Alright, brace yourselves hockey fans, because the Vancouver Canucks are down a man—again. Carson Soucy, their defenseman who just can’t seem to catch a break, is clocking out for five-to-six weeks, thanks to a gnarly hand injury. Coach Rick Tocchet broke the news on Monday with all the enthusiasm of a dentist announcing a root canal, as reported by Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma.
To fill the gap, the Canucks are calling up their benchwarmers—defenseman Mark Friedman and forward Linus Karlsson are getting bumped up from the AHL. Go get ’em, guys.
Let’s rewind to where Soucy’s misfortune struck—during Saturday’s smackdown against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Soucy put his hand in harm’s way to block a shot and boom, there goes his playtime. The guy’s probably racking up more hospital loyalty points than flying miles at this rate, considering he just got back into the ice rink on January 6 after a long vacation nursing a lower-body issue for 23 games.
The man’s 29-years-old and it’s his first run with the Canucks after signing a three-year deal worth $9.75 million (because who doesn’t like a spicy salary deet?). Not to mention, he’s been the penalty kill’s knight in shining armor. With just two goals and six points over 21 games, you wouldn’t call him an offensive powerhouse, but his 17:25 ice time average per game isn’t too shabby.
His main ice buddy, when he’s not chilling with the medics, has been Tyler Myers. They’ve been holding the fort like a couple of grizzled veterans in a zombie apocalypse.
And just to rub salt in the wound, the Canucks have a mere three games before they can kick back for the All-Star break. Starting with a dustup against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday. Currently, the Canucks are strutting around with a 31-11-4 record—top of the league, baby.
But remember, Canucks fans, it ain’t over till the fat lady sings, or in this case, until Soucy’s hand decides it’s game-time again. So, keep your fingers crossed—just not too hard, we all know what that leads to.