Rick Tocchet provides update on Conor Garland following absence from Friday's lineup

It came as a surprise when Rick Tocchet made last minute changes to his lineup on Friday night, with Conor Garland on the sidelines and it was unclear at the time why he wasn't able to play.

With the regular season right around the corner, teams want to play it safe with their regulars on the roster and with Garland out on Friday night, Nils Aman was given another opportunity with the Vancouver Canucks in the preseason and did quite well, picking up an assist and a shot on goal.

Vancouver went on to get the win in their preseason finale over the Edmonton Oilers by a score of 4 to 1 with Quinn Hughes, Carson Soucy, Arshdeep Bains and Jake DeBrusk picking up the goals.

After the game, it was inevitable that reporters were going to ask Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet about Conor Garland and it was revealed why the 28-year-old didn't suit up on Friday night.

Tocchet told reporters that Conor Garland 'tweaked something' in the morning and was a late scratch for the team. If it was a regular season or playoff game, Garland likely would've played but because it was the preseason, Tocchet didn't want to risk anything.

The Vancouver Canucks finished the preseason with a record of 3-2-1 with wins coming against the Seattle Kraken, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers.

Next up for Rick Tocchet's group is their 2024-25 season opener, which is set for Wednesday, October 9th at Rogers Arena as the Vancouver Canucks host the Calgary Flames. It's going to be interesting to see who is on the opening night roster once it's revealed after the 5 pm ET submission deadline on Monday. Aatu Raty, Nils Aman and Arshdeep Bains all had solid showings during the preseason and are certainly options to be on the roster on opening night.