Since injuring his hand in November of 2022, Tanner Pearson’s journey back to the Canucks line-up has been plagued with setbacks and unforeseen difficulties. On Wednesday, Canucks fans got an update on the winger’s health with a surprising update coming from Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin. Allvin had this to say about Pearson’s return to the Canucks forward group: “The indication I have got is that Tanner Pearson’s hand is healing, and he’s preparing to be part of training camp.”
The last update regarding Pearson’s injury saga came in April. It was still unclear then if Pearson would be playing in the 2023-2024 season, with Pearson stating, “I just want to get my hand back.” The original injury happened on November 9th in a game against the Montreal Canadiens. Pearson was expected to miss four weeks with a broken hand, however, by the time he spoke to the media in April, it was reported he had undergone several surgeries. Things took such a left turn in Pearson’s recovery that the club launched their own investigation, and the NHLPA got involved.
Getting Pearson back into the line-up could be beneficial for a Canucks team that is hard-pressed with cap concerns. The 30-year-old winger brings a solid two-way game to the roster and has often been considered one of the Canucks’ underappreciated line-up fixtures. He has one more year left on his current contract, a cap hit of $3.25 million. In the 14 games Pearson played during the 2022-2023 season, the winger picked up five points, one goal, and four assists. In the prior 2021-2022 season, he had collected 34 points through 68 games.
It definitely is good news to hear Pearson’s recovery is trending in the right direction, however, the future still remains uncertain. If the winger is not ready to go by training camp, it is likely he will begin the season on LTIR. Beyond that, in the event Pearson cannot play to start the season, the question remains if he will be able to return to play at all. For the moment, it is good to hear that after a long unnecessary venture, things may be returning to normal for Tanner Pearson.
