Canucks' Boeser expected to miss start of season after hand surgery

Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser will be sidelined for the next three-to-four weeks after undergoing hand surgery, the team announced Monday.

With Vancouver's regular season beginning Oct. 12 against the Edmonton Oilers, Boeser could miss the first two weeks of the 2022-23 campaign. He injured his hand during training camp on Saturday.

Boeser, 25, put up 23 goals and 23 assists in 71 games in 2021-22. Like many Canucks, he saw a boost in production after Bruce Boudreau took over for Travis Green behind the bench on Dec. 5.

As a restricted free agent, Boeser re-signed on a three-year pact with a $6.65-million cap hit in July. Last week, Boeser vowed to hit the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career this season, according to The Athletic's Harman Dayal.

Selected by the Canucks in the first round of the 2015 draft, the oft-injured Boeser has 256 points in 324 career games.

Boeser isn't the only Canucks forward dealing with an injury. Ilya Mikheyev was unable to return to Vancouver's preseason clash against the Calgary Flames on Sunday after taking a hit from defenseman Nic Meloche. Mikheyev is undergoing further evaluation, sources told The Athletic's Thomas Drance.