Forward Sven Baertschi was placed on injured reserve today as he’s battling an apparent illness. Usually, one would expect a forward to come into the lineup in his stead. But because Alex Edler suffered a gruesome injury in a freak accident last night against Philadelphia, defensive prospect Guillaume Brisebois will be elevated to the big club from Utica of the American Hockey League.

Edler avoided a facial fracture on the ugly play, but was diagnosed with a concussion. He’ll likely be on the sidelines for at least a week. Baertschi, meanwhile, must miss at least a week after being designated on injured reserve, so he’ll miss at least the next four games.

It’s not yet known if Brisebois will get into the lineup tonight, as coach Travis Green would only say that he will “take warmup.” But Green has mostly insisted on icing a roster full of defencemen playing their natural sides, so it stands to reason that the right-handed Alex Biega (the team’s only other spare rearguard) probably won’t be coming in for the left-handed Edler.

Brisebois has been touted as one of the team’s promising blueliners by general manager Jim Benning, even as he’s been putting up somewhat underwhelming numbers in with the Utica Comets.

In 45 games this year, the 2015 third-round draft pick has nine points. He had 18 points in 68 contests last season.

Unfortunately, the player many Canucks fans would love to see with the big club—Olli Juolevi, who happens to be left-handed—has been out of the lineup since December. Another left-hander who has had some success this year with Utica is Evan McEneny, but Benning played down a suggestion that he could be called up earlier this year.

We’ll see if Brisebois gets into the game tonight, but he should see the ice at some point on the Canucks’ current road trip.

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