The Vancouver Canucks are playing like one of the more elite teams in the NHL. If it wasn't for a similarly hot start from the Vegas Golden Knights, the Canucks would be in first place in the Pacific Division right now. That said, you cannot understate the importance of their 11-3-1 start for Vancouver. However, things aren't all sunshine and rainbows.

Vancouver will be without defenseman Carson Soucy for the next six to eight weeks, the team announced on Wednesday. Soucy left Sunday's game against the Montreal Canadiens after blocking a shot with his left foot. The team originally listed him as week to week.

“It's tough for the individual,” coach Rick Tocchet said, via NHL.com. “He's played his best hockey the last 3-4 games. Him and (defenseman Tyler) Myers have been really good. I can tell when we put them together, rock solid.”

The 29-year-old blueliner joined the Canucks this summer in NHL Free Agency. He signed a three-year contract worth a total of $9.75 million. He has five points in 13 games while averaging nearly 17 minutes a night on the third pairing and penalty kill.

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“This is where the depth comes in,” Tocchet continued regarding the injury, via NHL.com. “You have to test organizational depth, and we're going to get tested here and there's opportunities for guys.”

In response to the Carson Soucy injury, Vancouver has recalled Akito Hirose from AHL Abbotsford. However, it'll be right-handed shot Mark Friedman slotting into the lineup on Wednesday night when the Canucks take on the New York Islanders.

The Canucks have played incredibly well to this point in the 2023-24 NHL season. Let's see if the team can navigate the loss of Soucy and remain one of the best teams in the league this year.