The Vancouver Canucks have placed defenceman Carson Soucy on injured reserve. In a corresponding move, the club has recalled right-shot defenceman Jett Woo from the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks.
Soucy hasn’t played since the Canucks’ January 20th matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs, in which Soucy exited with what’s believed to be a broken knuckle. Soucy’s original timeline was 5-6 weeks, meaning he’s still likely at least a couple of weeks away from returning.
The Canucks have one game left on their post All-Star break eastern road trip, a matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday evening. Through the Canucks’ first four games of the five-game road trip, the club has amassed a record of 2-1-1, with the losses coming in Detroit and Boston on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.
Following Vancouver’s tilt with the Red Wings on Saturday, the NHL suspended Canucks defenceman Nikita Zadorov for two games following his hit to the head of Lucas Raymond, leaving the Canucks shorthanded for their game on Sunday against the Washington Capitals. Mark Friedman drew into that game, but that left the Canucks with no extra defencemen.
Woo’s call-up could be a chance to get a look at him against one of the worst teams in the NHL against Chicago on Tuesday, or it could just be a chance to pick up an NHL salary and sit in the press box while doing so. Either way, it’s a nice reward for a player who has already been through a number of ups and downs since joining the Canucks organization.
If Woo does play tomorrow, it will mark his NHL debut. Woo, 23, was drafted in the second round at 37th overall of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Through 42 games with Abbotsford this season, Woo has tallied five goals and 11 assists and has a -2 plus-minus rating.
The Canucks return home on Thursday for a rematch against the Red Wings, who beat them in overtime by a final score of 4-3 on Saturday.
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