Another day, yet another injury for the Vancouver Canucks. Kiefer Sherwood, the Canucks top goal scorer, will miss time due to an injury. He leads the team with 17 goals in 44 games, and his heart and hard-working nature will be sorely missed. With the Canucks already missing another player known for his hard work, in Conor Garland, this will undoubtedly hurt their on-ice performance significantly.
A Critical Loss in the Midst of Trade Talks
Kiefer Sherwood has been in trade talks and rumours for quite some time now. His $1.5 million salary cap hit for the remainder of this season is very attractive to teams. Every team would likely benefit from a hard-nosed player such as Sherwood. As his offence has dried up recently, with only one goal in his last nine games, an injury does not help his trade value. Management has to ponder if they have missed an opportunity to get maximum value for him in a trade. The Canucks are reportedly seeking a first-round pick, but perhaps the time for the Canucks to get that type of return has passed.
Injury Updates
As of January 12, 2026, the Canucks have injuries to the following players:
- Kiefer Sherwood (out on January 12th)
- Thatcher Demko (out on January 10th – on Injured Reserve)
- Conor Garland (out on January 1st)
- Marco Rossi (out on January 1st – on Injured Reserve)
- Filip Chytil (out on October 19th, 2025 – on Injured Reserve)
- Teddy Blueger (out on October 19th, 2025 – on Injured Reserve)
- Derek Forbort (out on October 11th, 2025 – on Long-Term Injured Reserve)
While the Canucks are likely to get Blueger and Garland back into the lineup soon, Rossi’s injury seems to be more serious than originally expected, with an extended period of injury than the one week indicated previously. Demko’s injury could also sideline him for an extended period of time.
Sounds like Marco Rossi is still 2-3 weeks away from returning to the lineup, according to Adam Foote. #Canucks
— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) January 12, 2026
Adam Foote also noted that while #Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko is still being evaluated and the team is hopeful for good news, his injury absence could also be an extended one.
— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) January 12, 2026
A Tough Stretch
Amid all these injuries, the Canucks have lost six-consecutive games, including an ugly 5-0 defeat against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. The amount of talent on the team is dwindling almost week by week with the constant stream of injured players. Management has indicated that the team is in a “rebuild”, but has not been able to facilitate any moves since the Quinn Hughes trade. The large list of injuries certainly does not help their case.
“The draft is really important for us in the long term plan and the direction we’re going here.”
General Manager Patrik Allvin speaks in an exclusive interview with Chris Faber about the future of the team and importance of the draft at the #Canucks annual Scouting Meetings. pic.twitter.com/SDO1VjI6lt
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 11, 2026
The Canucks will continue their Eastern road trip with a back-to-back against the Montréal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators on Monday and Tuesday. No rest for the weary.
Main Photo Credit: Steve Roberts – Imagn Images
