The Vancouver Canucks bench is riddled with holes as they face off against the Washington Capitals Tuesday night. The team will be without Alexander Edler, Sven Baertschi, and Thatcher Demko.
Alexander Edler Among Three Missing Canucks
Edler has a concussion. No fractures. Lots of stitches. Out a week minimum. Baertschi seeing doctor today. Demko back to Vancouver for MRI. #canucks
— Dan Murphy (@sportsnetmurph) February 5, 2019
Alexander Edler was wheeled off the ice Monday night when the Canucks met the Philadelphia Flyers. His face violently smashed against the ice after his stick was apparently tangled in Flyers Jakub Voracek‘s skate. The defenseman remained on the ice holding his bloodied face for several minutes before he was carted off by medical personnel. The team announced Tuesday that Edler sustained a concussion from the fall and X-Rays showed no broken bones. He received stitches and will miss at least a week.
The Canucks also announced that Demko has returned to Vancouver to undergo an MRI. The netminder was reportedly injured during warmups prior to Monday’s game. He will not be available for the team’s contest against the Capitals on Tuesday. Jacob Markstrom will take his place between the pipes.
The third blow was dealt to the Canucks roster when Baertschi was placed on injured reserve. Baertschi returned to Vancouver to receive treatment for an unknown illness. Whatever is plaguing him has already caused him to miss one game. The move to IR is retroactive to February 4th, which means the winger will not dress for the next four games. He will be eligible to return to the lineup next Wednesday when the Canucks take on the Anaheim Ducks.
What This Means For The Future
In order to fill the empty slots in their lineup, the Canucks have recalled defenseman Guillaume Brisebois and netminder Michael DiPietro. Brisebois will fill the void left by Edler. In 45 games with the Utica Comets, he owns two goals and seven assists for nine points. DiPietro is a junior hockey prospect of the Ottawa 76s. He currently has a .908 save percentage and 2.37 goals against average. DiPietro will serve as Markstrom’s back-up during Demko’s absence.
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