Brandon Sutter got off to a good start with Vancouver this season. In his first season with the Canucks, he scored four goals and recorded eight assists in 16 games. But the 26-year old hasn’t seen the ice since November 10 and it could be mid-January before he returns to action after undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia.
The Canucks announced today that Sutter could be out 4-6 weeks. General Manager Jim Benning said “Following a period of treatment and evaluation our medical team determined that the best course of action for Brandon was to perform this procedure. The surgery was successful and we expect a full recovery.”
Vancouver’s record is 2-5-3 without him. They have surrendered 11 power-play goals in those 10 games. This could leave Benning searching for a veteran center, as Vancouver Sun scribe Iain MacIntyre even tweeted today that Benning has made calls exploring a trade for a center.
Down the depth chart they have young centers in Jared McCann (19 years old) and Bo Horvat (20 years old).
The 11th overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft (Carolina) went to Vancouver from Pittsburgh on June 28 for forward Nick Bonino, defenseman Adam Clendening, and a second-round pick in 2016.
