'It’s all up to me': Canucks centreman Filip Chytil on his outlook for next season, offseason training, and more

On August 20th, Vancouver Canuck centreman Filip Chytil sat down with Landon Ferraro and John Shannon of the 100% Canucks Podcast to discuss numerous topics regarding his offseason.

Chytil had another challenging season on the injury front. He had only played 10 regular season games the previous season and was forced to sit out the rest of the 2024-25 season after only 15 games in a Canucks’ uniform. Thankfully, he was healthy enough to return to practice before the season ended and has enjoyed an offseason where he’s been able to train regularly.

Getting married isn’t the only time he’s spent with his family this summer; Chytil’s brother is a strength coach and is an active participant in his offseason. The brothers are putting an emphasis on injury prevention.

“We are focusing a lot on my eyes. On my head as well. On my neck because the last couple of years were not easy for myself. So we try to focus on these things a lot. There’s always things what I have to work on. I cannot do the same workout that I did three years ago. We are always trying to find at the beginning of the offseason what is going to be the best for me, and we do some testing, and based on that we start create the program for whole summer.”

As previously ment ioned, he went into the offseason with a clean bill of health.

“Great. I feel great. I said it at the end of the season that I feel I was ready to go offseason. I was very happy that I finished the season with the guys on the ice for a couple of practices.

“Two weeks after I came [back to the Czech Republic] I started to work out and skate. Now it’s almost four months already where I’m working out and skating. Knock on wood, I feel very good and feel very positive.”

Being able to end the season on a healthy note was huge for Chytil’s mental state.

“It was big for me because I was communicating a lot with the trainers. Some days were worse, some days were getting better. But there was some point where it changed, and I sta rted to feel much better every day. I was so happy about that.

“When you start skating with the team, your head starts to react different. You see all the guys around and you’re in your natural environment. That’s where you want to be. So, it started to click everything in my head and I was so happy and my body started to work. Of course I was tired and I was not in a shape how I should be but at least the thing in my head, where I was able to be on the ice with them was amazing. I knew right away that I would be ready to go home and skate right away.”

A funny evolution of his summers is that he’s gone from a youngster to a veteran that young NHL hopefuls look up to. He skates with Jiri Kulich (Buffalo Sabres), Matej Blumel (Boston Bruins), and Gabriel Szturc (Tampa Bay Lightning), who have played a combined 76 NHL games.

“Most of the young guys who are playing in the AHL and are trying to make it in the NHL. I’m just realizing how I’m getting older because I was always skating with the older guys and these guys are three, four years younger than me and they are asking me f or some help or advice. It’s weird but I’m very happy for them because they have so much energy and that’s what I need as well.”

Prior to the trade to Vancouver, Chytil had spent his entire professional career on the East Coast. While he hasn’t noticed a stark contrast between the Easter and Western teams, there is a difference between them.

“From the first couple of games it was a little different. Maybe it was because of the system was different from the Rangers.

“I was speaking about [the differences] with my teammates in Vancouver now…and they said it feels like the Western Conference is more heavier; more battles. In the Eastern Conference it was more like…different. It was like more the teams playing fast but more skill. There’s not too many teams, like when you say Buffalo or Ottawa or even in Rangers how we played it was fast but skill. That was not heavy. I think this is why Florida is domin ating that conference now because they play very heavy game. Not that many teams, I think, in the Eastern Conference like that.”

Of course, the biggest issue for Western teams is the lengthy travel.

“I didn’t travel [with the Canucks] to East coast yet because I was injured. Even when we went to Vegas and then Califorina, I thought it was close. When you look at the map, I thought it was like maybe one hour or hour thirty and we were flying to Vegas almost three hours, maybe more. I was like ‘What’s going on?’ Because on the map it looks like a short distance. The closest city is Seattle which is also 45 minutes or whatever. So that’s crazy. I have to find my routine…for these road trips.”

Dealing with injuries is somethin g that Chytil has had to deal with for a while now. It’s certainly affected his career and has continuously halted his progress.

“It’s starting with the beginning of the offseason. I had my head turned for the new season and I just focused these four months be ready for that and grab it and be healthy. In New York, we always had great centremen ahead of me, and even when I finally jumped ahead of one of them, or even when I became the first centre because I was playing on top of my game at the beginning of the year, the injury came again and I always fell back to the third centre position.

“When I came back, it’s always hard to get to the rhythm again. Even last season, when I missed the whole year, I started as a second center. I played a lot. I didn’t play power play that much but five on five I was there a lot and then the biggest injury of my career just came and I had a whole year off.

“Everything depends on my health right now…I know I what I can do and I will do every thing to help our team to make the playoffs again. To make it a successful season for us. I need to focus on my health as well.”

In order to advance in the Canucks’ organization, he must be physically in Vancouver.

“I’m coming at the beginning of September. Probably the second week of September.”

The Czech forward will be 26 years old before training camp starts. With all the time lost to injury, he’s never completed a full NHL season; a significant amount of development time has been lost. This offseason, though, he’s been completely healthy and able to focus on what he wants to be in the NHL.

“I love to score goals and I know I can score a lot more than I’m scoring now, or even what my best season was. So we’re working with my skill coach around the net a lot. Working on my shot. Working on one-timers. This is the thing that I’m working on the most. Of course we’re working on my edges – doing puck-handling. The thing I love the most is just shooting. I know there is so much room what to work on and so much room how to get better. Even the top players work on their shot all the time.”

“I love to score goals and I need to score more.”

With all the roster and coaching turnover, there are opportunities for players like Chytil to carve out a bigger piece of the pie. He knows that, but is also aware that it all comes down to what he does on the ice.

“If the coach puts me on a second centre or third centre or first centre or whatever position, I will do my best. I have to earn that ice time and I want to show [Adam Foote] that when I’m healthy, I can help the team a lot. It’s all up to me, how I’m going to play. I need to show the coaches and everybody that I can be the guy who can help the team a lot.”

The Canucks are still lacking a true second-line centre, and Chytil, more than anyone else in the organization, is the most obvious internal candidate for the job. Everyone hopes he can stay healthy and reach his full potential. As of now, this is the biggest opportunity of his career, and maybe a full offseason of training will allow him to reach it.