The Vancouver Canucks are getting a key player back to their blue line after missing him for nearly two months.
Defenseman Filip Hronek is set to return to the lineup following a lengthy recovery from lower-body surgery and could reappear early this week.
General manager Patrik Allvin announced Monday that Hronek has rejoined the NHL roster and could play as early as Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets.
Hronek, who has been out since Nov. 27, underwent surgery in early December. After a brief conditioning stint with the Abbotsford Canucks, where he did not appear in any games, the 27-year-old is now ready to rejoin the NHL squad on the ice.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman first reported the comeback ahead of Allvin's announcement on Monday.
“Filip Hronek—out with injury since Nov. 27—skating with the Canucks today in Winnipeg,” Friedman wrote on X.
Filip Hronek — out with injury since Nov 27 — skating with the Canucks today in Winnipeg
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 13, 2025
Hronek went down injured while averaging 23:36 of ice time per game, second only to captain Quinn Hughes, and was never going to be replaced easily.
His absence is part of the reason Vancouver has gone from a positive 11-7-3 through the day he suffered his injury to its current 19-13-10 record, only able to put up a negative 8-6-7 balance since Hronek left the team.
Despite being limited to 21 games this season, Hronek has contributed one goal, eight assists, and a plus-14 rating. Those figures are good for the 10th-most assists and 12th-most total points among his teammates, all above him in those statistical categories having appeared in at least 32 games.
As Hronek gears up to make his debut in the 2025 calendar year, the Canucks have fallen out of the playoffs entirely as they were displaced from the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference by the 21-14-7 Calgary Flames on Monday.
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