(Article) Canucks: Tanner Pearson appears recovered from hand injury

[RWJC]

Canucks: Tanner Pearson appears recovered from hand injury

 

Tanner Pearson is keeping mum but he sure looks ready for his comeback.

The Vancouver Canucks winger has been skating for at least the last two weeks in the Vancouver area. His shooting efforts show no ill effects of the devastating hand injury he had to fight through for the last eight months.

 

Pearson broke a bone in his left hand during a game in November and was expected to be out for only a few weeks. But a post-operative infection set in and he needed a series of followup procedures, including wearing a special intravenous line to deliver antibiotics 24/7 to the infected area.

 

By early January it was clear he wouldn’t be able to return. His teammates grew frustrated with how his case had been handled, with Quinn Hughes speaking out at one point.

 

At the end of the 2022-23 season, there were doubts whether Pearson would ever play hockey again. At the Canucks’ end-of-season media availability, Pearson said being able to play with his kids again was his priority. 

 

He’s clearly progressed.

 

Last week in Richmond at Troy Stecher’s pro camp and at this week’s skates at the University of B.C., Pearson has been a full participant in drills and scrimmages. He’s been firing pucks at the net in a manner that suggests he’s recovered.

 

He has, as of yet, to speak with reporters about it, though his friend and teammate Brock Boeser spoke glowingly about Pearson’s recovery on Wednesday.

 

“I went and watched him the other day skate and I saw him shoot right away and it got me fired up,” Boeser said with a smile.

 

“Just for one of your buddies to go through something like that, and him missing the whole season, it’s hard. He’s a guy that was really important to our team last year and we needed him but I’m just so happy for him and happy that he’s back out here and happy that it wasn’t worse.”

 

pjohnston@postmedia.com

 

[DeNiro]

Well happy if he’s back as he brings something our smaller wingers don’t.

 

However this kind of complicates the cap situation a bit. Is there any way we can be cap compliant without any moves?

 

 

Edited September 6, 2023 by DeNiro

[Baratheon]

7 minutes ago, DeNiro said:

Well happy if he’s back as he brings something our smaller wingers don’t.

 

However this kind of complicates the cap situation a bit. Is there any way we can be cap compliant without any moves?

 

 

If there is then someone will need to explain it to me.  It sure doesn’t look like it.

[Gurn]

16 minutes ago, DeNiro said:

Well happy if he’s back as he brings something our smaller wingers don’t.

 

However this kind of complicates the cap situation a bit. Is there any way we can be cap compliant without any moves?

 

 

 

7 minutes ago, Baratheon said:

If there is then someone will need to explain it to me.  It sure doesn’t look like it.

Perhaps, if mikheyev doesn't play to start the year, the hits balance each other out?

[Baratheon]

3 minutes ago, Gurn said:

 

Perhaps, if mikheyev doesn't play to start the year, the hits balance each other out?

Dhali says that he’s 3-4 weeks away from being “100%” so I ruled out that possibility.  But I agree that another injury is probably the only way.

[MeanSeanBean]

22 minutes ago, DeNiro said:

Well happy if he’s back as he brings something our smaller wingers don’t.

 

However this kind of complicates the cap situation a bit. Is there any way we can be cap compliant without any moves?

 

 

We don't have to ice a 23 man roster day 1? couldn't we just ice a short roster, like the Leafs?

[kloubek]

After such a long absence, I would be surprised if he returned the Pearson we knew. He was already inconsistent, but I imagine a season of working his hand won't feel so great. 

 

With that said, if he's not the player we lose to cap compliance, it sure would be nice to see the Pearson from a couple years ago on this team. His physicality especially on the boards is underrated and while he's no star, does provide secondary scoring.

 

I expect him to be rusty and hope his shot recovers, but he could end up a solid addition to the 3rd line if he can manage to heal and get back up to speed.

[Fen1010]

Any chance he could start in Abby for a few games for ac conditioning stint? Or is that regular season only?

[Gawdzukes]

He's probably the firth or sixth best winger if healthy. He also has some size and strong defensive awareness. He's probably an important player for us. Wouldn't surprise me at all to see him on the second line.

[grandmaster]

Heard the guys on 650 say a trade is not necessary to clear Cap for Pearson. We just go down a forward and a defender on the roster. Something along those lines.

[DeNiro]

4 minutes ago, grandmaster said:

Heard the guys on 650 say a trade is not necessary to clear Cap for Pearson. We just go down a forward and a defender on the roster. Something along those lines.

Kuzmenko Pettersson Mikheyev

Garland Miller Boeser

Pearson Suter Beauvillier

Joshua Blueger Podkolzin

 

Hoglander 

 

Hughes Soucy

Cole Hronek

Irwin Myers

Woo

Brisebois

 

The issue is who do you want to lose to waivers? 
 

Hoglander? Woo? Ratbone? Brisebois? The issue is it basically forces their hand to waive a young player regardless of camp.

 

I don’t see any way they don’t trade a forward before opening night.

