Defenceman Victor Mancini was ruled out of Sunday’s contest against the Edmonton Oilers after he left the bench during the second and did not return for the third period.
The 23-year-old logged 8:18 of ice time before ending his last shift with 5:17 remaining in the middle frame. It is not immediately clear what caused him to exit the game.
After the game, head coach Adam Foote told reporters that Mancini was still undergoing evaluation and the team doesn’t have a firm timeline.
Mancini began the game as the Canucks’ sixth defenceman. They were already shorthanded on the blueline with captain Quinn Hughes being held out of the lineup with a lower-body injury.
Mancini was recalled by the Canucks on Saturday after skating in a game with Abbotsford, and prospect Tom Willander was sent down in a subsequent move.
The Hancock, Mich., native was drafted by the New York Rangers in the fifth round of the 2022 draft but was moved to the Canucks as part of the blockbuster deal for J.T. Miller in January of 2025.
He has skated in four contests this season, averaging 11:05 of time on ice with a minus-2 rating. In 35 career NHL games, he has netted two goals and added eight assists.