VANCOUVER – Quinn Hughes isn’t going into the Vancouver Canucks’ lineup this weekend, but winger Sven Baertschi could be.
A serious concussion and its consequences — after Baertschi initially returned from injury mid-season — have restricted the 26-year-old, top-six winger to just 22 games this season.
But the Swiss forward, who hasn’t played since Feb. 2, fully practised with the Canucks on Friday and declared himself fit if coach Travis Green chooses to play him Saturday at Rogers Arena against the Calgary Flames.
Baertschi badly wants to play. But with only eight Canuck games remaining — and considering what he has endured this season since being hit in the head by Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Hyka on Oct. 24 — the question is: Why?
“I think anytime you’re hurt for a long time, you want to do that,” Baertschi said. “(Canucks staff) never really pushed me through this process. They were great. They gave me all the help I needed. They told me to make sure to take my time and go through this process the right way. Obviously, I’m thankful for that. Now when I come back, I want to make sure I leave it all out there.
“This was my plan. I wanted to come back. I wanted to make sure that I’m 100 per cent and I wanted to make sure that I go into a game with confidence. I’m ready to play. As soon as coach tells me I’m in, I’m good to go.”
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With the Canucks 4-0-1 in their last five games, Green isn’t likely to change his lineup.
But the coach also dismissed the possibility that the Canucks, given the nature and seriousness of Baertschi’s injury, should keep him out the rest of the season to give the player another six months to recover.
“No, he’s declared himself healthy,” Green said. “That means he’s healthy and ready to go and wants to play, most importantly. He’s an option now. We’ll see.”
Green also told reporters that Hughes, the former University of Michigan star and the Canucks’ best prospect outside the National Hockey League, passed a second CT scan on his bruised foot. But Green gave no timeline for an NHL debut for Hughes, who signed an entry-level contract two weeks ago after his college season ended.
When he begins skating, Hughes will need at least three or four days on the ice before he plays, which means he probably won’t play any sooner than next Thursday’s home game against the Los Angeles Kings.
Baertschi should be in the lineup by then. The Columbus Blue Jackets visit Vancouver on Sunday, and the Anaheim Ducks play the Canucks Tuesday.
After Hyka’s unpenalized hit from behind on Baertschi, the Canuck missed 30 games with a concussion. He returned to the lineup Dec. 29, and scored five times in 12 games before returning to the injured list following Vancouver’s 5-1 win in Denver on Feb. 2.
“I just didn’t feel good, didn’t feel right,” Baertschi said. “I was 100 per cent for each game that I played. And for some reason, after that Denver game, I didn’t feel good. It’s obviously scary for anybody.”
Baertschi has two years remaining on a contract that pays him $3.37-million per season. Until this injury, he was considered a key part of the Canucks’ future.
