Canucks: How Adam Foote can draw on history, motivate last-place club

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Adam Foote has seen this movie play out before to critical acclaim — bad start followed by better ending — and a sequel would make something of a season gone sideways in Vancouver.

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The Canucks head coach became captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2005-06 NHL season and his club was clobbered by a plethora of injuries to key players — 309 man games lost set a franchise record at that point — and stumbled to a 12-26-1 record by Jan. 1.

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However, the Blue Jackets got healthier and hungrier and went 23-17-3 to finish up at 35-43-4. They still missed the playoffs, but perseverance paid off because a roster of impressionable young players and wily veterans rallied to the common goal of getting better.

Foote can draw on that experience as the Canucks contemplate what awaits. The league’s last-place team is challenged to find motivation because change is coming when the roster freeze ends Sunday night, and a commitment to a rebuild is going to tax the collective resolve.

“We want to keep going and keep building for whatever is next,” Foote said Tuesday, following the Canucks’ first post-break practice at the University of B.C. “We want to develop these guys and get the confidence going, get our special teams going, and try to win some games.”

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Of course, that’s easier said than done, especially when injuries derail the best-laid plans.

The Canucks had nine players sidelined at one point this season. In 2005-06, Foote missed 17 games with the Blue Jackets to hip and groin injuries. Rick Nash was sidelined 28 games with ankle and knee ailments, Bryan Berard missed 38 following back surgery, Rostislav Klesla missed 31 to a stress leg fracture, and Manny Malhotra 24 games to back spasms and a shoulder injury.

It that wasn’t bad enough, Gilbert Brule, the club’s first-round pick in 2005, suffered a sternum injury and a broken leg and played just seven games.

“It happens, teams go through it,” reasoned Foote. “You kind of get snake-bit sometimes (by injuries) and there’s nothing you can do about it. We’ve probably been hit the hardest this year. It is what it is. You just try to move on from it and grind it out.

“Young guys get good opportunities to get reps and take great advantage of it. They’ll be in a better spot and when we get more guys back, we’ll be deeper. We just wanted to get a moderate skate in today and get some puck touches. We didn’t want to put a lot of pressure on groins and backs and gradually ramp it up.”

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Winger Jake DeBrusk never missed the playoffs in seven seasons with the Boston Bruins and a mental re-set at this Olympic break came at the right time to get mind and body in sync after mounting droughts and playoffs quickly fading this season.

“It’s been the hardest year of my career, to be honest,” said DeBrusk. “There are lots of things you play for. At the very least, play for your teammates. I’m an older player with a lot of playoff experience and character really shows when things aren’t going well. It’s something I had to learn a lot about myself this year.”

Chytil, Rossi back on practice ice

Filip Chytil and Marco Rossi were centres of attention Tuesday.

Chytil was in a red non-contact jersey after his recent migraine headaches issue, while Rossi was fully healed from a lower-body injury.

He caught experienced migraine headaches in a Feb. 2 game at Salt Lake City. He didn’t return for the third period and didn’t play in Las Vegas two nights later. He played just 7:36 against the Utah Mammoth and looked slow in progressions through zones and finished with just one shot and a minus-3 rating. There was no big hit or collision, just puck battles.

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“He saw a specialist who has worked with other players in the league with what he has,” said Foote.

Rossi blocked a shot Dec. 30 against the Philadelphia Flyers, didn’t play the final eight minutes, and was expected to be sidelined a least a week. He then had a setback in his rehab in late January.

Rossi also missed 13 games with the Minnesota Wild and was activated shortly after being traded to the Canucks. He has played just eight games with Vancouver and has two points (1-1)

“I feel 100 per cent for the first time since I’ve been here,” said Rossi. “After the shot block, I didn’t feel good but kept playing and then I was out for a while. And with the trade, there was so much happening. The games I’ve had here weren’t my best, but it’s all about learning and I want to be at my best.

“Even as a team, we can’t think about the standings and stuff. We just have to stay positive and play our game.”

Winger Nils Hoglander, who suffered a lower-body injury Jan. 27 against the San Jose Sharks, was in the second practice group Tuesday. “He’s a dog on a bone in the corners and we want to see him get back to what he was,” said Foote. “He’s pretty hungry.”

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OVERTIME: Olympians will slowly assimilate into practices before the Canucks host the Winnipeg Jets on Feb. 25. “You have to really watch it with the jet lag,” cautioned Foote. “A guy like (Filip) Hronek is playing a lot of minutes (Czechia) and possibly Petey (Elias Pettersson) with Sweden. We’ll definitely have to manage it and see where they’re at.” The Canucks have recalled goalie Aku Koskenvuo under emergency conditions from the AHL affiliate in Abbotsford with Kevin Lankinen at the Olympics (Finland).

bkuzma@postmedia.com

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