As the team announced at the pre-season press conference, Blüger has undergone minor surgical manipulation in the lower part of the body and the striker could return to the field in about a week.
Defenseman Cole McWord also underwent similar surgery and could miss more than a week or two.
Forward Dakota Joshua and goalkeeper Thatcher Demko, who will miss at least ten days, will not be in the first training sessions either.
In the past season, the 29-year-old Blügers participated in 68 games of the regular championship and repeated his performance record, reaching 28 (6+22) points.
Blüger would become a free agent in July, but in June he agreed to a two-year contract extension for a total of $3.6 million (€3.37 million).
Blüger joined the Vancouver team before last season, coming from the Vegas “Golden Knights”, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in the 2022/2023 season.
In total, the Latvian striker has played 336 games in the regular NHL championship for the Pittsburgh “Penguins”, “Golden Knights” and “Canucks”, where he has collected 126 (41+85) points, while in the Stanley Cup he has six (2+4) points in 37 matches.
“Canucks” is also represented by Latvian goalkeeper Artūrs Šilovs. The team made it to the Stanley Cup last season after a three-year hiatus, where they lost in the second round.
2024-09-20 16:29:29