Höglander's injury revealed and it doesn't sound good for Vancouver Canucks
Nils Höglander was gunning for a bounce-back season after a difficult 2024-25 campaign.
Unfortunately, his 2025-26 season is not off to a good start.
Höglander scored a goal but later left the Canucks preseason game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday with what the team called a “lower-body injury.” The 24-year-old was later spotted at the arena postgame wearing a walking boot.
Nils Höglander has a sprained ankle, according to a report from CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal. The injury is “week-to-week,” Canucks assistant coach Brett McLean revealed to reporters at Rogers Arena this morning.
Sprained ankle for Nils Hoglander, week to week.#Canucks
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) September 26, 2025
That’s a serious blow to the Canucks, who were already a below-average offensive team last year, ranking 23rd overall in goals scored and 31st in shots on net.
While Höglander was part of the issue last year, scoring only eight goals, he did finish strong. The Swedish winger was third on the team in even-strength following the 4 Nations break, trailing only Kiefer Sherwood and Pius Suter among Canucks skaters.
Höglander primarily skated on a line with Teddy Blueger and Conor Garland at training camp in Penticton last week. During the Canucks first two preseason games, the 5-foot-9 winger played alongside Filip Chytil, and the two flashed some chemistry early on during the Canucks preseason win over the Flames.
This could be an opportunity for Drew O’Connor or Arshdeep Bains, the next left-wingers on the Canucks’ depth chart.