Foote gives cryptic update on latest injury to Vancouver Canucks' Filip Chytil
The Vancouver Canucks have now played 88 games since the infamous J.T. Miller trade.
Filip Chytil, the lone centre they received in return for Miller, has participated in just 27 of those games.
And, after an early absence from the game on Monday night against the Utah Mammoth, there’s fear that he could miss more.
The 26-year-old Czech centre didn’t return for the third period of the Canucks’ 6-2 loss to the Mammoth. His last shift of the game was with four minutes remaining in the second period. During that shift, there wasn’t anything obvious as to what he injured or why he exited the game.
Head coach Adam Foote gave an ominous update on Chytil’s status after the game.
“They just told me he tweaked something,” Foote said. “We’re going to evaluate it.”
Foote was then asked if the injury was related to Chytil’s head.
“I hope not.”
Chytil has already suffered two apparent head injuries during his short time with the Canucks.
While there was nothing to suggest that he did suffer another head injury, the cryptic update from Foote appeared to leave that door open.
When Nikita Tolopio exited the Canucks game last Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks, the team knew immediately that he was being evaluated for a concussion before he returned to the game. Of course, head injuries are notoriously complex.
Chytil was in his sixth game since returning to the Canucks. He came back into the lineup by leading all Canucks forwards in ice time, skating 18:29 in a 5-4 loss against the New Jersey Devils.
Since then, his ice time has steadily decreased.
The Czech centre played 16:59 during another home ice loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Following that contest, Foote put Chytil at left wing instead of centre.
He played between 14 and 15 minutes in three consecutive games before skating just 7:26 versus Utah on Monday. Chytil was on the ice for three goals against in his limited minutes.
The 6-foot-2 centre hasn’t registered a point since returning to the lineup. He has three goals and no assists in 12 games this season.