then the other thing compensated. And those types of injuries, you just want to close the door on it, because you don’t want it going to another spot.”
Aside from Garland, Jonathan Lekkerimäki could be next to return. He has a goal and an assist in two games since being sent down to the Abbotsford Canucks for a conditioning stint.