Vancouver Canucks right-winger Jannik Hansen has been on the injury reserve but now has an expectation for when he will return. After suffering a fractured rib, Hansen is supposed to be out for 4-6 weeks.
The winger has split most of his time on the ice, playing with the Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin or Brandon Sutter and Markus Granlund. He’s averaged just over 16-and-a-half minutes on the ice in 12 games so far. In those games, he’s had six points, including two goals. He’s also taken 21 penalty minutes, 19 of those penalty minutes, however, came in the same game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Hansen has been able to put up around 35 points in his past two seasons with Vancouver, even though he only played 67 games last season. The 30-year-old forward has slowly made himself a key part of the club, by putting up a good amount of points and hustling on the ice. A month off could limit him and the club, but its not certain how much. He could have easily had over 30 points again this season, especially on the rate that he was on. Playing with the Sedins or Granlund has helped him out, because he’s playing with better players and against better players. He’s done a good job of moving the puck so far, and his age hasn’t slowed him down much.
Last season was an eventful one for Hansen. In only 67 games, he almost tied his career high of 39 points, but he fell one point short. Even more interesting is when he collapsed on the bench on December 21, during a game against the Calgary Flames. After taking a big hit from Calgary defenseman Dennis Wideman, Hansen appeared winded and skated off the ice. After a few seconds on the bench, he collapsed and was helped back up. Further evaluation at the hospital showed that he was “fine.” He didn’t miss any games due to the injury. However, he suffered a rib injury March 2, during practice. He missed almost three weeks, and its likely that the injury he’s facing now is related.
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