This is just getting ridiculous. After taking a shot off the foot Kevin Bieksa is now the latest Canuck defenseman to hit the injured list. Bieksa is out with a foot fracture of some kind, no details have been released and he will be re-evaluated when the team returns to Vancouver. Evan Oberg has been recalled from Manitoba and will suit up tonight in Nashville. Yes the Canucks will be playing with 3 rookie defensemen who have 15 career NHL games between them.
The good news is that Keith Ballard is ahead of schedule and could play next week, while Dan Hamhuis has begun light work outs and everyone else is targeted to return for the playoffs. The Canucks have not placed Hamhuis or Ballard on LTIR, so they have no cap space to add a player via trade. That means no Ian White and his $3m salary (who broke that ridiculous rumour?).
The Canucks have a 9 point cushion on 2nd place Detroit and a 15 point lead in the division. There's no reason to panic, the team can weather the storm. The experience being gained by the rookie blueliners could actually be a blessing in disguise should they be called upon during the playoffs. And hey, watching rookies makes these games a lot more interesting than they otherwise would be...
