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Filip Chytil, Vancouver Canucks (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)

Canucks News & Rumours: Chytil, Dervin, Bains & What’s Next?

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By The Old Prof | Last updated Feb 21, 2026 2:55 PM ET

Some weeks around the Vancouver Canucks feel like a snapshot of the entire organization in miniature — a little bit of bad luck, a little bit of promise, and a reminder that their depth chart is always a living, moving thing. This stretch has been no different. While the big club keeps grinding through the schedule, news from the NHL roster, junior ranks, and farm system paints a complex picture. The Canucks are juggling setbacks and opportunities at the same time.

Injuries are part of the sport, but the timing of this one feels particularly cruel. Just as the coaching staff hoped their forward group would settle into a stable unit, another hole has opened. On the flip side, the Canucks’ young players — in Kingston, in Abbotsford, and everywhere in between — keep nudging the organization, reminding everyone that help is on the way, whether immediately or a year or two down the line.

All together, these stories tell you something about where the Canucks are right now. The team is having a poor season, but hopes to build a competitive, hopeful team. That process is still building and still trying to figure out what the next version of this team looks like.

Item One: Filip Chytil Out Indefinitely with Facial Fracture

Filip Chytil’s season has taken another tough turn. After missing time with migraines, he suffered a facial fracture when hit by a puck in practice, an unfortunate accident on top of an already difficult season. The report from Jeff Paterson of Canucks Army makes clear that Chytil is out indefinitely, which is never something you want to hear about a player already trying to find a rhythm in a new environment.

He didn’t suit up for the Canucks’ loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, and at this point, nobody can say whether the migraine issues are behind him. What we do know is that this new injury alone guarantees he’ll be sidelined for a significant stretch. With only 12 appearances this season (he’s scored three goals and put up 24 shots), Chytil was still searching for his place within the lineup structure.

From Vancouver’s perspective, this creates an immediate depth challenge. Management believed Chytil could eventually secure a middle-six job and bring some secondary scoring punch. When healthy, Chytil has shown the kind of scoring touch the Canucks hoped for. Instead, the focus shifts back to recovery and reinforcements.

Internal options will get a closer look, and the front office may have to survey the market if this injury lingers longer than expected. It’s another reminder that roster plans rarely survive contact with a long season.

Item Two: Kieren Dervin Delivers Another Multi-Point Night

It’s been a good stretch of hockey for Kieren Dervin, who continues to put together the kind of consistent production junior coaches love to see. He added a goal and an assist in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Kingston Frontenacs’ 5–1 win over the North Bay Battalion, marking his fourth multi-point game in his last 11 outings. These aren’t empty-calorie points either — Dervin has been driving play, creating off the rush, and showing the kind of confidence you want to see late in a developmental season.

Kieren Dervin, Kingston Frontenacs (Robert John Boucher/Kingston Frontenacs)

His overall numbers now sit at 13 goals and 21 assists through 43 games. His scoring cooled after a hot start, but that’s normal for young players adjusting to bigger minutes and tougher matchups. What matters is that he’s found his stride again. His recent run of four goals and six assists suggests he’s stabilizing and showing signs of the player the Canucks hoped they were getting when they brought him into the system.

For Vancouver, this is the type of upward trend that builds out a pipeline. No one is in a rush to push Dervin ahead of schedule, but his instincts and energy give him long-term potential. If he keeps closing the season with this kind of consistency, he’ll come into next year’s training camp with a little more buzz — and a lot more expectation.

Item Three: Arshdeep Bains Making His Case with Two-Goal Night

Arshdeep Bains continues to knock on the NHL door, and his latest effort for the American Hockey League (AHL) Abbotsford Canucks only strengthens his case. Even though the team fell 6–3 to the Henderson Silver Knights, Bains scored twice and was the most noticeable forward wearing blue. It’s the kind of outing that reminds coaches and management that he’s too good to ignore.

Arshdeep Bains, Vancouver Canucks (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)

Despite bouncing between leagues, his AHL numbers remain impressive: eight goals and six assists in his last 12. He plays a solid game, doesn’t float, and doesn’t need sheltered minutes to generate offence. That reliability is exactly what coaches appreciate, especially as the NHL roster faces possible changes.

With the trade deadline approaching, the Canucks could end up moving one or two forwards. If that happens, Bains is almost certainly at the top of the call-up list. He’s earned it — not because of hype, but because his play forces the conversation. A little space on the NHL roster might be all he needs to take the next step.

What’s Next for the Canucks?

The Canucks are at a crossroads where injury trouble, prospect momentum, and trade-deadline reality meet. Chytil’s absence leaves a gap at a position where the team wanted more stability, and that alone might accelerate management’s search for help. Meanwhile, players like Dervin and Bains aren’t just background noise — they’re shaping the conversation about what the next wave of talent could look like.

As this stretch continues, Vancouver will have to balance the immediate needs of a team trying to stay competitive with the longer view of development. Injuries may test their depth, but the bumps also create opportunity. If the Canucks can thread that needle — leaning on young players while staying afloat in the standings — they could emerge from this period stronger than they entered it.