Canucks News & Rumours: Chytil, Hughes, Boeser & More

Chytil has a history of concussions, as he played in only 10 games last season due to a concussion and had symptoms earlier this season with the New York Rangers. The Czech forward missed the club’s matchup against the Utah Hockey Club on March 16 and will need to be symptom-free for five days before he can return to the ice. The Canucks take on the Winnipeg Jets on March 18 before heading off on a six-game road trip.

Dickinson did not receive any discipline from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety (DOPS). Kiefer Sherwood said he’s confused with how the DOPS handled the situation (from ‘Canucks Coffee: Brutal, unpenalized hit on Filip Chytil is bad look for NHL,’ The Province, March 17, 2025).

“I don’t know what they) are seeing. We’re just going to control what we can and we’ve got to move forward here. We need him. We hope he recovers quickly.”

Sherwood added Dickinson will have to answer the bell next season since the two sides aren’t playing each other again this season.

“It’s back-to-back games for us and guys were taking liberties on our guys.

“Unnecessary. He’s 6-foot-2 and he doesn’t have the, whatever, to step on the ice afterwards. It is what it is. We’ll get him next year.”

Hughes Backs Pettersson

Pettersson is starting to show life with his recent performance. The forward has four goals and seven points in his last six games. After signing an eight-year deal with an annual average value of $11.6 million, the forward struggled for a year. He had 11 goals and 54 points this season before his recent hot streak.

The Swedish forward dealt with a few injuries which hurt his offseason training. This led to a slow start and caused a rift with J.T. Miller. As a result, the organization decided to trade the 32-year-old veteran to the New York Rangers.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Hughes backed the team’s decision to make the trade and he was determined to help Pettersson get back on track. After the club’s win over the Flames, which included a game-tying goal and a successful shootout attempt from Pettersson, Hughes said he was happy for his teammate (from ‘Canucks 4, Flames 3 (SO): Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson lead the way in key win,’ The Province, March 12, 2025).

“He took a lot of crap this year and we obviously need him. He showed up today and brought his ‘A’ game and we’re going to need him to continue to do it. I’m obviously proud of him.

“He’s a competitive guy, too, and you don’t get to the level that he has got to without having that inner jam and desire. It’s been a hard little run for him but he’s a great player and he’s going to be just fine. You saw it out there.”

Boeser Contract Negotiations Continue

The Canucks’ main unrestricted free agent is Boeser, and he is still without a deal. According to Rick Dhaliwal, the organization made two offers to the forward before the trade deadline, but the offer wasn’t what the forward was looking for. The Canucks tried to trade him in the final 30 minutes of the deadline, with some saying the club was offered a first-round pick from the Carolina Hurricanes. However, the Canucks decided against trading him as they didn’t want to weaken their team.

The club’s decision to not trade Boeser could hurt them, especially if they fail to make the playoffs. There isn’t a guarantee that the UFA will re-sign with the organization this offseason and could join a new club. However, if he is asking for too much, it isn’t worth it for the Canucks. Boeser has reached the 30-goal mark once in his career and has lost a step over the years due to injuries. Overpaying him doesn’t make much sense.