Vancouver Canucks Injured Superstars Set To Rejoin Team Much Sooner Than Expected

At Friday's media availability, head coach Rick Tocchet said that both Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson are nearing a return and will join the team on their upcoming road trip.

Neither player suited up for Friday night's contest against the Nashville Predators, and the Canucks are eager to see them return having posted a 1-1-1 record in their absence so far (and tied nearly halfway through the game with Nashville at the time of writing).

Hughes was injured on December 21 in a game against the Ottawa Senators, presumably injuring his hand, and while he played the next game on December 23, he hasn't played since.

With the Canucks already missing Filip Hronek and Hughes having yet another dominant season, the captain's absence has been impactful.

The circumstances around Pettersson's absence are a bit less clear, and though initially there was hope for a return after the Christmas break, Pettersson has been described by Tocchet as day-to-day.

While Tocchet's comments point towards a return sometime on this road trip for the injured stars, it's a long one and could happen at any point during it.

After tonight's home game against the Nashville Predators, the Canucks head east and won't be back in Vancouver for nearly two weeks.

After taking on Montreal on Monday night, the Canucks head to Washington, Carolina, Toronto, and finally Winnipeg before their next home game against the LA Kings on January 16.