Pearson's goal has been to get his hand back to normal in order to be able to return to the Canucks lineup next season, although his status for the next campaign is up in the air.
But we do have a bit of a positive update to share on Tuesday. Pearson's former junior team, the Barrie Colts, who play in the Ontario Hockey League, posted a picture to their social media accounts on Tuesday that showed the 30-year-old working out with his former teammate Ryan O'Connor and 2023 draft prospect Beau Akey. Akey, who plays for the Colts and was a big piece of their blueline during the 2022-23 season, is expected to be selected in the second-round later this month in Nashville.
Pearson, a native of Kitchener (Ontario), had five points (one goal, four assists), 21 penalty minutes and was a minus-nine in 14 games this past season. He'll be entering the final year of his contract which sees him earn $3.25 million. The contract also no longer has any trade protection, making a potential deal, if healthy, easier to pull off.
It'll be interesting to see how Pearson's recovery progresses throughout the summer, although we likely won't hear anything else on that front until training camp in September.
POLL | ||
If healthy, what should the Canucks do with Pearson ahead of the 2023-24 season? | ||
Keep him | 47 | 15.9 % |
Trade him | 211 | 71.3 % |
Unsure | 28 | 9.5 % |
See Results | 10 | 3.4 % |
List of polls |