 

[RWJC]

37 minutes ago, DeNiro said:

Kuzmenko Pettersson Mikheyev

Garland Miller Boeser

Pearson Suter Beauvillier

Joshua Blueger Podkolzin

 

Hoglander 

 

Hughes Soucy

Cole Hronek

Irwin Myers

Woo

Brisebois

 

The issue is who do you want to lose to waivers? 
 

Hoglander? Woo? Ratbone? Brisebois? The issue is it basically forces their hand to waive a young player regardless of camp.

 

I don’t see any way they don’t trade a forward before opening night.

 

All depends on whom they view as expendable. The scary part is we may sacrifice some young talent again because of the dire need to push for playoffs. Hope we make a trade prior to opening night as well because it would be a real shame to lose our young depth because they haven’t yet cleared the winger log jam that they themselves inherited and added to. 

[kloubek]

43 minutes ago, DeNiro said:

Kuzmenko Pettersson Mikheyev

Garland Miller Boeser

Pearson Suter Beauvillier

Joshua Blueger Podkolzin

 

Hoglander 

 

Hughes Soucy

Cole Hronek

Irwin Myers

Woo

Brisebois

 

The issue is who do you want to lose to waivers? 
 

Hoglander? Woo? Ratbone? Brisebois? The issue is it basically forces their hand to waive a young player regardless of camp.

 

I don’t see any way they don’t trade a forward before opening night.

 

That's objectively a pretty good lineup. That 3rd line could be far more productive than most.

 

Yeah, I don't know all the ins and outs to work around the cap, but it seems likely someone has to go. Though I would say that Myers may look pretty attractive to a team with cap available as well, though one could argue that as a 3rd pairing d, he's actually a good fit to stay.

 

And I feel guys like Podz and Hogs should now be seasoned enough to hold down a 4th like role, so the logjam really is in the forward position.

[DownUndaCanuck]

We need a player like him, good defensively and can throw a hit, but makes our cap situation tricky. Someone's going to have to be waived or moved. Probably didn't need to sign Blueger as well as Suter if we knew Pearson would be ready, now we've got to shift around that - 2M. Flipping Beauvillier would be the easy option compared to waiving and losing someone or moving Myers.

 

Tocchet will throw Pearson straight into our top 6.

[canuck73_3]

6 hours ago, Fen1010 said:

Any chance he could start in Abby for a few games for ac conditioning stint? Or is that regular season only?

Nope 

[Biff Tannen]

Maybe I'm missing something, but if Tanner is back and only Poolman is on LTIR the current roster is nearly $2.5m over the cap. Given the maximum buriable is $1.15m they'd need to send 3 players down leaving a roster of 22 including Mikeyev. Would need to send another down to fit Podz on the team too. All the players on Cap Friendly's roster would need to clear waivers, though I'm not convinced our waifs are that appealing to other teams anyway.

 

So technically they can be compliant but it doesn't leave a lot of room. Guessing they are going to make a move, but doesn't necessarily have to happen before day 1.

Edited September 7, 2023 by Biff Tannen
miscounted roster

[iinatcc]

16 hours ago, DeNiro said:

Well happy if he’s back as he brings something our smaller wingers don’t.

 

However this kind of complicates the cap situation a bit. Is there any way we can be cap compliant without any moves?

 

 

Go medival 

 

Joke 

Edited September 7, 2023 by iinatcc

[higgyfan]

12 hours ago, DeNiro said:

Kuzmenko Pettersson Mikheyev

Garland Miller Boeser

Pearson Suter Beauvillier

Joshua Blueger Podkolzin

 

Hoglander 

 

Hughes Soucy

Cole Hronek

Irwin Myers

Woo

Brisebois

 

The issue is who do you want to lose to waivers? 
 

Hoglander? Woo? Ratbone? Brisebois? The issue is it basically forces their hand to waive a young player regardless of camp.

 

I don’t see any way they don’t trade a forward before opening night.

 

I don't see a team picking up Rathbone, Woo or Brisebois as they would have to be included on their

NHL team; if not, they come right back to the Nucks.

 

Hogs might be taken, as he has shown some promise in the NHL.

 

[higgyfan]

16 hours ago, kloubek said:

After such a long absence, I would be surprised if he returned the Pearson we knew. He was already inconsistent, but I imagine a season of working his hand won't feel so great. 

 

With that said, if he's not the player we lose to cap compliance, it sure would be nice to see the Pearson from a couple years ago on this team. His physicality especially on the boards is underrated and while he's no star, does provide secondary scoring.

 

I expect him to be rusty and hope his shot recovers, but he could end up a solid addition to the 3rd line if he can manage to heal and get back up to speed.

How so?  Prior to last season, he's had very similar #s since he was signed in Vancouver.

 

I agree that he brings a more physical style to his game and would be a great fit on the 3rd line.

He will likely be rusty, but he will get up to speed soon enough.  He's always been a good skater.

His shot might be compromised a bit.

 

I'm happy for Pears and am hopeful that he will bring a more qualified game to the 3rd line.

 

 

[Gurn]

Pearson is the teams best 'exclusively' left winger, and imo the second best winger that can play the left side, behind Kuze.

 

Given Tanner is 'just' a left sider, I'd say he gets the second line slot.