Canucks’ Brock Boeser out 4-6 weeks with lower back fracture

Vancouver Canucks rookie sensation Brock Boeser is likely finished for the remainder of the season after suffering a lower back fracture Monday against the Islanders.

It’s been yet another disappointing season of hockey in Vancouver, and one of the few bright spots to get the Canucks faithful through these final weeks of the season has been extinguished.

The Vancouver Canucks have announced that rookie sensation Brock Boeser will be out four to six weeks with a non-structural lower back fracture suffered in the team’s 4-3 overtime win over the New York Islanders on Monday, effectively ending his race for the Calder trophy.

With under a minute left in the third period of Vancouver’s eventual 4-3 overtime win over the New York Islanders, Boeser attempted a hit but was leveled with a counter by Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck and took an awkward fall into an open bench door, slamming his backside into the door. Boeser was down for several moments and was unable to comfortably stand up on his own following the hit and had to be assisted into the locker room.

Boeser was later stretched out of the arena and taken to the hospital by ambulance for precautionary reasons, where he was diagnosed with a “soft tissue injury and a small non-structural, non-displaced fracture of the transverse process in his lower back.”

The injury likely wraps up what has been a sensational rookie campaign for Brock Boeser. In 62 games this season, Boeser leads all rookies with 29 goals and his 55 points are second only to fellow rookie sensation Matthew Barzal’s 69 points with the New York Islanders. Boeser was also elected to attend the NHL All Star Weekend in Janaury, where he was awarded MVP of the All Star game with two goals and an assist and won the Accuracy Shooting competition with a time of 11.136.

The Vancouver Canucks, who ended Monday’s game with a win despite losing Boeser, still sit at seventh in the Pacific Division and 28th in the league with a 25-32-9 record for 59 points. There’s nothing to play for with just 16 games remaining in the season, and even if the Canucks win every single game from here on out they’ll finish with 91 total points, giving them a 4.3% chance to make the playoffs according to Sports Club Stats.

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With the Canucks comfortably out of playoff contention, it’s a reasonable assumption that the organization won’t put Boeser at risk by playing again this season. The injury may have turned out to be better then expected, but back injuries are nothing to be taken lightly especially this early in a young kid’s career. Though the organization did not officially shut down Boeser, don’t expect him to be back this season, no matter how well the recovery is going.