Canucks captain Bo Horvat hopes to take a break with injury assessment

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Time is supposed to heal all wounds – sooner or later – and the sooner the better for Bo Horvat.

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For the Vancouver Canucks captain, the current two-week period before further evaluation of a suspected fracture to the hairline of his right leg suffered Thursday when he was hit by a shot from Anton Stralman, is critical for significant improvement and some hope.

At best, the reduction in swelling and pain would indicate the center, who has 12 points (9-3) in his last twelve games and 26 points (17-9) in the previous 24, plus a leader of team and a career-high 31 goals, could possibly return for the National Hockey League playoffs.

However, the Canucks are expected to beat odds that increase with every win over Dallas, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. With seven games remaining, the Canucks are seven points behind the Stars, who hold the last wildcard spot in the Western Conference. The clubs face off at Rogers Arena on Monday.

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At worst, the second injury assessment will conclude that the swelling and soreness remain and Horvat is facing the usual four to six weeks of off-season recovery.

Dr. Harjas Grewal is a British Columbia physician and avid hockey analyst. He studied physical medicine, completed a rehabilitation residency and was a medical assistant at the 2019 World Junior Hockey Championships in Vancouver and Victoria. He is also a former varsity soccer player at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George.

Dr. Grewal adds medical clarity to injuries, as the NHL does not disclose details and limits them to upper and lower body conditions. As for Horvat, he sees hope.

“Stay in the walking boot to reduce swelling and until he can walk without pain,” Dr. Grewal told Postmedia. “In repeated imaging, if there are signs of healing, he can remove the boot. And if he walks without pain and there is no swelling, that’s good news.

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“In reality, you would wait for the fracture to heal completely before skating, but Horvat is a pro. And if the Canucks sneak into the playoffs, then he could theoretically skate and play with a partial recovery.

“Overall, there are nuances (of injuries) that we’re not aware of. But as long as there is no further damage, he can progress to play in two weeks if he wishes.

“The beauty of hockey is that your foot is in a boot and you can skate without full recovery, whereas an NBA player or an NFL catcher wouldn’t be able to do all of their sport-specific moves. “

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Regardless of Horvat’s next injury assessment, he silenced the critics in a season that included a slow comeback from a COVID-19 diagnosis, speculation about his impact as a leader and, ultimately, his ability to run the race. At 27, he is entering his prime with a club leading 13 power-play goals, a shorthanded presence and a team-leading 57% faceoff efficiency.

With another year remaining on his contract extension at a salary cap of US$5.5 million and a total salary of $4.45 million on an initial load contract, the new hockey operations department will have assessed his long-term value.

It’s the same for JT Miller. He’s 29 and had huge career highs in goals (29) and assists (62) in Monday’s meeting with the Stars. He has another year left with a cap of $5.25 million and a total salary of $4.5 million. And then there’s Boeser, 25, a restricted free agent with a $7.5 million qualifying offer.

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As for Horvat, he was asked before his injury if we had seen the center’s peak version.

“You’d like to think not,” he said. “You like to think you can improve all the time, and if you’re satisfied there is something wrong. I play very good hockey and at this time of year you have to do it. I feel confident with the puck and it helps when you win and I try as hard as I can to push for a playoff spot.

It’s understandable because Horvat is built for the post-season.

His stunning end-to-end runs and 10 goals in 17 games in the Edmonton bubble in 2020 proved he could lead when it mattered most. Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point led the playoffs with 14 goals and the Lightning winger played in six more games. Horvat finished fourth overall.

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He also led the faceoffs in taking the most, winning the most and his 59% efficiency and finished sixth in this playoff series. Fast forward and the consistency that Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau demanded of Horvat was more than delivered.

“He’s a player when he looks good, he looks good and people want that all the time,” Boudreau said. “And it’s hard to give all the time.”

Meanwhile, the Canucks will deal with Horvat’s absence by moving Elias Pettersson from right wing to middle. He practiced Saturday between Conor Garland and Boeser, who is back after missing five games with a suspected hyperextension of his right elbow suffered in a collision against the Golden Knights on April 3 at Rogers Arena.

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Rookie Vasily Podkolzin took Horvat’s place in the first unit on the power play, while winger Matthew Highmore, who has missed the last nine games with an upper-body injury, was on a line. training with Juho Lammikko and Will Lockwood on Saturday.

bkuzma@postmedia.com
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