There have been days this season when walking into the office was a bit like walking into a minefield for Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet.
The Canucks have experienced a string of unexpected absences early in the campaign 鈥� and Tocchet has been greeted with bad news more than once.
鈥淪ometimes you walk in the morning and it鈥檚 鈥楬ey, this guy can鈥檛 play, this is happening,鈥欌�� the coach said Wednesday.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 go in there and start like, 鈥極h my god, what am I to do?鈥� The players need to see that I鈥檝e got a next-man-up mentality. That鈥檚 really what it comes up to. And then you deal with the other situations as they come.鈥�
Vancouver鈥檚 all-star goalie Thatcher Demko missed the first two months of the season recovering from a knee injury. Winger Dakota Joshua didn鈥檛 get into the lineup until mid-November as he worked his way back from treatment following an off-season cancer diagnosis.
Sniper Brock Boeser was sidelined for nearly three weeks and missed seven games with a concussion in November. Star centre J.T. Miller is still on an indefinite leave for personal reasons.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of stuff that鈥檚 hit us, with injuries and Demmer out 鈥� you go down the list,鈥� Tocchet said. 鈥淪ometimes it鈥檚 a good thing. Builds scar tissue, it builds character, and it builds fight in your team.鈥�
Vancouver got a key piece back Tuesday night when Demko made his first start of the season in the Canucks鈥� 4-3 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues.
Other players appear poised for a return soon, too, including Derek Forbort, who could be back in the lineup Thursday when Vancouver hosts the Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers.
The 32-year-old defenceman has played just four games since signing with the Canucks as a free agent July 1.
He stepped away from the team in mid-October to deal with the death of his father, then returned for a road match against the San Jose Sharks in California on Nov. 2. He was hurt in the next practice and hasn鈥檛 suited up for a game since.
鈥淚t sucked. It was just kind of a freak kind of collision kind of thing on a pretty harmless kind of drill,鈥� Forbort said. 鈥淏ut that stuff happens in hockey. And you鈥檝e just got to keep grinding.鈥�
Despite the absences, the Canucks remain above the playoff bar with a 14-8-5 record. The club has points in five of its last six outings.
The team鈥檚 tight-knit nature has helped, Forbort said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a close group in here. We鈥檝e had so many call-ups and those kids come up and they鈥檝e kind of integrated themselves into the culture pretty well and they played good hockey. And it鈥檚 been fun to see them,鈥� he said.
鈥淗opefully we can kind of get all those pieces back and get everyone accustomed to each other again. And really get rolling.鈥�
The Canucks may have another vital piece coming soon as Miller nears his return. The 31-year-old forward took morning skate Tuesday and practised with his teammates on Wednesday.
Miller had a career-high 103 points last season and put up six goals and 10 assists in 17 games before taking a leave from the team last month. His last game was Nov. 17.
Getting him back will mean a lot to the Canucks, said winger Conor Garland.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a big presence. And I think he鈥檚 a big presence on and off the ice. Obviously, he鈥檚 one of the best players in the league,鈥� he said.
鈥淪o we鈥檙e lucky to have him. And any time a guy like him 鈥� Demmer, guys like that, miss time, it hurts. But just to get him back in the fold, that鈥檒l be good for us.鈥�
While a healthier roster gives Tocchet fresh options out on the ice, he鈥檚 found that patching holes has brought lessons, too.
This season鈥檚 difficulties have taught the coach 鈥� winner of last season鈥檚 Jack Adams Award as the NHL鈥檚 top bench boss 鈥� to step back and try to look at situations differently. He鈥檚 also trying to prioritize relationships and communication to help both his team and individual players weather the adversity.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important that it鈥檚 not always about x and o鈥檚 and hockey and where you fit on the team,鈥� Tocchet said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really about life sometimes.鈥�
