Filip Chytil has struggled mightily to remain healthy throughout his profession — however the Vancouver Canucks forward provided an overwhelmingly positive update on the NHL player media tour in Europe earlier this week.
“I feel great, and hopefully it’s gonna be like this for loads of years,” Chytil told reporters, including The Athletic’s Michael Russo. “I feel ready for camp. Professionally, yeah, I couldn’t play. I used to be off the ice, and I couldn’t do what I like, and personally, it was harder for probably people around me — for my wife and for the family — because I know the way I feel, but they don’t know that, and so they don’t see me on the ice.”
The 25-year-old added: “The great days were switching to bad days. But my family was all the time there for me, supporting me, and so they were hoping that I’ll be back as soon as possible. And now I feel great.”
It’s good to listen to that the Czech Republic native is back to full health, considering what he’s handled throughout his profession. Chytil has a protracted history of concussions, and he suffered one other one in March after being hit from behind by Chicago Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson. He didn’t play one other game in 2024-25 because the Canucks missed the postseason.
Chytil was cleared to coach before the summer, and confirmed to Russo that he’ll enter training camp at 100%. That is critical for a Canucks team that badly needs an efficient 2C.
Canucks will depend on Filip Chytil in 2025-26
Originally drafted twenty first overall by the Latest York Rangers in 2017, Chytil spent nearly seven full campaigns within the Big Apple before being traded to British Columbia within the deal that sent JT Miller to Broadway.
Chytil managed 20 points in 41 games with the Rangers before the trade, and chipped in one other six over 15 contests before his injury. It has been a tricky go for the middle, who played just 10 total regular season games in 2023-24 and missed 26 tilts in 2024-25.
Heading right into a recent season, Vancouver is hoping that Chytil will give you the chance to return to the extent that saw him amass a career-high 22 goals and 45 points over 74 games with Latest York in 2022-23.
He’s shown flashes of first-round talent, but hasn’t been capable of stay healthy long enough to emerge right into a true game-breaking player. Obviously, the Canucks are hoping that may change in 2025-26 and beyond.
Chytil is under contract for 2 more seasons before he’ll turn out to be an unrestricted free agent in the summertime of 2027. He could play a significant role for the Canucks this yr, as Miller is gone and Pius Suter also left the team to affix the St. Louis Blues back in July.
Currently, Each day Faceoff has him pencilled into the 2C role, with Evander Kane and Conor Garland as his potential linemates. Fiddling with two expert players within the top-six should give him the chance to enhance on his career-best 45 points, and he’s also a candidate to start the season on the highest powerplay unit alongside Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk and Quinn Hughes.
After a postseason-less campaign, the Canucks are hoping to return to the shape that saw them win the Pacific Division in 2023-24. Chytil goes to be critical to that goal this yr.