Vanecek (face) was the first goaltender off the ice at morning skate and is slated to guard the home cage versus Vancouver on Thursday, Max Miller of NHL.com reports.
Vanecek will make his first NHL appearance since he suffered a fractured cheekbone sitting on the bench as the backup goaltender against the Jets on Dec. 17. Vanecek is a mediocre 3-8-1 with a 3.84 GAA and an .885 save percentage in 14 games this season. The Canucks are generating 2.83 goals per game, 22nd in the NHL in 2024-25.