Canucks forward Tanner Pearson out four to six weeks after hand surgery

Pearson suffered the injury during Wednesday night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. He had been ruled out on a day-to-day basis initially, but was then placed on injured reserve before the team announced that he underwent surgery.

Based on the current timeframe for his recovery, he’ll likely miss the next 13 to 18 games for Vancouver. Dakota Joshua was the lone forward healthy scratch for the Canucks, so he’ll likely draw into Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Pearson has shared the struggles of the rest of the team in the early going of the 2022-23 season, with just one goal, four assists and five points in 14 games so far.

Pearson is in the second year of a three year contract with a $3.25 million cap hit, a deal he signed after the trade deadline of the 2020-21 season after being in the center of trade rumors in Vancouver. This is Pearson’s fifth season with the Canucks after he was traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Erik Gudbranson.

Pearson’s injury is another one to add to the growing list in Vancouver. Along with Pearson, the Canucks are currently without forward Curtis Lazar on IR, and defensemen Tucker Poolman and Travis Dermott on long term injured reserve (and forward Micheal Ferland, but he’s been injured for a majority of his four year contract with the Canucks due to concussions).

A lot has been said about the Canucks horrid start to the season. The team has dug themselves into a big hole after dropping their first seven games of the season. They are currently 4-7-3, and are sixth in the Pacific division, ahead of only the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks.