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Pouliot to make Canucks debut, with Edler sidelined 4-6 weeks

Chicago Blackhawks v Pittsburgh Penguins

PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 21: Derrick Pouliot #51 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the Chicago Blackhawks during the game at Consol Energy Center on January 21, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

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The Canucks will be without Alex Edler for a significant amount of time.

On Saturday, head coach Travis Green confirmed that Edler will miss the next four to six weeks due to a sprained MCL suffered during Thursday’s loss to the Winnipeg Jets.

That’s a tough loss for the Canucks this early in the season, with Edler leading the team in ice time at an average of more than 24 minutes a night through the first two games, and playing a sizable role with the penalty kill and power play.

This will now provide 23-year-old Derrick Pouliot with an opportunity to get into the lineup. He’s slated to make his Canucks debut Saturday against the Calgary Flames.

Pouliot was selected eighth overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2012 NHL Draft, but has yet to make the jump to the big league on a full-time basis. He had split each of the last three seasons between the Penguins and their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before Pittsburgh finally moved on from him prior to the start of the 2017-18 campaign, trading him to Vancouver.

Trying to get his NHL career on track, Pouliot has a familiarity with the new Canucks bench boss dating back to their time together with the Portland Winterhawks in the Western Hockey League.

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Cam Tucker is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @CamTucker_Sport.

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