Vancouver Canucks winger Markus Granlund is getting season ending wrist surgery on Friday. There are some reports that Granlund has been playing through the injury all season, only worsening it.
Markus Granlund to get Season-Ending Surgery
Granlund’s had an amazing season so far, the best of his young career. He has scored 19 goals, beating out his previous career high of just eight goals. He’s also had 13 assists, giving him a total of 32 points on the season. His season has been spent playing mainly alongside Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi, and it’s worked wonders. The three have a combined 111 points so far this season, and all three have set career highs in point. The second line for the Canucks has been one of the team’s biggest positives in a season where the team has struggled. The Canucks are currently well out of a playoff spot, 13 points behind the second Wild Card spot.
Granlund has been very productive for the Canucks this year. He’s tied for fourth on the team in points, with his linemate Baertschi. It’s easy to see that the team is going to miss Granlund too. When asked about it, Horvat said, “Losing a guy like him is going to be tough for us. He was a huge part of our team and had a pretty impressive year. (His wrist) has pretty much been bugging him all year — and even for the last couple of years — and for him to play through that is impressive.”
In his place will be newly acquired Reid Boucher. Boucher has three points in 16 games with the Canucks, and six in 28 total games this season. Michael Chaput will also get to play due to the injury. Chaput has had seven points this season, in 57 games, and only 15 points in 115 career games.
It’s clear that the Canucks won’t be able to fill the hole that is left by Granlund. He was arguably one of the team’s best players this season. Knowing that he would be out for the season, he had ten shots in his last game against the Edmonton Oilers. He didn’t get his 20th goal of the season, but like Horvat said; he went down swinging.
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